Mountain Holidays Without Skiing: 3 Unusual Activity Ideas
Even though trips to winter sports resorts are often associated with skiing, it is not essential to hit the slopes to enjoy the delights of snow and altitude. Today, ski resorts are competing in creativity to attract new visitors. They offer a host of unusual activities because a new trend is emerging where people go on mountain vacations without skiing.
Sledding: A Timeless Activity.
Skiing isn't the only sport that offers the thrill of sliding. Winter sports resorts understand this well, as they all have toboggan runs for the delight of children and their parents.
There's nothing like tobogganing to enjoy a mountain vacation without skiing and have great times with friends or family! To try the longest toboggan run in France, head to the Val Thorens resort: there you can enjoy a memorable 45-minute descent over more than 6 km! This toboggan run is a fun experience to share with the family since it's accessible from the age of 5.
Tobogganing is so timeless that it has inspired new forms of sliding like the snooc (a hybrid between a toboggan and skis) and the snakegliss (several toboggans connected together like a snake and steered by a professional).
To try the snooc, you can go to Chamonix but also to Serre-Chevalier or La Plagne. If you want to experience the snakegliss, you need to go to the family-friendly resort of Valloire in Savoie. In the Peyragudes resort in the Pyrenees, you can try another form of inflatable toboggan called the airboard. Accessible from the age of 10, this activity involves sliding down the slopes... belly down!
2- Hiking Reinvented.
Snowshoeing is an essential activity for non-skiers who want to enjoy the mountain setting. With snowshoes on your feet, you can stop at any moment to admire the view.
Nowadays, snowshoe outings, whether independent or guided by a leader, are no longer the only forms of hiking offered at resorts. To enjoy a mountain holiday without skiing, you can also try Afghan walking at the Samoëns resort in Haute-Savoie.
Afghan walking is a form of mindful hiking where one synchronizes their step and breath. This method, now considered a form of active meditation, was invented by the nomads of the high plateaus of Afghanistan to better manage their effort in the mountains.
If you're looking for an even more athletic form of hiking, you can also try Hok skiing, a hybrid of snowshoeing and Nordic trekking. This sport, which comes from Canada, is more accessible than Nordic skiing for beginners. It involves using short, more manageable Nordic touring skis. These skis are equipped with climbing skins and always leave the heel free. You can try this new activity at Les Saisies or at the Espace nordique du Désert d'Entremont in the Chartreuse Natural Park.
3- Spa and snowga: relaxation at the foot of the slopes.
Another way to recharge in the mountains without skiing is, of course, to take advantage of all the wellness activities offered at ski resorts or spa towns.
Snowga, or snow yoga, is a surprising variation of traditional hatha yoga. As the name suggests, this discipline involves performing yoga poses in the great outdoors, on a snowy terrain. This perfect activity for taking in the mountain air is offered in places like Chamrousse in Isère and Méribel in the Domaine des 3 Vallées.
Finally, non-skiers will also find pure moments of relaxation in winter sports resorts thanks to wellness areas and aquatic centers. More and more resorts are equipped with Nordic baths to provide an unforgettable experience: a warm bath outdoors with a view of the snowy mountains! To enjoy this relaxing moment, you can visit Saint-Gervais, Digne-les-Bains, or Montgenèvre in the Hautes-Alpes.
