We are one and a quarter hours' drive to Siegnus de Allos and La Foux d'Allos, both of which are excellent resorts with a wide range of skiing, from wide open pistes, to tree-line skiing and good quality off-piste potential. La Foux d’Allos has a link to Pra Loup, giving about 130 km of pistes to explore. Valberg is a bit further away but provides an alternative for a days skiing.

Closer to home, about half an hour away, the much smaller resorts of Vauplan, Gréolières les Neiges and l'Audiberg provide an extremely cheap alternative to the larger resorts, and are ideal for families or those learning to ski. Each station has ski hire although the equipment is not the newest.

You can check out snow conditions on the following websites.

• La Foux/Seignus (good web-cams)
• Pra Loup (good web-cams)
• Valberg
• Gréolières Les Neiges For further information tel. 04 93 59 70 12. For cross country skiing information tel. 04 93 59 70 57. More photos.
• L'Audiberg tel. 04 93 60 45 18
• Vauplan tel. Mairie de Soleilhas : 04 93 60 42 87  Ticket office : 04 92 83 67 63
   

If you are going up to the Allos resorts skis, boots, poles and blades (and sledges if you really aren't very confident!), can be hired at Au Petit Allossard, Rue du Pre de Foire, Allos, 04260.  Tel. 04 92 83 14 62. You can also hire ski mountaineering skis and cross country skis from the same shop.

A useful site to help you think a bit about your technique can be found here.

Other Possibilities

The pleasant walks described in the walking section are just as good in winter. It is, however, well worth hiring raquettes (snow shoes), as the snow can be very deep in places. Several places locally (the Gite Tonic and the Epicerie de Soleihas tel 04 93 60 40 28) hire raquettes.

If there is enough snow you can cross country ski at Gréolières les Neiges and at Caille (tel. 06 13 66 56 23).

For those with lots of energy, there is endless potential for ski-mountaineering. The photo opposite was taken on the Crete de Bernard looking across to the Teillon ridge. The nearby Mercantour national park provides the full mountain experience. Have a look at this photo gallery taken on the nearby Cheiron ridge with pictures looking across to the Mercantours.

Further afield walking up to somewhere like Lac d’Allos in the solitude of winter provides an excellent day out. Raquettes, cross country skis and ski mountaineering skis can be hired at Au Petit Allossard, Rue du Pre de Foire, Allos, 04260.  Tel. 04 92 83 14 62.