Increase your Green Health by Hiking in Isère, France
Isère is a paradise for nature lovers and hikers, with its national parks and regional reserves that showcase its stunning forests and mountains. Holidays in the region can calm your mind, reset your body and revive your spirit. In summer, you can discover a vast landscape of blue lakes and flower-filled meadows, surrounded by the majestic peaks of the Alps. Isère has 9,000 km of certified and waymarked hiking trails for all levels and tastes. You can enjoy a leisurely walk with a donkey, a challenging route with a guide, or anything in between.
The experts call it Green Health, and they say that spending time in nature can lower your stress hormones, reduce your blood pressure and boost your immune system and mental health. There is plenty of scientific evidence to support this idea, such as a recent article by the British Heart Foundation. So why not put on your hiking boots and explore some of the amazing walking paths (with accommodation options) while connecting with the great outdoors?
NEW: Hiking without a car with Alpes Là
The Grenoble-based association Alpes Là!, in partnership with Isère Attractivité, has created a guide with 50 ideas for hikes in Isère, all without a car. Produced in collaboration with mountain guides, this book highlights many options mainly in the Isère massif. The association identifies buses or trains that reach the start of any hike. Whether you are a beginner or an expert, you will find routes that suit your level and interest.
©pierre jayet
Escape into the Wild & Unusual
This itinerary in the Chartreuse offers a beautiful and accessible route (medium level of hiking) for a timeless six-day journey. The “Escaping into the wild and unusual” tour introduces you to the secrets of the Chartreuse with a qualified guide. You will see unique landscapes, traces of history, tales of life in the past, a visit to the recently renovated Grande Chartreuse Museum, exploring the Echelles caves, seeing the Sardinian Way and more. The hike is suitable from 12 years old, for solo travellers or groups of family or friends. Book the Comfort Trip and the accommodation providers will organise transport for your luggage.
Six nights/seven days from €855 / £735 pp
Eco-responsible Freedom Hike
This Chartreuse tour has been designed with the utmost respect for the environment: a welcome by the tour creator, overnight stays at accommodation with the ‘Accueil du Parc’ label, meals made with local-seasonal products, and using public transport. The Vagabondages d’Exception tours promote local living and environmental awareness. By sharing these values, you can play an active part in sustainability. This tour starts in the small town of Voiron before crossing the ancient border between Savoie and France to reach the heart of the Chartreuse mountains.
This seven nights/eight days loop tour costs from €745 / £640 pp on a half-board basis and runs until October.
Hardy Hikers – GR54 Guided Tour of the Ecrins
This summer, Cyril Valois, a mountain guide based in Bourg d’Oisans, offers a 13-day trek along the GR54 Grande Randonnee, also known as the Tour of the Ecrins, with nights in a tent under the stars. In the heart of the Écrins National Park, the GR54 is a splendid hike passing by some of the highest peaks in the massif: La Meije, Les Agneaux, Le Sirac, La Muzelle to name but a few. Camping equipment is provided (tents, 0°C duvets and mattresses, cooking equipment and walking poles) so you are self-sufficient. You will walk six or seven hours for 13 consecutive days with a 15 kg pack and spend nights in tents in the wilderness. This is an exceptional itinerary for adventurous hikers who are in good physical condition (and don’t mind skipping hot showers).
Dates: From 7–19 July 2023 & 23 July – 4 August 2023. Price: €890 / £765 pp, group size from five to eight people.
Local produce hike
Tour Gourmand is a three to five-day self-guided hike from Saint-Christophe to discover the Ecrins with 15.5 hours of hiking. You will explore the Vénéon valley and its culinary specialities between refuges, stopover at gites and local hotels, and become immersed in the heart of the Ecrins National Park. Prices include accommodation in dorms on full board (dinner, overnight stay, breakfast and picnic) throughout summer until mid-September.
A three-day stay costs from €128 / £110, a four-day stay costs from €185 / £159. The tour is English spoken.
Grand tour du Vercors and the Traversée des Hauts Plateaux
Thanks to the overwhelming success of this 410 km hiking trail and all its subsidiaries, the GTV on foot had a makeover last year. The route has been slightly modified and is now divided into 22 stages. While the complete hike lasts about three weeks, anyone can break it up into smaller sections depending on what they want to do: from one day on one stage, a weekend, a week, discover this majestic limestone citadel and explore its natural and cultural treasures along the way. The classic three-day Traversée des Hauts-Plateaux is 52.5 km from Corrençon to Châtillon-en-Diois with wild camping.
Donkey hiking and camping
This is an immersive nature experience with a panoramic view of the Trièves plateau and the Dévoluy mountains, crossing the picturesque village of Mens. Donkeys carry the equipment, or the youngest children, on this guided hike with overnight camping. This trip includes one night in a tent at the foot of the Châtel mountain, a guide, donkeys, sleeping equipment and organic meals.
Available until 15 October and costs from €150 / £129 per adult and from €100 / £86 per child (under 15 years old). Alternatively, a family (two adults, two children) costs from €450 / £387.
Further information can be found at https://isere-attractivite.com
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