Giffre Valley – APASSION https://www.apassion.com Live life with APASSION Thu, 23 Nov 2023 15:20:01 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.3 https://www.apassion.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/cropped-Mountain-Motif-Grey-32x32.jpeg Giffre Valley – APASSION https://www.apassion.com 32 32 Dent de Verreu – Revisited after 6 years https://www.apassion.com/dent-de-verreu-revisited-after-6-years/ Wed, 27 Sep 2017 15:58:46 +0000 https://www.apassion.com/?p=6147

The hike up to the Dent de Verreu (1901m) was one of the first ‘serious’ walks that we completed following our move to Samoëns in January 2011 (see our previous post) and we’d actually forgotten how stunningly beautiful the walk was. 

Starting at Le Mont (980m) with its stunning church and bread-oven you walk up past the Fromagerie de Chèvre (and plenty of goats) on then up through the forest to the alpine pastures of Verreu where you start to get a glimpse of the views to come.

As you reach the peak, the Dent de Verreu at 1901m, then you are suddenly hit by the dramatic panoramic views stretching 180 degrees from Mont Blanc, across the top of the Grand Massif  and right down the Giffre Valley in the direction of Geneva with the snow covered peaks of the Jura in the background. 

The views are more than enough reward for the 2.5 hour hike-up and the peak makes the perfect spot for a picnic lunch!

]]> Avoid the crowds – Try Snowshoeing! https://www.apassion.com/avoid-the-crowds-try-snowshoeing/ Wed, 12 Mar 2014 06:49:47 +0000 https://www.apassion.com/?p=6234

If you’re looking to try something new on a ski trip or you want to avoid the crowded pistes then why not try snow-shoeing! There are plenty of walks to chose from.  Take a freshly filled baguette from the local bakery or enjoy a typical Savoyard lunch in one of the mountain refuges.

Last week we donned our snow-shoes and walked up to the Refuge de la Golèse at the Col de la Golèse.  We picked a perfect blue sky day and were quickly delayering as we commenced our ascent.  You are quickly rewarded with breath-taking views across the Grand Massif ski area, the Pointe de Sales and the Sixt-Passy National Park.  We pretty much had the path to ourselves with the exception of the occasional person ski-touring!

]]> Samoëns Yoga Retreat – May 2013 https://www.apassion.com/samoens-yoga-retreat-may-2013/ Fri, 24 May 2013 07:31:59 +0000 https://www.apassion.com/?p=6272

Chalet APASSION hosted its second spring weekend devoted to total relaxation and plenty of yoga courtesy of the hugely experienced yoga and life-style coach Michele Willmott.

Whilst the weather unfortunately ended up being too chilly to hold any of the yoga sessions out on the terrace Michele had organised to use the dedicated yoga studio at Le Badney 1881 just a couple of minutes from the chalet.

Even with 5 yoga sessions and an introduction to life-coaching there was still plenty of time for those looking to explore the beautiful village of Samoëns as well as some of the local walks in and around the Giffre Valley; Others in the group were happy to use the time to just relax and recover from their stressful lives with plenty of sleep and time with their head in a good book.

It is always a highlight of any stay for Vicky and I to see mixed groups gel so well together and to see our guests leave us full of smiles and looking decidedly less stressed than when they arrived. We’ll call this another success and we looking forward to hosting our next yoga retreat in the very near future!

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