Thônes and the Aravis Massif are an ideal playground and ideal for many unusual outdoor activities… Activities that are constantly being renewed and offer you new and unusual sensations as close as possible to nature! Discover bivouacking, portaledge or even spending the night in treehouses…
Original nights
Take advantage of the night to discover the mountain in a different way... Between dizzying sensations and cocooning at the top of the trees, your head under the stars and your senses alert, you will remember these timeless nights for a long time!
The portaledge or the night on the cliff
Want to spice up your nights? What if you slept hanging on top of a cliff 50 m above the ground? The Thônes guides invite you to live this unusual experience on the site of the Morette waterfalls next to the Abri sous Roche.
Around 18 p.m., after a short briefing and a few reminders of rope handling in preparation for the descent the next morning, you climb in 20 minutes to the platform which will overlook your suspended camp.
You participate in the assembly of the portaledges, a kind of rigid single or double camp bed before your guide goes to fix them on the nose of the cliff, 2-3 m below the platform. After a little refreshment for those who want in the pools of the torrent and a good local meal, your guide assures you from the top so that you reach your camp beds. He will stay the night on the platform to ensure the safety of everyone. You will be able to sleep soundly with stars in your eyes!
The next morning, after breakfast, you will pack up the equipment and rappel down more than 50 m using a spider's wire. Back to reality in the parking lot around 9am after an incredible night hanging on the rock but above all suspended in time!
Accessible alone, with family (from around 14 years old) or in a group with a maximum of 3 people on the portaledges and the possibility of accommodating 2 additional people who will sleep on the platform with the guide.
Bivouac or night under the stars
The mountains are often the site of numerous activities during the bustle and heat of the day. Hiking with a bivouac under the stars is an opportunity to (re)discover the mountains in a different way. A total immersion for a perfect communion with nature.
You leave accompanied by your guide at the end of the afternoon, when the hottest hours have passed and nature is gradually coming back to life. You take advantage of this special and serene atmosphere to observe chamois and marmots that reappear, the landscapes and the sky that turn purple with the sunset before reaching the campsite. Your guide has planned all the equipment in advance and you just have to set up camp for the night.
After the meal, you leave your facility for a short night walk with a headlamp, discover the lights of villages that shine in the valley, exchange together but also say nothing, listen in the silence of the night, the sounds of nature. Back at the camp, you observe the stars, the planets, position the constellations, and watch for the passing of shooting stars… numerous in summer!
The next morning, you will rise with the sun and go to attend this time the awakening of nature on the lookout for chamois for a return to the car park around noon – possibility of climbing a summit as an option with return around 16 p.m. A revitalizing experience where for one night, you will have completely let go and felt the grandeur of the mountain. A moment out of time!
Accessible alone, with family or friends, the bivouac location will be defined with your guide according to your level and your desire. Plan the evening meal and breakfast, your guide will take care of the rest.
New activities
Who says new activities, especially says new sensations! Gliding through the powder in the moonlight, walking with your feet in the water or even hiking gently in perfect harmony with nature and yourself... there's a whole program that awaits you!
Full moon ski touring outing
Do you like skiing and want to experience new sensations? Are you not afraid of werewolf legends? So ski touring outings under the full moon are made for you! With a full moon every 4 weeks, remember to keep an eye on the calendar between December and March and book your evening a few days in advance so that your guide can put together an outing that will leave you with great memories for a long time! Imagine making your mark under the foothills of Charvin or on the rolling slopes of Sulens in a beautiful freshly fallen powder when suddenly, a magnificent moonrise makes the whole mountain sparkle. No need for a headlamp!
Arrived at the drop-off point for a surprise meal always with local flavors, you enjoy the softness of the moonlit night to discuss this incredible experience and spend a moment in a friendly atmosphere. In case of unpredictable weather, there will always be a chalet, an old barn and why not a teepee to shelter you and enjoy the evening before starting the great night descent. The darkness which accentuates the speed effect will give you more than exhilarating sensations. Great emotions and memories guaranteed!
Accessible to any skier who knows how to go down a blue slope, it is possible to share this experience with non-skiers who will go on snowshoe outings, with a limit of 8 to 10 people maximum.
Well-being hike
Often associated with effort, sometimes synonymous with pain, Hiking can also be a wellness option. Attention nature and gentleness lovers! The Thônes guides offer you outings of around 3 hours for go and meet yourself, recharge your batteries, learn to breathe, manage your pain and enter into symbiosis with nature. Within preserved environments, you will spend an hour before stopping to practice specific revitalizing exercises, yoga or other breathing and relaxation techniques in a harmonious and peaceful setting.
From this relaxation session in the heart of nature, you will leave with new energy and resume your walk by putting into practice what you have just experienced, the opportunity also to exchange in all simplicity on the sensations felt. A real invitation to well-being to be carried out at various times of the day. Why not in the evening, for a calming to the rhythm of nature when the light descends on the mountain with an original return to the headlamp?!
Accessible to all, alone or in groups, the outings can be organized in heterogeneous groups or from groups already formed with a tailor-made wellness activity. You will define with your guide the route and the schedule according to your expectations and the possibilities!
