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With over ten chalets and apartments to choose from, the decision is yours...
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IFMGA guided ice, rock, alpine, ski touring, walking, and Via Ferrata...
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Fun for all the family, non stop activities and plenty of variety for the kids....
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Families


AlpBase.com is run by a family and many of our guests are families. We have two young daughters – Elizabeth and Charlotte - who are always keen to meet new friends, and we live in a veritable children’s' paradise. Vallouise, population 600, is basically one big playground for kids, and being situated on a large mountain plateau, walking and biking picnics are all very easy to organise, literally from the doorstep.

At our Apartment L’Acacia we have a travel cot, high chair, 3 wheel all terrain buggy, and changing mat available for our young guests’ comfort. We also have sledges, books, and some toys when the going gets tough….for the parents!

The area around Vallouise is packed full, year round, with child-friendly activities including outdoor theatres, night-time spectaculars, and village fetes. Outdoor activities in summer include nature trails, white water rafting, and rock climbing. For winter pursuits, in addition to skiing, you have Motoneige (quad bikes on ice), skidoo rides, husky sledge rides, ice climbing (minimum age 12), swimming, ice skating, and of course the famous Serre Chevalier “Grotto De Glace” with fantastic animal ice sculptures. There are also 3 swimming pools locally, as well as a large leisure complex open 12 months of the year.

If you want a day or a night off we are happy to baby-sit whether for 1 hour or a whole day. We charge € 5 per hour or part thereof in the evening and € 7 during the daytime.


Skiing with your children


Many people ask us at what age they should start their children skiing, and if it is possible to have a good ski holiday with young children. We would say that any children over 18 months should thoroughly enjoy themselves, plus there are enough facilities for the adults to have time for their own enjoyment.

We have plenty of experience and understanding of what constitutes a good day for all. We live 5 minutes from Pelvoux, our local ski resort, and only 15 minutes drive away from Puy-St-Vincent, winner of “Best Family Resort of the Year” – Golden Ski Award 2004.


So what’s available locally for children?
 
 Babies – 18months: Babysitting
18 months - 5 years: Snow garden / babysitting
N.B. In the snow garden the children experience playing in the snow, snowmen, igloos, and are introduced to skis using various games. Inside they will be involved in various types of creative play. Price: Approx. €15-20 for half a day.
 6 – 12 years: Mini Clubs - mostly during school holidays
N.B. These usually run between 11.00 – 16.30. There are different activities each day ranging from identifying animal tracks, snowshoeing, construction of proper igloos, husky sledge rides, trying local crafts such as pottery and wood engraving and trips out with the pisteurs who teach them about the mountains in winter such as snow conditions, and avalanche safety. Price: Approx. €22 per day.
 6 – 12 years: Ski school

These are run through the Ecole Du Ski Francais (ESF) with many English speaking instructors, at Pelvoux, our local. This small friendly resort is really child-friendly, with access to the beginner’s slopes right by the car park. ESF ski school is also available up at Puy-St-Vincent (PYS), with a very large purpose-built children’s’ ski area. For further details on PYS check out this page on our website:
www.alpbase.com/english/alpActive/puystvincent.html

Also check out the Gallery section on www.AlpBase.com and look under the “Families” section.
Prices at either resort for 2 hours per day are approximately €70 for 6 days.


Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing:

We have over 20 km’s of prepared trails for both activities literally from our doorstep. Both skating and classic styles are catered for, as well as organised snowshoe safaris for little ones. There are also many kilometres of trails at PYS, Pelvoux, around Serre Chevalier and in the Queyras. You can hire all the necessary equipment for children from age 4 upwards. If you hire at Sport 2000, our local outdoor gear shop, you get 10% discount if booking through AlpBase.com.
© 2005 AlpBase.com Enquiries and reservations:
Tel : 00 33 (0) 4 92 23 45 69 Fax : 001 27 08 12 97 52 Email : jerry@alpbase.com
AlpBase.com, L'Acacia, Les Clousures, 05290 Vallouise, France