Snowshoeing in Alpes Maritimes

Snowshoeing in the Alpes Maritimes (Le Boreon)

In Nordic countries, in spite of the long winter, snowshoeing is not at all that common. The traditional way to more around in wintery landscapes has always been cross country skiing. Even the military moves on skis. Therefore, it was not surprising that our first snowshoeing or rando raquette experience took place here.

Snowshoe hike preparation with the guides

This winter we have unfortunately seen quite a few accidents in the Alps, many of them avalanche-related. We did the hike presented here a few years ago with guides. We recommend hiring a guide for a high terrain hike in winter even for experienced snowshoers. Local guides know their territory very well, for instance they know the areas prone to avalanches.

Taking a break during the snowshoe hike in Le Boreon

Le Boreon is the starting point for many trails. The route was specially chosen by our two guides. During the ascent, we even got a crash course in avalanche victim search, as shown in the video clip. The route was partly off-piste both during the ascent and descent back to Vallon de Salèse. Some parts of the tour actually followed the summer hike called “Circuit des Adus” described in the Randoxygène guide (posted recently in our blog). The summer hike, however, proceeds anticlockwise whereas the snowshoeing tour was done clockwise and started a little lower in the valley. Col de la Vallette (2356 m) was the highest point in both hikes.