St Gervais Summer Sports

email info@myfrenchchalet.co.uk    tel +44 (0)20 7870 8354

At Saint Gervais Mont Blanc, in the summer season, discover unforgettable sensations and wide open spaces over 180km of marked paths and trails. Professionals open the doors to new disciplines in all security and for your pleasure. Climbing, paragliding, canyoning, rafting, ice skating, horse riding and mountain biking...

Climbing

Climbing in the Mont Blanc massif means high mountains, superb granite and miles of limestone cliffs. Crags are usually equipped. Mountain routes may be partially equipped with, at least, abseil points in place. Guide books are essential and can be purchased from shops in the town centre. Climbing walls are also very popular to start off with - there are some located in the valley so visit the tourist office for further information. If you want to go high, be careful, read a guide book properly, take the necessary precautions or hire a guide.

Golf

Golf in the Alps is popular with holiday makers who want to take in the mountain air while enjoying a leisurely round of 9-18 holes. There are also courses at Evian, Megeve and Verbier.

Hiking

The valley is beautiful and the hiking season can start as early as April in St Gervais. You will need lightweight boots and shorts, waterproofs, sunglasses, plus skin and lip protection. Always have a drink at hand as well. Walks are well sign posted. In the valley you can do one day walks from the cable car stations and further afield two day plus walks in surrounding French areas, Italy and Switzerland. Two very famous walks are The Tour of Mont Blanc which can take eight to ten days and The Walker's Haute Route which is Chamonix to Zermatt via mountain huts and valley hotels. You can start many of the hikes directly from our St Gervais apartments.

Horse Riding

Les Ecuries du Mont Blanc, the horse riding centre, is open all the year, not only in summer.

Mountain Biking

There are great mountain bike trails in St Gervais and surrounding areas, for all levels. There are excursion trails on the valley floor as well as more difficult ones using the cable car systems to access them. You can also start many of the rides directly from our St Gervais apartments.

Mountaineering

There are lots of mountaineering routes to do in the summer from valley cragging to the ascent of Mont Blanc. You must be aware of mountain safety, if tackling anything very dangerous then hire a guide. Most shops in the town centre will have books covering the routes also visit the tourist office.

Parapenting

Parapenting is a very popular sport in St Gervais due to the high mountains and great winds. There are many takeoff sites in St Gervais for this sport. St Gervais is a wonderful place to learn how to free fly. You can take a tandem flight with a qualified instructor or lessons with a paragliding school.

Sports Massage

Why not pamper yourself to a sports massage or aromatherapy treatment directly in your St Gervais apartment, accommodation or chalet. Revive Massage Therapy, run by English professionally trained staff, offers you sports massage and aromatherapy treatments delivered directly to your chalet or apartment anywhere in St Gervais.

Petanque

This sport that originated in the south of France is very popular in the valley.

Water Sports

You can do all the white water sports listed below in St Gervais. Early in the summer, in May and June, the rivers are usually high with snow melt from the mountains. During July, August and September the water levels are usually lower and the temperature warmer.

Canyoning

Vertical swimming with exciting water-slides into deep pools.

Hydrospeed

White water swimming is offered by all the rafting companies and is great fun. Thick, reinforced wetsuits, crash hats and flippers are provided but you'll still feel vulnerable.

Kayaking

This is good around St Gervais but not well publicised. The Giffre is good and grade three, the Dranse above Thonon offers a range of levels, The Dora Baltea features a range of difficulties including 15km of grade 6.

Rafting

This is a good white knuckle ride and the Arve (Chamonix) and the Giffre (at Samoens) are popular local rivers. Further afield are the excellent Dranse (between Morzine and Lake Leman) and, in Italy, the terrifying Dora Baltea.

Swimming, Sunbathing, Windsurfing and BBQs

The local lakes are excellent for these (Lake Passy is the best) but they do not really get warm until July. The outdoors is generally bug-free so sunbathing can be enjoyed in peace.