Hidden HIGHS
France|November 2020
Thrills and spills for all the family await in the peaceful mountains of Haute Maurienne Vanoise, as Ben Moore discovers
Ben Moore
Hidden HIGHS

From my clifftop vantage point, I can just make out the distant cry of “Oh my goodness!” from 15-year-old Ollie as he zips across a 150m-deep gorge, suspended on a cable strung high above the River Arc. Forget Go Ape, this is high ropes on steroids.

It is exactly what we hoped to find in Haute Maurienne Vanoise – a summer week of walking, mountain biking and general family entertainment. This valley – nestled along the Franco-Italian border and hidden beyond the headline-grabbing, mega mountain resorts of nearby Tignes and Val d’Isère – offers an abundance of family fun with a more authentic and relaxed feel.

Adrenaline highs

The five key resorts dotted along the imposing valley are Valfréjus, La Norma, Aussois, Val Cenis and Bonneval-sur-Arc. The high adrenaline, high ropes fun can be found between the towns of Modane and Val Cenis.

There are 230 different tree-top challenges including scramble nets to clamber across, giant suspended hoops to step through and wire bridges that you must build as you go. This is the place to come to tire out active children and teens – and with prices from just €23 per child, it is also terrific value. Initially, we were a little surprised by the slightly relaxed attitude to safety – the boys have their harnesses fitted at the start hut, but then they are off, clipping themselves onto the maze of cables that wrap around and through the trees. There are no instructors up in the treetops, checking at each start platform. It is a DIY approach, but the boys reassured us it was easy to clip on and everything felt very secure.

Denne historien er fra November 2020-utgaven av France.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra November 2020-utgaven av France.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA FRANCESe alt
Paindemic In Paris
France

Paindemic In Paris

For American actor and writer Alexander Burnett, a shortage of bread at his local boulangerie was one of the biggest challenges of lockdown in his adopted home city

time-read
5 mins  |
December 2020
VEULES-LES-ROSES
France

VEULES-LES-ROSES

Between the white cliffs of the Côte d’Albâtre and the bucolic landscapes of the Pays de Caux, discover a village that combines coast and country,

time-read
4 mins  |
December 2020
Taking the BISCUIT
France

Taking the BISCUIT

France is known for its exquisite pâtisserie and extravagant gâteaux but the not-so-humble biscuit deserves recognition too

time-read
5 mins  |
December 2020
PICTURE PERFECT PISTE
France

PICTURE PERFECT PISTE

After a decade away from the slopes Janet Brice finds her ski legs in val d'arly, a hidden gem in the shadow of Mount Blanc

time-read
8 mins  |
December 2020
Let there BE LIGHT
France

Let there BE LIGHT

Lyon’s annual Fête des Lumières brightens up the darkest of December nights in spectacular fashion, finds David Atkinson on a winter visit to the Rhône capital

time-read
4 mins  |
December 2020
Shop ‘til YOU DROP
France

Shop ‘til YOU DROP

In the first of our new Insight guides, Helen Parkinson delights in the French shopping experience

time-read
4 mins  |
December 2020
Floating YOUR BOAT
France

Floating YOUR BOAT

Spending a day on the River Seine in Paris, Heidi Fuller-love samples some of the city’s top entertainment that can be enjoyed afloat

time-read
6 mins  |
December 2020
Creamy Dijon Chicken With Bacon And Spinach
France

Creamy Dijon Chicken With Bacon And Spinach

Enjoy this hearty dish from Bisous & Brioche, a cookbook shot on location in Burgundy

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2020
A Moveable Feast
France

A Moveable Feast

Philip Sweeney embarks on a voyage gourmand along the Vallée de la Gastronomie travelling from Dijon to Marseille

time-read
4 mins  |
November 2020
BOND RETOUR 7
France

BOND RETOUR 7

To celebrate the return of everyone’s favourite globe-trotting British intelligence officer in No Time to Die, Helen Parkinson rounds up five of James Bond’s top cross-Channel escapades

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2020