Women-only guided snowshoeing weekend in the Pyrenees
Learn to snowshoe, no winter sport experience required!
Journey across borders, winter hiking in both France and Spain
Stay in a 4 star spa hotel nestled amidst the mountainous panorama
Unwind and refresh with two spa visits
Dine at fantastic restaurants, sampling delicious local cuisine
Explore the vibrant city of Jaca and immerse yourself in local culture with an evening of tapas!
Join Gutsy Girls for a snowshoeing weekend, experiencing winter hiking in the beautiful landscapes of the Spanish and French Pyrenees. Over three days and four nights, soak in the stunning mountain vistas, tranquil snow-blanketed forests, and serene valleys. Guided by expert international mountain leaders, this snowshoeing retreat caters to both novices and the more experienced.
Enjoy long active days in the crisp mountain air, hiking for 6 hours and covering up to 8 km on trails, sometimes carving our own path into the fresh powder! We'll build our snowshoeing skills and confidence by learning to tackle a mix of terrains, including steeper inclines, technical sections and mountain ridges. This adventure is rated moderate and perfect for those with a good fitness level, looking for an active winter holiday!
We'll be staying in a lovely 4 star spa hotel in Canfranc, a small village nestled in the mountains. Over the weekend we’ll refresh and unwind with two 1 hour visits to the spa!
Food is a highlight on this adventure, a chance to sample delicious local cuisine! On 2 evenings, we'll eat at the fantastic hotel restaurant, enjoying 3 courses with wine. On other nights, we'll explore nearby eateries, including a night in the vibrant city of Jaca, mingling with the locals over delicious tapas.
The Adventure
Here’s a little taster of how your week will look
Please see it as a guide as we may make changes to suit the weather and snow conditions.
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Our team will meet you at Zaragoza Airport at 10:30am or Zaragoza train station at 10:50am.
This adventure works with the direct Ryanair flights from London Stansted, alternatively you can fly into Barcelona or Madrid and catch the train to Zaragoza. (More travel details below)
Transfer to Canfranc Estación (1 ¾ hrs).
Lunch in the hotel cafe.
Next up is a 1 hour spa in the hotel, refreshing after our day of travelling with jacuzzi, sauna and steam rooms.
In the afternoon, we'll have a 1 hour walking tour of the village, learning about the history of the area including Canfranc train station, an impressive palatial building built in the 1920's with a dramatic past and once known as the 'Titanic of the mountains'.
We'll have a briefing for the adventure ahead of us! We'll set up our snowshoes, discuss the kit we'll need and look at the routes and weather for the coming days.
Dinner tonight will be at a restaurant in the village.
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After a hearty buffet breakfast, we'll have a 10 minute drive to Samport in the Aspe Valley for our first day on snowshoes. Starting the morning on level terrain, our guide will help us get to grips with walking with snowshoes on, learning techniques to effectively use our poles and how to climb some steeper sections too as we explore the beautiful snow-covered landscapes.
We'll enjoy 5-7 km on undulating tracks, soaking in the beautiful landscapes and pausing for our packed lunch with incredible views!
Returning in the late afternoon, we’ll have some free time before meeting up for a delicious 3 course dinner with wine in the hotel's restaurant.
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After breakfast we'll head over to France for a day to explore the other side of the Pyrenees. Today’s route takes us through a beech and fir forest, with incredible views of the mountains! We'll be hiking for around 5 km on more challenging terrain, building our confidence and skills by navigating fresh snow and some inclines.
Picnic lunch in the great outdoors!
This evening we’ll venture into the historic city of Jaca. We'll have some time to explore, taking in the landmarks before joining the vibrant tapas culture, enjoying sharing plates in two bars and mingling with locals!
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Today's adventure sees us take the ski lift up to the top of the mountains, to hike along the ridge on the French border. With steeper and more technical sections, we'll have a chance to use all the skills we've developed over the past 2 days! Today we'll hike around 6 km with 400m of ascent.
As hiking on the ridge is more exposed, if the weather and snow conditions aren't favourable, we have an exciting alternative route, Canal Roya, with a dramatic steep sided valley with incredible views of the mountains.
In the early evening, we'll refresh our tired in the hotel spa.
Dinner will be a delicious 3 course meal in the hotel restaurant, choosing from the grilled meat or veggies, served with great wine.
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An earlier start this morning. After breakfast we'll depart the hotel at 7:45am and head back to Zaragoza airport and train station.
date 2024
Wed 24 - Sun 28 January FULLY BOOKED
Wed 31 Jan - Sunday 4 Feb FULLY BOOKED
Wed 14 - Sun 18 February FULLY BOOKED
PRICE
Private single ensuite £1300
Twin room ensuite £1150 - we’ll pair you up with another Gutsy Girl
WHAT'S INCLUDED
3 days of guided snowshoeing
4 nights accommodation
Snowshoe and pole rental
Expert local mountain guides
Gutsy Girls host
4 breakfasts, 4 packed lunches and 3 three-course dinners
Visit to Jaca including a tapas evening (4th dinner)
Spa visits - two 60 minute circuits
Airport transfers for our recommended flight times
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED
Flights
Drinks
Travel Insurance
Personal clothing
Optional massage (paid locally)
Check out our packing list below our FAQs here
PAYMENTS
Secure your spot with a 30% deposit, your remaining balance is due 45 days before your trip start date.
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This snowshoeing holiday is rated moderate
This active adventure offers the opportunity to experience the beauty of snow-covered landscapes. While no prior snowshoeing experience is needed, you will need to have good fitness level to tackle mountain climbs!
As a guide, you regularly engage in medium to high-intensity cardio exercises for 45 minutes, three times a week.
Alternatively you frequently hike longer distances in hilly terrains, you are used to hill walking and lead an active lifestyle.
What to Expect
Duration: Expect long, active days in the fresh mountain air. Daily tours will last approximately 6 hours, with a moving time of 5 hours.
Intensity: The hikes will include gradual ascents and descents of up to 400m. While not overly demanding, there will be some sections that require a bit more effort!
Distance: We’ll be covering between 5km - 8km daily. Snowshoeing in undulating terrain and colder conditions will make these distances more challenging than walking.
Head for heights: We may use the ski lifts to reach higher terrains and there could be sections with narrow paths and steeper drops either side.
Consecutive Activity: This trip involves 3 consecutive days of physical activity which can be tiring!
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We offer a single timed transfer from both Zaragoza airport and Zaragoza train station to accommodate various travel options.
Flights
This trip is design to work with Ryanair’s direct flights from London Stansted to Zaragoza.
Ryanair (London Stansted - STN to Zaragoza - ZAZ):
Outbound: STN 06:50 → ZAZ 10:05 | RK2565
Return: ZAZ 11:20 → STN 12:30 | FR2566
Train
For those considering flying to Madrid or Barcelona, you have the option to catch a train to Zaragoza. You may need to have an overnight stay in either city to meet the transfer.
• Madrid → Zaragoza 1h20
• Barcelona → Zaragoza 1h40
Further details on train travel in Spain
Further details on train travel from the UK to Spain.
Train tickets are released 90 days in advance.
Transfer Schedule
Airport:
• Pick-up: 10:30am
• Drop-off: 9:30am
Train Station:
• Pick-up: 10:50am
• Drop-off: 9:45am
We aren’t able to provide transfers outside of this time, you are welcome to arrange your own private transfers or make use of local buses.
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All your meals are provided and the food on this trip is fantastic!
A hearty buffet breakfast is served at the hotel.
Lunches are picnic lunches packed by the hotel and eaten on our snowshoeing route, including a bocadillo (French bread sandwich), fruit, cake, chocolate bar or muesli bar, and nut mix.
In the evening we will have a three course meals. These three course dinners are a real highlight! Drinks with dinner are not included.
Please bring your own snacks (energy / muesli bars, nuts, raisins etc) if you might need these for snowshoeing during the weekend - though there is also a shop in the village for extra supplies!
We can cater for most dietary requirements. Please let us know if you have any dietary requirements at the time of booking.
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Our experiences are created with solo female travellers in mind, connecting like-minded women through sports, nature and adventure. The Gutsy Girls community is filled with bold and badass women from 18-65 years old, we never ask your age, just that you are up for an adventure!
As a rough guide, most Gutsy Girls guests are 24-60 years old, with around 60% in their 30s-40s.
After a day snowshoeing in the wild, age becomes irrelevant, as we are all connected by our experiences.
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You will need personal travel insurance that covers you for snow shoeing - this is a requirement.
We highly recommend you buy your travel insurance as soon as you book your spot to cover yourself should you fall ill or injure yourself before your trip.
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The cancellation will only be effective from the date that the cancellation is received in writing by email. Cancellation charges will be payable as follows:
• Cancellation fee of 100% is charged if cancelled 44 days or less before the trip
• Cancellation fee of 30% is charged if cancelled 45 days or more before the trip
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Whenever possible we use female instructors and guides, however, we cannot always guarantee this, simply because there are fewer female instructors available!
Our first priority is to work with the most highly experienced and considerate instructors and guides, who are patient, friendly and as passionate as we are about building women’s confidence in the outdoors.
Simply due to the ratio of men to women in the outdoors industry, sometimes this means our guides and instructors are male.
We keep a close eye on the feedback our guides receive from our guests as we believe that overall this is more important than their gender. We sincerely hope that as more women are introduced to adventure sports and activities, the number of female guides and instructors in our industry will increase.
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This trip has a maximum of 7 spots, early booking is advised!
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Moderate Adventure in Valle de Anayet
Expect 5-6 hours of hiking in the mountain air, along scenic trails, through icy forests, and across snowy valleys. Daily distances will be between 5km and 8km at a steady pace. The trails will include inclines and descents between 250m and 400m. This option is great for those with a good fitness level wanting an active winter escape!
Challenging Adventure in Valle de Tena
If you're after a bigger challenge, this trip offers steeper mountain sections, higher peaks, and tougher climbs and descents. We'll hike for up to 6 hours, covering distances up to 12km with inclines and descents up to 750m. Beginners are very welcome, however a higher fitness level is required to tackle some of the more demanding climbs!
Pyrenees Snowshoeing Packing List
Specialist ski gear is not required for this adventure!
Ski jackets and ski trousers will be too warm for snowshoeing.
You’ll need winter walking trousers, warm gloves or mittens, insulated jacket, thermal base layers. Full packing list below, any questions we’re happy to help!
Layers are the way to go as you could find yourself hiking in a t-shirt for part of the day and end up being wrapped up in everything you’ve got if the weather turns. The weather in the mountains can be very changeable.
BOOTS
You will need hiking boots with firm ankle support, these don’t need to be winter specific but should be warm!
Very light summer fabric boots won’t keep your feet warm. Snowboots, barefoot hiking boots or more trainer style hiking boots are not suitable for this trip.
WE PROVIDE
Snowshoes (that attach to your boots!)
Trekking poles
Gaiters
YOU WILL NEED
Snowshoeing kit:
Waterproof hiking boots with ankle support. (Preferably something not too lightweight. You don't need stiff soled winter hiking or mountaineering boots, but snow boots that are a bit like soft wellies with fluffy liners aren’t supportive enough).
20 - 30 litre backpack
Base layer thermal tops (a selection which you can layer up) (synthetic, wool or silk)
Long johns (thermal) (synthetic, wool or silk)
Fleece or wool jumper
A breathable, waterproof/water resistant and windproof shell jacket
Soft shell type winter hiking trousers or leggings (windproof, water repellent, breathable)
A warm packable insulated / down jacket
A selection of warm socks of different thicknesses to help you get the best fit in your boots (wool is best)
Sunglasses
Sun hat
Warm hat
Buff (you might want two - one for your neck, one as a headband), scarf or balaclava
Ski gloves
Thinner less warm gloves (if it’s not cold hands can get hot quickly!)
Glove liners and/or disposable hand warmers if you suffer from cold hands
Waterproof trousers
Off the Snow:
Casual evening clothes
Night wear
Toiletries
Any prescription medication
Compeed or moleskin for blisters, just in case!
Slippers / shoes for the hotel
Spa:
Swimsuit
Flip flops or sandals (mandatory)
Swimming cap (mandatory)
Towel (optional: the spa will provide these if you’d rather not bring one)
Other Stuff:
Sunscreen (high factor) and lip salve
Camera
Dry bags for inside your day pack to keep stuff dry
Waterproof case for your phone might be handy
Snacks
Water bottle (not a hydration pack as the water can freeze in the tube)
Small/Medium thermos flask for hot drinks