For a week now, you've been refreshing your weather app 10 times a day in the hope that a "bright sunshine" pictogram will replace the rain forecast for your imminent vacation... Alas, it's come to nothing: the drops will be with you for all or part of your stay...
Fortunately, our northern European neighbors have a saying for this kind of situation: "there's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes". So put aside (temporarily) your beloved shorts and t-shirts, and don a neoprene wetsuit! We'll take you on three activities that defy the gloomy forecast.
1. Replace mountain biking with rafting
You had originally planned to spend the day riding downhill track after downhill track in La Plagne's Bike Park. And technically, you could still do it (a few drops of rain have never stopped a ski lift from running). Except that the magnitude of the wash that awaits you after hours of riding in the slush has dampened your enthusiasm somewhat... The mountain bike will have to wait for more clement weather.
You wanted to go downhill? You're going down! The rapids of the Isère River will be a welcome alternative to the sharp bends of the Bike Park's green, blue, red and black trails. Swap your full-face helmet for a rafting helmet, your back protector for a life jacket, and board an inflatable boat with your tribe!
👀 It's a bit like mountain biking: it's done in a group (from 8 years old, or even from 6 for a baby-raft session), it 's fun, and the adrenaline rushes through your body.
😁 But it's better than mountain biking when it's raining: once you're done, you can take off your suit, put on clean, dry clothes, and relax over a grenadine to debrief (without thinking about the gear you'll have to clean).
✨Bookyour rafting trip
2. Swim in the Isère (more fun than the pool!)
You've been dreaming of spending the afternoon alternating between sunbathing and swimming laps in the outdoor pools of theEspace Aqualudique Paradisio in Montachin-les-Coches, the Magic Pool in Plagne Bellecôte or the municipal pool in Champagny-en-Vanoise. No such luck: the skies are grey and the temperatures too cool to put on swimming shorts or a bikini.
No problem: you wanted to swim, you're going to swim! Head for the Isère for a white-water (or hydrospeed) session with a qualified guide, an expert in the discipline. Your equipment? A thick neoprene wetsuit to protect you from the cold, a lifejacket, a helmet, a foam float and a pair of flippers. Once you're decked out, all that's left to do is jump into the water... and take on the tumultuous waters down the Tarentaise valley!
👀 It's a bit like the pool: you're in the water, you're having fun, it's suitable even for beginners and for children and teenagers (from 10/12 years old for a discovery session in calm waters; from 13/14 years old for sportier descents in the rapids of the Isère).
😁 But it's better than the pool when it's raining: you don't need the sun, and you can top it off with a little trip to a wellness area after the session to warm up (and put on that swimsuit you'd sadly put aside).
✨Bookyour whitewater swimming session (or Hydrospeed)
3. Explore canyons instead of hiking trails
You had planned to hike in the heights in search of spectacular scenery. Horror and curse: all the peaks you dreamed of photographing have disappeared into the clouds. The Vanoise glaciers? Mont Blanc? La Grande Casse? You can't see a thing. You're disillusioned.
What if, for once, you didn't try to see further than the tip of your nose? Forget the wide open spaces: instead, explore the spectacular narrow gorges carved out by the flow of water over thousands of years! Canyoning is an activity that smacks of adventure. Equipped with a wetsuit, helmet and harness, you gain access to wild spaces you never knew existed...
👀 It's a bit like hiking: you walk, you're up close to nature, you get an eyeful.
😁 But it's better than hiking when it's raining: it's a lot more fun! Abseil down, jump into large pools of water, slide down natural slides... Without needing to be a pro (the activity is accessible to beginners and children aged 8 and over).
Safety first and foremost!
All these activities can be enjoyed in gloomy weather (gray, light rain). On the other hand, they can become dangerous in thunderstorms or heavy rain. Trust the service provider you have chosen to supervise you: their experience of whitewater sports may lead them to cancel or postpone the session if they feel that conditions are not right for you to enjoy yourself in complete safety.
