Wolf Tracking Adventure
Wild Wolf in Southern Alps taken by local enthusiast
Wild Wolf in Southern Alps taken by local enthusias
Wolf tracks in characteristic straight line
Finding the hair of wolf eaten prey
Howling to get a wolf response
Identifying animal tracks in the snow
A once in a lifetime 3 day wolf tracking wilderness adventure following the tracks of one of the most elusive predators in the Alps, the wolf.
Learn the art of tracking and discover an insight into the life of the wolf with an expert tracker.
Read the five page article about our spring wolf tracking trip written in
France Magazine by Judy Armstrong. Copyright Judy Armstrong.
Walking with Wolves Page 1
Walking with Wolves Page 2
Walking with Wolves Page 3
Walking with Wolves Page 4
Walking with Wolves Page 5
Dates:
The best time to track wolves is when there is a little bit of snow on the ground as it is easier to follow signs and tracks over long distances. So we have put together two fixed date departures, one
winter wolf tracking adventure in December for the first snowfall and
spring wolf tracking adventure in April for the last snow.
Thurs 6th Dec - Sat 8th Dec 2012 499€ per pers
PLACES AVAILABLE
Thurs 5th April - Sat 7th April 2012 444€ per pers
4 PLACES AVAILABLE
We can also arrange private wolf tracking trips so please
contact us for more information and a quote.
Price Includes:
• First breakfast en route to the wolf tracking.
• 1 night half board accommodation in a hotel - sharing 2 to a room *for winter trip in December only
• 1 (for winter trip) or 2 nights (for spring trip) in a winter refuge - food for evening meal and breakfast provided but you will all cook together.
• Picnic lunches
• 3 days with 1 overnight (for winter trip) OR 2 overnights (for spring trip) with expert wolf tracker and high mountain guide.
• Snowshoes and poles if needed
• Transport during the trip
• Transfers to and from Gap train station
Have a look at some photos from previous
wolf tracking trips on our flickr site.
The chances of seeing activity are increased at dawn and dusk. So for the winter trips, when temperatures are colder and the days are shorter you will spend one night out in the wild in a remote winter refuge in one of the wolves' territories. For the spring trips when the days are longer it is possible to stay in refuges for two nights.
The area is very wild, still relatively untouched and rich in wildlife, with wild boar, chamois, mouflon, roe deer, golden eagles..... and more making it the perfect wolf habitat and a wonderful place for any wildlife enthusiast to explore.
Your high mountain guide and tracker, Bernard has been following the colonisation of the wolves in the area for 20 years. With a wealth of local knowledge and access to a network of other local wolf enthusiasts, you won't get a much better insight into these elusive animals.
He will take you on a 3 day adventure following tracks and signs of wolf activity in the area and give you a rare insight in to the lives and behaviour of the other animals as they live under the threat of the wolf.
However, it isn't a wolf park and the territory of each pack or solitary wolf is enormous. In winter it is more confined but please be aware that although you may be lucky and find signs straight away, you may not find anything and there is no guarantee you will see or hear a wolf.
All signs of wolf activity; prints, howling, poo etc that we find will be recorded and sent into the official 'wolf network' who monitor the colonisation of wolves in the Alps to help in their research. If you can manage the French, have a look at the
February 2011 report which has some of our wolf trip sightings recorded. Look on page 20 Guillaume, B. is Bernard, your guide!
A reasonable level of fitness is required as you may need to walk long distances to cross / follow tracks and you also need to be prepared for walking 'off piste', through woods and undergrowth and on steep ground.
Please note that the fixed departure date trips are based on a group size of 6. We prefer to keep the groups small (maximum 6 people) to minimise disruption and noise and also feel you get a better quality trip.
However it is possible to cater for smaller or larger groups and families. Please
contact us for a quote.
If you are looking for other opportunities to get into nature, have a look at
Get Active with Animals. They have a range of wildlife activities and holidays you can get involved in.
Getting Here and Options
The arrival and departure location for the trip is Gap which has train links from Paris (including an overnight sleeper), Marseille, Lyon, Valence and Grenoble.
We have found that the night train from Paris to Gap is the most popular mode of transport for getting here, so have arranged the itinerary based on an early morning arrival on the first day. If you prefer to travel the day before and stay in a hotel, we can easily arrange this for you.
We will collect you in the morning from the station or your hotel and take you to breakfast where we will prepare for the trip.
For going back, again we can drop you off in Gap after the final day tracking so you can get the night train back, or you can choose to spend the night in a hotel to recover. There will be an opportunity to shower don't worry!!
Extra nights at either end of the trip in a hotel range in price from 50 - 80€ per person half board. We can help you arrange a hotel night if you wish.
Price: 499€ per person
A once in a lifetime wolf tracking wilderness adventure following the tracks of one of the most elusive predators in the Alps, the wolf as it prepares for the hard winter months ahead.
Dates:
Thurs 6th Dec - Sat 8th Dec 2012 PLACES AVAILABLE
• First breakfast en route to the wolf tracking.
• 1 nights half board accommodation in a hotel - sharing 2 to a room.
• 1 night in a winter refuge - all food provided but you will all cook together.
• Picnic lunches
• 3 days with 1 overnight with expert wolf tracker and high mountain guide.
• Snowshoes and poles if needed
• Transport during the trip
• Transfers to and from Gap train station
Price: 444€ per person
A once in a lifetime wolf tracking wilderness adventure following the tracks of one of the most elusive predators in the Alps, with the 'hopefully' new litter of wolf cubs just born!
Dates:
Thurs 5th April - Sat 7th April 2012 4 PLACES AVAILABLE
Price Includes:
• First breakfast en route to the wolf tracking.
• 2 nights in a winter refuge - all food provided but you will all cook together.
• 3 Picnic lunches
• 3 days with 1 overnight tracking with expert wolf tracker and high mountain guide.
• Snowshoes and poles if needed
• Transport during the trip
• Transfers to and from Gap train station
Wolves were officially wiped out in France at the beginning of the 20th century. However, there has always been a population in Italy. Gradually over the years, the Italian wolves have migrated back into the French Alps. The first official sightings were in 1992 and 1993 in the Alpes Maritimes.
The wolves have continued to spread west and north looking for new territories and the Southern Alps, with its wild and unspoilt mountains rich in chamois, mouflon, wild boar, deer and other prey is a perfect habitat.... read more
