On Wednesday, ten CILFA students, accompanied by two teachers, went up to the Semnoz ski resort for a snowshoeing outing.
Every winter, during the educational activities, the CILFA offers a field trip to the Semnoz winter sports resort, located in Semnoz, located just 17 km from Annecy.
After a 30-minute bus ride through the Semnoz Forest—during which we spotted a deer—we arrived at the Nordic chalet to rent snowshoes. Several students had never been to the mountains before, so it was a very special moment for them. The students in the group were from Germany, Scotland, India, Japan, South Korea, Russia, Kuwait, Sudan, and Peru! What a diverse group!
After putting on our snowshoes, we entered the forest, where the scenery was breathtaking because the branches were all frozen. The cold wasn’t a problem because, thanks to the physical exertion, everyone felt great. Everyone helped each other out—students and teachers lent a hand to those trying snowshoeing for the first time. There wasn’t a snowball fight, though, because the snow was too powdery this time!
The event wrapped up with a very enjoyable get-together over drinks at the resort’s large bar and restaurant. The students, of course, took the opportunity to practice French as a foreign language!
Everyone loved this mountain experience, and it even made some of them want to come back and try other winter sports available here: downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, ski touring, and sledding. You can even sleep in igloos at Semnoz: http://www.alpes-bivouac.com/fr/nos-experiences-insolites-en-rhone-alpes/nuit-insolite-igloo-semnoz-haute-savoie
More videos from CILFA: https://www.tezdev.cilfa.fr/cilvideo/presentation-du-cilfa-version-longue/
To learn more about the Semnoz winter (and summer) sports resort in Semnoz, click here: https://www.semnoz.fr/
To go skiing at other resorts within 30 km of Annecy: https://www.laclusaz.com/ and https://www.legrandbornand.com/
A look back in photos at the event on Wednesday:
