Spring 2022

‘Actually, many of the French Nordic sport
champions comes from Vercors’ said Loïs
Habert. He and his wife Marie Dorin, both
ex-national biathletes, and cross-country
skier Robin Duvillard manage ZeCamp
Hotel in Corrençon-en-Vercors, which offers
a selection of sports and wellness holiday
activity options. It is the perfect place to try
biathlon.
‘Shooting a rifle is all about the breathing,’
Loïs said just before he pulled the trigger and
downed one of the targets. I tried to replicate,
concentrating with all my energy and
managing to hit three out of five targets.
For the ski part of the biathlon, it being
summer we ‘ski’d’ on roller skis. It’s not that
easy, and not like roller skating, and though I’d
seen school groups make it look easy as they
rolled up and down the streets of Villard-de-
Lans, the town where I was based, I retreated
to the hotel for a session of yoga.
On top of the world in
Vercors
All around Vercors, the sight of silvery
mountain peaks like limestone fingers reaching
to the sky is never far away. If you want to get
closer to them then a spot of rock climbing is
a popular pastime here. I couldn’t resist and
joined mountain guide Jehan-Roland Guillot.
As he strapped ropes and hooks onto each of
us in our intrepid group of climbers he assured
us we would be on top of the world soon. I
pulled on a helmet and looked up. The sun was
streaking through the vertical silhouette of the
so-called Three Maidens – Les Trois Pucelles,
a set of limestone formation above the valley
of Grenoble 1456 meters above sea level. It
looked daunting. It looked impossible.
‘Don’t worry, winked Jean-Roland ‘I’m good
with beginners!’
Two hours later, we had hiked past the 90-metre
springboard used during the 1968 Winter
Olympic Games at Grenoble, picked our way
through patches of coniferous trees, abseiled
down a rock wall like James Bond, climbed the
jagged edges of the cliffs to the top, and finally
reached the gap between the rocks. A rope,
stretched tight between the peaks of the rocks,
was our way across. Tentatively I hooked my
clips onto the rope, inched towards the edge. It
was a steep drop to the ground, I gulped.
‘Trust the rope, trust yourself, there is nothing to
be afraid of. Just let go’ encouraged Jehan.
In my line of sight, the city of Grenoble spread
before like walnut butter, covering the basin
and towards the edges of the mountains. It was
a beautifully clear day and the peak of Mount
Blanc was just visible in the distance. Adrenaline
kicked in. It felt like I was at the top of the world.
I breathed it all in and let go.
For nature, beauty, adventure and sheer joie
de vivre – Vercors is hard to beat.
For more information:
inspiration-vercors.com
isere-tourisme.com
The Good Life France | 69