Week-long activity-break in the French Pyrenees

If the Olympics have made you think about getting fit and active then why not head for L’Ancienne Poste, a comfortable lodge in the village of Avajan in the French Pyrenees, whose English owner, James Dealtry, has created a week-long break which includes mountain hiking, mountain biking, canyoning and white-water rafting.

All of the activities are run in conjunction with fully-qualified guides and instructors; James Dealtry is himself a fully-qualified mountain guide (and ski instructor).

The itinerary which is on the L’Ancienne Post website is merely a suggestion, with guests free to tailor-make their own trip depending on their specific interests. Following arrival at the lodge, there will be a short, guided walk following the river to a lake (duration 2-3 hours).

Every evening except one where dinner will be at a local restaurant, guests will dine at the lodge. In-house chef Karen Emerson will prepare delicious 4-course meals (served with wine) which tend to be a mixture of world cuisine and classic French.

On day two there will be a day-long guided trek of 4-6 hours to discover the surrounding mountains and scenery whilst on the third day there is a choice of shooting the rapids head first, rafting or going on an adrenalin-fuelled hydrospeed ride.

Following a well-earned day off to relax on day four – there is an excellent local spa where treatments can be booked in advance by James and his team – there is a chance to go on a mountain biking tour or rock climbing (2-4 hours) with a free afternoon to recover!

Day six involves a full-day guided trek to the summit of one of the local mountains and the final day provides a chance to try canyoning or abseiling down waterfalls.

The week-long holiday which can start any day from now until the end of October now costs from €712 pp (two sharing) which includes 7-nights’ half-board accommodation (including one meal in a local restaurant), activities as detailed and expert tuition. Car hire or airport transfers available on request.

The area is well served by three main airports Pau, Lourdes-Tarbes and Toulouse. For more information, visit ancienneposteavajan.com.