Good ski touring tips from Django and Frédéric

Before sharing with you Django and Frédéric's favorite places, let me briefly introduce you to ski touring. It's a very simple sport: it's hiking with skis on. We climb to the top of the mountains, skis on, by simply sliding our skis like in cross-country skiing and we go down again like in alpine skiing. Of course, you have to adapt to your dog's abilities. No question of making him run like a madman behind you who makes a whole schuss in the puff! To know everything about the ski touring with a dog, read the interview with Cayak and Charlotte who present this demanding sport for athletic dog.

Django and Frédéric, our two enthusiasts, practice it from the first snow and until spring when the weather conditions are favorable and the snowpack is of good quality: no question of putting yourself in danger. Let's discover together their favorite spots in the Alps.

Frederic:- “At first sight we both understood that we would be inseparable and that he had done well to run away… Since then, Django has followed me everywhere on mountain bikes, ski touring, snowshoes and of course during my business trips.”

Frederic: -“ For places to go out without too much danger (even if you stay in mountain areas) Alpe d'Huez, in Isère, is great because there are marked and secure paths in the resort. This is a good way to test this. sports with your dog. You can do it half a day without too much elevation gain and above all secure

If you want to do ski touring with your dog without forcing too much on the paws, in a rather quiet atmosphere here are Frédéric's other recommendations:

• “ With +/- 250 meters of vertical drop you can snowshoe with your dog or on skis, 8 kilometers around the lakes in Huez, it is a secure marked loop starting from DMC. You will have a superb beautiful view of Belledonne and Les Rousses… Departure 1850 altitude, the maximum being 2100.”

• “Still in Huez with +/- 300 meters of elevation gain, you can cover 10 to 12 kilometers with your dog there and back on the road (closed and not cleared) of the Col de Sarenne… The start is behind the altiport, this time- here you will have a very beautiful view of the Ferrand, the Meije massif, the Aiguilles d'Arves and Savoie, for the more adventurous who go to the end, to the Col de Sarenne.”  

• “Always quiet but still more complicated with +/-500 elevation gain, a 3 to 5 hour hike in the Vallée Blanche part, there are several routes that evolve around Moutet foot, le Fioc, (1650/2100m). Between marked, secure and wild ski area ”

💬 I'll interrupt your reading for 10 seconds, but it's for a very useful piece of information, I promise! 
Pet food, vet visits, holidays, equipment… The dog budget is becoming a real money pit, isn't it? It's unbelievable!
With Musher, we've been working for you: the Wouafer's Pass gives access to Over 30 negotiated discounts, including Corsica Ferries, Campings.com, SantéVet and dozens of discounted pet food brands 🐾 Personally, I'm going to save €344 this year… and that feels good!
I'm including the link to Wouafer's Pass here… and I'll let you continue reading

What is that? it is a small autonomous box that geolocates you in the event of a problem (an avalanche for example) when your mobile phone does not allow you to contact the emergency services. This makes it faster/easier for rescuers to find you in the event of a problem.

Also remember that ski touring is a very demanding activity for a dog, do not take a dog with heart problems, joints or overweight. Django is a Siberian husky, it is a race which is therefore naturally more suitable for this kind of sport because they are Nordic dogs.

Frédéric gives us his favorite corners:

• ”I'm not bad on the Col du Lautaret with my dog, snow sure, but very windy, the storm is omnipresent, you always have to cover yourself well… there is a bit of marked path, without too much elevation but also wild hiking. In the high mountains it is neither marked out nor secure, you are alone in the world. Haha :)) but stay on the Grandes Rousses side, opposite is the Ecrins Park, forbidden to dogs…”

• “At the top of Trois-Evêchés, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, on the south side, you have several routes around. For a 950/1200m drop, count 4 hours to go with a start at 2000 meters and an arrival at 3050! Again it is in the high mountains so not secure…”

• “You can also climb the Col du Galibier by the closed road (in winter), south-facing slope 2000M/2650m, be careful of the descent, a slope of 30 to 35% depending on the location, so it is in your best interest to be sure to ski otherwise, you have to forget ! Watch out for your dog too”

💬 I'll interrupt your reading for 10 seconds, but it's for a very useful piece of information, I promise! 
Pet food, vet visits, holidays, equipment… The dog budget is becoming a real money pit, isn't it? It's unbelievable!
With Musher, we've been working for you: the Wouafer's Pass gives access to Over 30 negotiated discounts, including Corsica Ferries, Campings.com, SantéVet and dozens of discounted pet food brands 🐾 Personally, I'm going to save €344 this year… and that feels good!
I'm including the link to Wouafer's Pass here… and I'll let you continue reading

Thank you for all your advice Frédéric, if you want to know more about this sports duo Trop W'ouf and follow their adventures Wouafement Bien, head to their facebook page: Django Siberian Husky. Check out Django live from a snow hike in the video just below this article!

READ ALSO : Hiking with your dog can't be improvised!, What should your dog's first aid kit contain?, Taking your dog to the beach: some precautions to take

You can also check out the guide I designed on dog training !