Via Ferrata And Unusual Routes

Discover our different golf courses near Brides-les-Bains

Do you want to explore the grass and face the sand and water obstacles?

If you dream of an introduction to golf or simply of practising your passion on prestigious high-altitude courses, Brides-les-Bains will guide you to swing at the top of your game!

Activities

Méribel Golf Club

Among the golf courses near Brides-les-Bains, Méribel is considered one of the most beautiful European spots to play this fun mountain sport.

Located less than 20 kilometres from the spa, this 18-hole course features greens, fairways, water basins and bunkers in a wonderful setting, at nearly 1,700 metres high.

Created in the countryside in 1978, this par 71 course has since had its first 9 holes redesigned, for a distance now reaching 5,540 metres.

With a rather physical and quite technical orientation, it is nevertheless open to all (from the beginning of June to the end of October) and appeals to both amateurs and golf professionals.

Activities

Courchevel Golf Club

Courchevel’s 9-hole course, which can be accessed fairly quickly from Brides-les-Bains, covers a total distance of 1,140 metres (from the “Back Tees”).

With a par 27 it offers a superb view of the Rosière lake from the start and unfolds throughout the course in a special natural setting.

Individual and team competitions are regularly held here at weekends and some great records have been set.

This technical and unique French Golf Federation approved course, which can be played on from the end of June to October, helps you improve your index.

Activities

Les Arcs Golf

About an hour’s drive from Brides-les-Bains, Les Arcs Golf dominates the upper Tarentaise valley. At the gateway to the Vanoise Park, opposite Mont Blanc, it spreads over 60 hectares for the greatest enjoyment for golfers.

Two exceptional courses are open to all golfers: the 18-hole course (par 70) at 5,497 metres and the 9-hole course (par 27) at 860 metres.

A driving range and three putting greens (including one with bunkers) also allow you to practice golf, warm up before teeing off and improve your skills in a fun and relaxed way.

Activities

Tignes Golf

From Brides-les-Bains, the 18 holes at Tignes is not far away! Below the Grande Motte glacier, the highest golf course in Europe has an exceptional view of Tignes lake and of the marmot burrows which can be seen around the fairways!

Another original feature is that every two years Tignes Golf organises a "high-flying" competition on a mountain pass 270 metres above the course! Like Les Arcs Golf, it is open from the end of June to the beginning of September.

Preparing a golf course

Golf is a moment of sharing that can also provide some thrills. It requires a number of physical and mental qualities. Requiring specific equipment, the activity requires a few rules to be applied.

Requirements for playing golf

You need to be in good physical shape to play the many kilometres of a golf course with ease, especially if it is on a steep slope! As a guide, a round lasts around four hours and is equivalent to burning an average of 800 calories (which varies depending on the level of the course).

Playing puts a lot of strain on certain joints, and muscular strength and flexibility are directly involved in the golfer’s performance.

Mastering anxiety, attention, concentration, reaction skills and spatial awareness also impact on the level of play.

Basic equipment for golf

Obviously, the golf club is essential for the shot and must match your level and your body shape. Basic equipment usually consists of 6 irons, plus a golf putter (to make your last shots on the greens).

Balls can be bought new or second hand (it is important to take into account the inevitable losses, especially when starting out!)

A glove, tees (to position the ball for the first shot) and specific shoes complete the outfit.

Level of difficulty, the slope

Corresponding to the level of difficulty of a golf course, the slope is a key factor.

Among the hundred or so criteria taken into account to determine it, the main ones are: the distance between the tee zone and the flag, the topography of the course, the obstacles, the playing area: the rough where the thick and long grass makes it difficult to play, the quality of the green, the trees and vegetation that dot the course, the climate, the presence of regular wind etc.

Activities

Some golf rules

• Points: are scored according to the number of strokes played to get the ball into the hole. The winner is the player who completes the course with the fewest strokes.

• Difficulty: The usual indications ''Par 3'', ''Par 4'' and ''Par 5'' specifies the number of strokes required to complete a hole. If the golfer exceeds the predetermined number, they play “Over Par”. If they don’t exceed the predetermined number, they play “Under Par”.

• The tee markers: Having recently been developed, there are six of them, illustrated by colours. These markers mean players can tee off according to their level, age, level of difficulty etc.

• Rules to follow in the tee off zone: keep quiet so that players can concentrate, avoid moving, don’t cast a shadow over others’ balls.

• Order of play: the player who starts is the one whose ball is furthest away from the flag. Then, the player who won the previous hole is always the first to start again.: le joueur qui commence est celui dont la balle est la plus éloignée du drapeau. Ensuite, c’est toujours le joueur qui a remporté le trou précédent qui recommence en premier.

A stay in Brides-les-Bains to play golf

Whether on holiday or for a short break, Brides-les-Bains is the perfect base camp for accessing the best mountain golf courses in Savoie!

Both a spa and winter sports resort, the village has a wide range of quality accommodation and facilities.

To learn golf or perfect your professional swing in a friendly atmosphere, “get yourself on the green” in Brides-les-Bains!

Descriptive

The Maurienne is full of many via ferrata, and in particular, those of the Devil in Aussois! Come and discover them with the Savoie Maurienne Guides Office. Unusual routes are also available! Let yourself be tempted by the adventure!

A via ferrata is a mountain itinerary designed for beginners: it's a general public activity for anyone capable of climbing a ladder.

Via ferrata can be enjoyed all year round, depending on weather conditions.

There are different types and levels of via ferrata, but what they all have in common is the use of a cable - the lifeline - on which the climber "clips" to secure himself or herself. Climbers move through steep, sometimes aerial terrain.
The rocky sections are generally equipped with ladder rungs set into the rock. There are also footbridges, monkey bridges and other types of fun workshops.

Group via ferrata outings:

- Les Angelots: for children over 1.10 m tall.
- Les Diablotins: for adult beginners and children from 1m20.
- La Traversée des Anges: for advanced beginners.
- La Montée au Ciel: for advanced beginners.
- Traversée des Anges + Montée au Ciel: for advanced beginners.
- Descent into Hell + Ascent into Purgatory: for beginners.
- Tour complet: for beginners, the speciality of the Guide Bureau.
- Le Grand Vallon, Valfréjus: for beginners.
- Les Rois Mages: for the experienced.
- Montée au Ciel + Les Rois Mages: for experts.

Unusual routes, specially designed for you by the guide office:
- Les Jardins d'Eden: an alpine course in the extraordinary canyon of the Gorges du Diable. Tyrolean traverse, via cordata, abseiling: a new and different atmosphere for a logical extension of the Via Ferrata activity.
- Les Gorges secrètes de Plan d'Aval: a fun and original route with private access. A short walk with the chance of seeing marmots, and then it's time for adventure... You'll cross a cliff and then climb along a magnificent stream to the Plan d'Aval dam.
- Parcours Alpin de Sollières: a fun trail for children and their parents that takes you deep into the bowels of the rock, with abseiling, trunk climbing and fault traversing...
- New for 2025: La Grande Ascension du Croé (children aged 6 and over, accompanied and 8 and over, unaccompanied)
An adventure course in the bowels of the Maurienne! Immerse yourself in a unique experience with rocky passages, rock walking, a bit of climbing and tunnel traversing. Abseil down into the heart of the chaos of Le Croé and climb together to the summit, at the cross on the summit plateau. A complete adventure, ideal for everyone.