La Colyn is the right hand half of the house

Haute Alpes - Devoluy - Le Courtil

Chalet la Colyn

sleeps up to 8

Located in a traditional French hamlet, a great base all year - from skiing to climbing to mini-golf, or just for a gentle, relaxing, very French break in a relatively 'undiscovered' area.
  • "La Colyn", a combination of our two names, Colin & Lynnette and sounds like 'colline', French for 'hill' (tricky eh?) - just 2 hours from Grenoble in the mountains of the Haute Alpes, is a great retreat all year round.
  • It is in a hamlet of local French people who work in the area or commute to the towns... and sheep farmers, and sheep...
  • It is a true family house, especially as we own half, the right hand side, and a French family own the other side. We go there whenever we can, up to 3 months a year, and it is furnished like the family home it is, complete with photo's of our gorgeous grandson on the walls. Our neighbours live there the whole year, we live in Sussex when we are not there.
  • The hamlet of Courtil is quiet, rural and surrounded by mountains, sitting on a stunning high level plateau in the region of the Devoluy. Have a look at http://www.ledevoluy.com/fr/
  • In the summer and winter seasons the 2 resorts are totally open, with access to everything from markets to mini-golf. Outside that it's so very quiet....
  • The resorts of Superdevoluy and La Joue du Loup are an easy 10 minute drive. The two resorts are linked not only by the upper snowfields but by shuttle-buses that pass the end of our road. However, you are certainly better off with your own car, both for the resorts and for getting to and from the house at other times, and just for reference, always book snowchains in the ski season!
  • Easyjet and Ryanair serve Grenoble, the closest airport, but it's also possible to use Marseilles or Lyon if necessary.

Accommodation:

  • Although we will let the whole or part of the house, Colin is there alone sometimes in the season, and is happy to have individual paying guests on a day-to-day basis and can 'guide' you on walks, skiing, arrange pick ups etc. (or just leave you to your own devices!)

  • The house is cosy, warm and welcoming.
  • It is centrally heated but also has a lovely, small, woodburning stove in the living area.
  • There are 5 bedrooms, 3 doubles and 2 twins, but we usually keep our bedroom off limits unless there is a special need for it to be used for a larger group.
  • There's a bathroom/shower/wc downstairs and a shower/wc upstairs.
  • All the rooms have beautiful mountain views.
  • The kitchen is fully equipped, including a microwave and dishwasher.
  • Our neighbours are delightful, they work locally and have 3 children, 2 boys and a girl. The older two are usually boarding at school in term time. All of them are hot skiers, and pretty hot at most other sports too, and Alexandra, 18, is now a qualified ski instructor.
  • Frederique is in charge of the house when we are not there, and when visitors come, she will get you settled in and help with any problems if we aren't there. She speaks good English too.
  • As we have a little grandson we have recently installed (removeable) stairgates and a highchair.

For more information, click on an icon: Info

The 'play area' at bottom of Superdevoluy

Part of kitchen and deck, summer

View from kitchen to living area, note winerack!

More Info:

  • The area is very special. Quite secluded and not as frequented as the other mountain or valley areas of the region. It is criss-crossed by longdistance footpaths, the GR94 and variants, and many smaller, local walks, some of which can be challenging, some of which are evening strolls.
  • Rock climbing is on the doorstep, just a 10 minute walk with your harness on, and a superb newly equipped crag a 20’ ride away, visible from the rear windows.
  • There is a great local Via Ferrata on the doorstep too, and another just down the valley.
  • Mountain bike trails are all over the place and if you like road biking… be prepared to get those leg muscles going. Some of the Tour de France teams came here to practise on their day off in 2006!
  • Watersports? There is a large expanse of water down the valley, about 20 minutes drive, which has canoe rental, swimming, a lake boat trip – and about 30 minutes away, just outside the Devoluy, the delightful village of Veynes offers a “Plan d’eau” – a family oriented lake, great for swimming in the Summer, with café, BBQ spots and pedalos etc.
  • More serious watersports like windsurfing and rafting can be found on the Lac de Serre Poncon, about an hour’s drive from us.
CONTACT: please text only to the mobile - email is used if we are in UK but otherwise only every few days when we're in France. Use French number when in France!

Le Courtil in summer

For more information contact us:

  • email: send email to owner
  • tel: UK - +44 (0)7710 213 232
  • tel: France - +33 (0)4925 88738
  • mob: UK - +44 (0)7710 213 232

Accommodation & Winter Sports for singles/couples

I'll be in the house in January and after 28th February too. Please feel free to ask about coming along to ski (or just relax!) if you don't have a group to go with, mix in with others. No single supplement as such, the worst you would have to do is share a twin room, but that only happens if the house is full. 25€ basic per person per night. Colin.

 

PS I don't do "apres ski" and am in the mature age group now but a decent skier and good company, if you need any. Happy to help you with bookings and 'guiding'. Non smokers only please.

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