Jura Vaudois Snowshoe Escape
Snowshoe trip in the Jura

The Jura in February is the kind of place that reminds you what quiet actually sounds like. No crowds. No lifts. No one asking if you’ve tried the off-piste. Just snow, pines, and a horizon that goes all the way to the Alps on a clear day.

We start Friday at the Col de Marchairuz and walk for about three hours to an unmanned mountain refuge — basic, warm, exactly right. We arrive as the sun drops behind the ridge — just enough time for a drink outside before the cold reminds us why there’s a door. We light the wood stove, melt the cheese, and somewhere between the fondue and the chocolate and whatever game someone thought to pack, the evening disappears entirely.

Saturday is the one big day: up to the Mont Tendre — highest point in the Jura, one hour from the hut, views that are genuinely hard to describe without sounding like a travel brochure — and then three hours back to Marchairuz, where a hot shower and a proper dinner are waiting.

The trip day by day…

Friday
Col de Marchairuz → mountain refuge. About three hours on snowshoes through open plateau and forest. We arrive at dusk, light the stove, and let the evening take care of itself.

Saturday
Up to the Mont Tendre (one hour), then back down and across to Marchairuz (three hours). The long way, on purpose. Dinner at the Hôtel du Marchairuz — the kind of mountain hotel that’s been there forever and knows exactly what it’s doing.

Sunday
Snowshoe walk to the Crête de la Neuve. Around four hours, but flexible — longer if the weather’s perfect, shorter if you need to catch a train. Either way, you’ll have earned it.

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The details 

CHF 750 per person.
Groups of 6 to 8.
Next date: 26, 27 & 28 February 2027. Other dates on request.
(A room upgrade at the Hôtel du Marchairuz is available at an additional cost — just ask.)

What’s included
• Friday night in a mountain refuge
• Saturday night in the dormitory at Hôtel du Marchairuz
• Cheese fondue at the hut, hotel breakfast, Saturday picnic
• Three days with a certified mountain leader

What’s not
• Drinks
• Friday picnic (day 1)
• Snowshoes and poles (available for rent)
• Transport to and from the Col de Marchairuz
• Travel insurance with mountain rescue coverage

Snowshoeing experience helpful but not required — if you can walk, you can do this.

It’s not a luxury trip. The hut is basic, the dormitory is a dormitory, and you will carry your own pack. But the Jura in winter is one of those places that gets under your skin quietly, without making a fuss about it. Which is exactly the point.