The Chalet Des Coulmes: an Ideal Setting for your Discovery Class in Vercors

Does organizing a discovery class in Vercors seem complicated to you? The Chalet des Coulmes, nestled in the heart of the Vercors Regional Natural Park, offers a perfect setting for school trips combining educational activities and immersion in nature.

Does organizing a discovery class in the Vercors seem complicated to you? The Chalet des Coulmes, nestled in the heart of the Vercors Regional Natural Park, offers a perfect setting for school trips combining educational activities and immersion in nature. Consider this: this holiday center focuses on a preserved environment where each day becomes an instructive adventure for children. Between hikes and workshops on local ecosystems, learning here takes on the appearance of a life-sized game.

An Exceptional Natural Setting

In the Heart of the Vercors Regional Natural Park

The Chalet des Coulmes is nestled in a preserved setting of the Vercors Regional Natural Park. Surrounded by the Coulmes forest, this center reveals a breathtaking panorama, from the slopes of Bec de l’Orient to the crests of Grand Veymont. Located in Rencurel in Isère, halfway between Valence and Grenoble, the place ideally welcomes nature classes in a change of scenery.

discovery class vercors

Choosing the Chalet des Coulmes means offering students a true mountain breathing experience. The local ecological richness concretely nourishes educational projects: wildlife observation, study of forest species, or introduction to cross-country skiing when snow covers the landscapes. With its 3000 km of marked trails, the Vercors becomes a life-sized exploration ground, where each hike turns into a real learning lesson about mountain ecosystems. A stimulating environment for schools wishing to combine learning and fresh air.

Facilities Adapted for School Groups

With its 75 beds, the Chalet des Coulmes perfectly meets the needs of school groups. The common areas promote exchanges, while the spacious rooms ensure restorative rest after a day of skiing or visits. Teachers particularly appreciate the rooms dedicated to educational workshops.

Safety here is not just a word: Youth and Sports accreditations and UCPA label ensure professional supervision. The instructors, trained in mountain specificities, adapt activities according to each group’s level. This constant attention allows schools to reconcile sports discovery and serenity, even in the heart of winter.

Proximity to Activity Sites

The Chalet des Coulmes serves as a gateway to the treasures of Vercors. Less than an hour away, the Choranche caves amaze students, while the Resistance Museum immerses young people in local history. In season, the ski areas of Villard-de-Lans offer an ideal terrain for supervised first slides. So many discoveries that transform each stay into a memorable adventure, summer and winter alike.

Varied Educational Activities

Outdoor Sports

At the Chalet des Coulmes, school groups discover sports adapted to the seasons, ideal for immersing themselves in the Isère mountains. Supervised by professionals, these practices combine safety and discovery of the Vercors. Let’s see what awaits the students:

ActivityWinterSummer
MainAlpine Skiing, Cross-country Skiing, SnowshoeingHiking, Mountain Biking, Rock Climbing
Other ActivitiesDog Sledding, Winter BivouacCanyoning, Caving, Paragliding, Horse Riding, Canicross
Practice LocationsSki Resorts (Villard-de-Lans, Corrençon en Vercors), Snowy PlateausMarked Trails (3000 km), Climbing Sites, Canyons
Type of StaySnow Classes, Multi-sport CampsNature Discovery Classes, Multi-activity Weeks
Additional OptionsExploration of Winter HeritageVisits to Natural and Historical Sites

Our advice: This table shows how the Chalet des Coulmes adapts to the seasons. In winter, skiing dominates, while in summer, the mountain is discovered through hiking or horseback riding. A concrete way to understand the local geological history.

Scientific and Environmental Workshops

Schools find here an ideal setting to study Isère. Students analyze local fauna through practical workshops. Who knows how to observe animal tracks in the snow or identify tree species?

Note that each outing is adapted to the school level. Younger students focus on tree recognition, while high school students study the resilience of alpine ecosystems. An approach that transforms each discovery class into a living laboratory, in the heart of the preserved landscapes of the Vercors.

Customized Stays for Schools

Personalization of Educational Programs

The Chalet des Coulmes designs tailored stays for primary schools, middle schools, and high schools. In close collaboration with teachers, we build customized educational programs, perfectly aligned with each class’s objectives.

The Vercors massif lends itself to a thousand explorations: from the history of local Resistance, study of mountain ecosystems to skiing practice depending on the seasons. School groups benefit here from an exceptional learning ground – whether for workshops in the snow, historical visits, or sports challenges adapted to each level. In winter, the mountain transforms into a vast educational laboratory where even ski initiation becomes a lesson support!

Supervision by Qualified Professionals

Our animation team, composed of certified instructors, ensures personalized monitoring for each age group. From kindergarten to high school, each class benefits from tailored guidance.

Safety remains our absolute priority: we scrupulously respect the supervisor-to-student ratios. To discover how we adapt our programs to the educational projects of schools and colleges, contact us.

Infrastructure and Additional Services

Accommodation and Catering

The Chalet des Coulmes welcomes school groups with comfortable rooms and convivial shared spaces, perfect for mountain discovery classes.

Here, cuisine is an integral part of the educational project. Meals prepared with local Vercors products allow students to taste local specialties while learning the importance of short supply chains. An approach that particularly resonates with school and college programs on sustainable food.

Spaces Dedicated to Education

The chalet has equipped classrooms and materials adapted to all school levels. Paradoxically, it’s mainly the outdoor environment that serves as a life-sized classroom. Located in the Vercors Park, the domain offers an exceptional study ground to observe fauna and flora or even study the history of local Resistance.

Local foresters have also designed educational trails with accompanying booklets. Students concretely discover forest management while enjoying snowy landscapes in winter. An active way to approach sustainable development, which ideally complements indoor workshops during school stays.

Note that the center also offers thematic visits around mountain heritage, allowing teachers to build interdisciplinary projects combining history, geography, and science.

Coordination and Safety

The Chalet des Coulmes implements rigorous emergency protocols and health measures, ensuring the safety and well-being of students during school stays. An efficient communication system permanently connects the school, the center, and families.

It’s worth noting that our team works hand in hand with local actors and mountain professionals. This collaboration allows us to adapt mountain activities to the level of each group. During educational outings – snowshoeing or skiing – two supervisors systematically accompany middle and high schools.

For example, mountain hikes always include an analysis of weather conditions and a backup itinerary. As for outdoor workshops, they are designed to combine historical discoveries of the Vercors with absolute safety.

Finally, each class project includes first aid training specific to alpine environments. Enough to enjoy the snowy landscapes with complete confidence.

Preparing your Stay

Ideal Booking Calendar

To fully enjoy the workshops and visits at the Chalet des Coulmes, it’s best to choose the right period. It all depends on the group’s desires.

To book group accommodation, plan several months in advance – especially in winter when snow attracts colleges and high schools. The weeks around school holidays fill up quickly! A tip: contact us as soon as your project takes shape. This gives time to organize transportation, activity supervision, and ski lift bookings if needed.

Checklist of Required Documents

Don’t panic about the paperwork! For a discovery class in Isère, you mainly need to think about parental authorizations and insurance certificates. Educational institutions (high schools, colleges, or schools) usually provide the templates.

Note that each student must have their identity card for transportation. For supervision, plan for one adult per group of children. Good to know: our team can help you complete the specific administrative files for mountain area stays.

Financial Aid and Subsidies

Did you know that many communes in Isère subsidize school trips? For your educational project combining local history and mountain discovery, several schemes exist.

The secret? Articulate your request around the school curriculum. For example, a stay focusing on the Resistance in Vercors can be based on history-geography lessons. Always specify how field workshops (studying flora, landscape reading…) complement classroom learning. Some departmental councils even offer specific aids for schools located in priority education areas.

Does the Chalet des Coulmes offer stays adapted for children with specific needs (disability, food allergies, etc.)?

Although the source content doesn’t explicitly confirm it, the Chalet des Coulmes, as a holiday center welcoming school groups, is likely to take into account certain specific needs. Its Youth and Sports accreditation suggests an environment adapted for young people.

To obtain precise information on the accommodation capabilities and specific arrangements for children with special needs (disability, food allergies, etc.), it is recommended to contact the Chalet des Coulmes directly.

Does the Chalet des Coulmes implement concrete actions in favor of sustainable development and reducing its environmental impact?

Yes, the Chalet des Coulmes is committed to sustainable development. It is part of an approach to environmental education and works towards sustainable management of the chalet’s surroundings, while raising awareness among visitors about respecting water resources.

Moreover, the chalet favors home-style cuisine prepared with local products from Vercors, sourced from organic farming, thus promoting short supply chains and sustainable food practices.

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