PRACTICAL GUIDE
Outdoor team building and company retreats
Outdoor activities to bring a team together for a day or a company retreat.
Taking your team out of the office for a day or a mountain retreat: the Hautes-Alpes lend themselves particularly well to it, with operators used to groups and activities accessible at every level. Here is how to build your programme, with prices taken from official websites.
Choose the right format
- Half a day: a guided activity of 1.5 to 3 hours, followed by lunch. The easiest format to fit into a seminar.
- A full day: an activity in the morning, lunch, then a gentler second activity in the afternoon.
- A two-day retreat: a day of meetings, then an outdoor day, with a night on site.
Think about the least sporty participants: a good team-building activity gets everyone playing together, not just the fittest.
Activities that build cooperation
- The outdoor escape game. COEZIA designs escape games in the forest near Embrun in summer, and on snowshoes at Les Orres 1800 in winter. The team-building package starts at €27 excl. VAT per person, for 8 to 72 players. The Mission 2100 scenario (60 minutes) is designed for large groups of 14 to 72 players, and Animal Alibi (90 minutes) takes up to 30 players. Teams must communicate and share roles to succeed: an excellent way to reveal a group's dynamics.
- Rafting. A run on the Durance or the Guil literally puts everyone in the same boat. Several bases offer group rates: Rêves de Rivières gives reduced rates above 4 people, and Banzaï Rafting group rates on request.
- Boating on Lake Serre-Ponçon. The Club Nautique Alpin runs supervised activities and offers accommodation, and Aqua Détente Pros hires licence-free boats for outings in small groups.
Activities to push yourselves
- Via ferrata and climbing, led by a guides' office: the Briançon guides' office, for example, offers climbing, multi-pitch routes, via ferrata and canyoning.
- Canyoning, with Instinct Vertical (€45 to €50 per half-day).
In winter
Snow opens up other options: COEZIA's snowshoe escape game at Les Orres 1800, a dog-sled ride or a first go at driving a team with Alpi Traîneau, or a guided snowshoe outing with the ski schools (ESF Orcières, for example, from €31 per half-day).
Accommodation and dining
- Hôtel de la Mairie, Embrun: 29 rooms, restaurant with the Logis "Restaurant Gourmand" label, secure garage.
- La Crémaillère, Saint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur: 21 rooms, evening restaurant by booking, sauna.
- Auberge de la Paix, Briançon: 13 rooms and the Carpe Diem restaurant, in the Cité Vauban.
- La Laiterie du Col Bayard, near Gap: a panoramic restaurant for a cheese-themed group lunch.
Our organising tips
- Book two to three months ahead for peak season, and ask each operator for a quote: group rates are often tailored.
- Come by train if you can: Embrun and Gap stations have direct regional (TER) trains from Marseille.
- Have a plan B for weather-dependent activities (whitewater, paragliding).
Sources
- Official websites of COEZIA, Rêves de Rivières, Banzaï Rafting, Club Nautique Alpin, Aqua Détente Pros, Bureau des guides de Briançon, Instinct Vertical, Alpi Traîneau, ESF Orcières and the accommodation and restaurants mentioned, checked on 19 October 2026 (see the Directory).
- Briançon - Marseille train times (SNCF Connect)