Choose your donkey-trek

For 25 years, we met many hikers ...

Teenagers arriving glued to their mobile phone and , forgetting their phones become "caravan leaders", children crying when leaving their sweet fellow with big ears, worried mom" Will my son let his touch pad for some days? " and returning radiant.

The success of the hike is of course the country, landscape, donkeys ... for all that, we are confident.
We'll choose the good donkey for you because, of course, we do not give the same donkey to the family with small children and to a group of great walkers.
It is also the weather ... and then we can do nothing, except try to shift your stay if it's possible for you and for us.
Finally, is choosing the route that suits to you: length, difficulty, comfort. Nothing is forced, all choices are possible.

The pages of this website help you to imagine your best trek with a donkey.

choose

How many days? Easy or difficult ramble? Tent or shelter? How many donkeys?
Here are some questions you ask before choosing your ride.
We can only provide one answer, each family, each group has its own criteria and its constraints.
This page gives you a few things to help your choice. For more information, click on the tabs

Level: For a successful holiday, choice the good level

Even if you hike perfectly, do not overestimate the capacity of your group: choose a trail suitable for the worst walkers of your group (young children, people with difficulties for going down or up, etc. ...). Conversely, do not underestimate the capacity of children 8-10 years old, they walk almost like an average adult.

Formulas: "simple rent" or "all inclusive"

In "simple rent" formula, we rent the donkeys, you take care of accommodation.
In circuits where there is accommodation for every night, our "all-inclusive" formula (from 2 people) contents both housing and donkeys.

Duration: as you want

No model imposed, everyone chooses according to his tastes and choices: small stay of initiation or hard trek .

Tent or Roof?

The tent is a bit more adventure, it's economical. The accommodation is comfortable, good food, meeting.

The number of donkeys

We give you some elements to determine the number of necessary donkeys according vore organization and composition of your family.

The map

All our tours on an interactive map

levels

level 1 : Easy Tour	level 2 : Circuit moderately easy	level 3 : Difficult circuit

Recommended for families with young children or people walking with difficulties in mountain. Much of the route runs track and children can ride on the backs of donkeys.	No problem for orientationor dangerosity but vertical drop sometimes important and steep paths. The children must walk at least half the time.	Steep paths, needs knowing orientation in mountains. No kids on the backs of donkeys. You cannot go on those treks in case of bad weather.	And sometimes you have to walk without donkey because they cannot move in stones!

formulas

We offer hiking with pack donkeys, without a guide.

You go « alone » with « your » donkey. We indicate the way and the paths. The routes are identified by us and plotted on the map.
If you form a group that you want be accompanied, you can hire a local mountain guide.

All Inclusive Formula : global price with board (half-board or full-board with picnic)

This solution relieves of all the problems of organisation. You easily know your trekking budget; Of course, this proposition is possible only for the trekkings owning a refuge for each night!

This proposition includes :
one donkey for 2 or 3 persons, its pack-saddle and bags, accomodation, transportation of the donkey and maps.
You can choose between half-board (night+breakfast+evening meal) and “full” board (night+breakfast+evening meal and picnics from day 2 to last day -it means that first day picnic is not included)
You must add your personnal expenditure and showers in refuge.
We book your places in the refuges as indicate on the technical leaflets
If impossible because one of them is full for one night, we find an other solution (with another refuge or by changing your dates of trek with your agreement)

Thoses prices don’t include half-board for the evenings before and after your trek. For those nignts, we can book for you in a bed and breakfast, or hostel of the valley.

The main stays offered in "all-inclusive formula"
- In three days, 2nights: Around Montaillou, Hiking at the farm, Let's climb to Chioula!, Orlu national reserve and En Beys Lake
en 4-5 jours : Villages and mountains of Pays d'Aillou, Ax Valleys Discovery.
en 6-8 jours : Belvederes of Pays d'Aillou, Ax Valleys Tour.

Simple rent:

If you camp or alternate accommodation and camping, it is the good formula.

We rent you one or more donkeys and give you any advice for a route that suits your wishes and your abilities. You can build your stay as you wish (camping near accommodation and evening meal in gites, completely wild camping, "comfort" night in the middle of a "camping"stay, etc. ....).
If you sleep each night in accommodation, you can also choose the formula "simple rent" and book yourself ,your own accommodation: contact details are on the technical leaflet of each circuit.
Donkeys transportation adds to the rent price as indicate on the technical leaflets.

You have to buy the maps.

duration

1 day, 3 days or 15 days, it is important to choose the length that suits you.

The advantage when dealing with small suppliers, as La ferme Aux anes, is that the panel of choice is very wide.
No catalog of agency can propose you to choose the length and starting date of your ride!
With us you choose the start date and duration of your trek.
Thus, spreading the departure dates, varying durations, suggesting several routes and several variants for each of them, we are sure, first to build your own circuit and secondly, our walkers do not follow in single file on the trails!

For stays of 3 days or more, we meet the day before your departure to trace the route on the map and discuss all about your organization .This preparation time takes at least an hour.
For a rando 2-3 days, you arrive just in the morning of departure, early enough to start walking before the heat.
1 day or 1 / 2 day : to animate with originality, one-day in active vacations or weekend.

2 or 3 days : 3 days is better than 2. It is already a real short stay. 2 days barely leaves time to set the mood that must already back

4 or 5 days : a real holiday stay which allows to know donkeys, to disconnect from everyday life. If you have small children, you can imagine a free day trip in the middle of your ramble: to rest, to do a little walk or other activity.

6,7 days and more : great holidays! One drastic change of atmosphere, you come back tanned, happy, relaxed and amazed to be back in a car.

tent or roof?

The tent is a bit more adventure, it's economical. The accommodation is comfortable, good food, meetings..

If you choose accomodation

you'll enjoy the comfort, hospitality and good food of your host. All stages of your tour must be fixed prior and your places reserved . We work for many years with the accommodation of the valley and hikers come back delighted.
In the gites and refuges, the sheets are not provided. You must bring your own cloth bags or hire sheets .The dormitories have 4-6 places except En Beys refuge where dormitories have 10-12 beds.
In shelters, you must pay showers. Their price is not included in half board. If you choose half board, you can ask when you need it, preparing picnic .
If you camp

you will enjoy the pleasure of a stay "full nature". This formula gives you a great "flexibility" to decide your tour day by day according to your wishes. We show you bivouac points among the mountains near the sources, in places where you do not disturb the herd. It is also possible to go to campground or camping near the gites to be able to take showers and meals. Only the camping is gratis. If you camp near the refuges, you have to pay to use the common room and bathroom facilities.
The camp is a "stewardship" quite important :up and dismantling the camp, making meals under conditions somewhat sketchy. It certainly gives a lot of charm but you must take into account the necessary time and energy it takes especially if you have small children in the group. Finally, it requires a lot of luggage and a good organization.
It is usually prohibited to make a campfire, because of the risks of fire.

You can also alternate camping and accommodation

but it is interesting only if you make at least of 4-5 days trek, otherwise, it multiplies the constraints of organization.

number of donkeys

Number of donkeys

How many donkeys? That is the question!

On average it takes an donkey for 2 to 3 hikers but it depends on your organization, the composition of your group, age of children , etc...
Do you carry heavy bags or only some little things ? Are there any children on the backs of donkeys? Are there groceries on you tour?
If you camp, you will obviously be heavier charged than if you sleep in stage lodging.

As part of our all-inclusive holidays , we expect an donkey for 2 to 3 hikers, that means 2 donkeys for a family of 4 or 5 people.

Each donkey can carry 35 kilos. If it carries a child of 21 kilos weight, you can still add two bags of 7 kilos, one on each side.
Parents carry children less than 2 years-2years1 / 2 old, because they are too small to ride an donkey and might fall.
The donkeys who carry children should be held by adults.
From 8-10 years, children can lead the donkey, except on "high mountain" hike .

If you have several donkeys, they will follow each other.
You need to hold each of them to cross roads and villages, but when you are in the mountain, you only have to hold the first one, the others will follow.
We help you to organize. If you are a family of 2 adults and 2 young children, do you prefer to put a child and luggage on each donkey and hold the 2 donkeys? or put 2 children on the first donkey and let follow the donkey loaded with baggage, what "frees" a parent?
Your load is weighed before the start. Anything that exceeds fateful 40 kilos per donkey will be left in the car or carried on your back!
Take care of weight! forget the bottle of orange juice, your water bottle will do.

If you are unsure, write an email or give a call to discuss more specifically of your organization.