If you find yourself thinking “damn, I want to do that” while watching the biathlon in the Olympics every four years, you might want to start planning a trip to the Bessans ski resort in South East France.
Bessans seems to primarily be a nordic ski resort, with 50 km (~31 miles) of discovery trails and 120 km (~75 miles) of groomed trails, and 2 Nordic routes throughout the village (there’s some alpine skiing, too, don’t panic). We think Bessans’ coolest activity, though, has to be the biathlon.
If you’re fully fresh to the sport of shooting, or just don’t want to handle a real gun, Bessans offers biathlon laser rifle activities in both games and challenges. Believe it or not, these activities are free of charge for guests.
If you’re new, but still want to handle a proper biathlon rifle, hour long lessons are available for 76 € (~$83 USD at the time of writing) for 10-meter shooting or 83 € (~$90 USD at the time of writing) for 50-meter shooting. Lesson rates include the rifle rentals and pellets, but not the entrance fee.
Those who already know what they’re doing, and have the gear, can head to the Biathlon stadium, costing just €6 (around $6.5 USD at the time of writing) for a day or €30 for six days. Reservations are required for access.
If you’re just stopping by for a quick visit, the Biathlon stadium offers a quick, 10 shot trial for €10. Rifles are provided, and the €10 charge covers the ten pellets needed for the ten shots. Reservations are not required for this experience, and it takes just around 15 minutes.
Less than $100 for a full biathlon lesson? Free activities? Just around $10 to give the sport a shot? I’m honestly having trouble wrapping my head around how affordable this is. Could you imagine a ski resort in the United States offering something like this? Given the cost of bowling in America these days, I could never imagine something being so cheap here.
Related: Vermont Ski Area Hosts June Nordic Skiing Race
Featured Image Credit: Maurienne TV via YouTube