Serre Ponçon

1 Jul – 5 Jul 2026
Serre Ponçon, France
From £2,850pp

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Conquer the epic 20km lake Serre-Ponçon - one of the largest man-made lakes in Western Europe.

Duration

4 Nights

Distance per day

5-20km

Water temperature

17-19°C

Max. group size

Ability level

Advanced, Challenger

Swim type

Lake

Non-swimming Partners

Welcome

This unique trip offers the opportunity to swim the full length of the lake, either as a solo swimmer or in a relay team of up to 4, fully supported by SwimQuest Guides and local sauveteurs.

The trip is designed to help you complete your epic swim challenge. 20km is a (very!) big distance, so our guides will feed you, brief you, encourage you and do everything they can to help you achieve your goal. Whether you decide on a solo or a relay, you will need to prepare yourself for your swim and come trained and ready to complete this challenge.

One swimmer swimming across Lake Serre Pancon

3 happy challengers with medals at the end of the swim

Two simmers after challenge by water Serre Pancon

Highlights

Big alpine drama

Serre-Ponçon because it’s one of those rare places that combines big alpine drama with warm-water lake life - two holidays in one!

Château de Picomtal from the front with garden

Exceptional accommodation

If you are going to complete a swim challenge as epic as this - you may as well stay in a castle. Our home for the 4 nights is the stunning Château de Picomtal, a medieval castle-turned-B&B overlooking Lac de Serre-Ponçon.

A mega challenge

This is one of Western Europe’s largest man-made lakes, a true endurance challenge to add to any long-distance bucket list.

Extensive safety cover at every stage

You will be fully supported by the SwimQuest team at every stage, including transport, acclimitisation, feeds and meals. We've got this!

Itinerary

Day 1

Arrival

We will collect you from Gap train station at 5pm and take you to the chateau where you can check in, unpack, relax and get to know the other swimmers on the trip. Dinner will be served around 7pm and we recommend an early night to get that rest in.

Day 2

Acclimatisation day

After breakfast, the chateau owners will give you a tour of the chateau, then we'll head off to the Museoscope for an interactive visit to discover the story behind the magnificent lake you are about to swim! We will then go through the finer detail of the organisation and timings so that you can prepare mentally for your challenge. Lunch will be in the chateau. After lunch we will go for a drive around the lake so you can visit the launch site and exit site and see the milestones to look out for so they are familiar to you when you do your swim. There will be an opportunity to go for a short acclimatisation swim this afternoon to test the water and get a feel for the lake. Dinner will be around 6pm to allow the Friday swimmers to get off to bed early.

Day 3

Relay swimmers begin and a trip for solos

For the relay swim teams swimming today, this is your big day. We will give you an early wake up call so you are ready to sett off for your swim at 4am. Night swimming is a very special and privileged experience with the lake beautifully calm, like glass, and the silence of the night enveloping you as you slide in off the pontoon. Your SwimQuest guide and sauveteur will be following behind you as you swim and they will feed and hydrate you every 30 minutes (unless you prefer a different régime). Then you have the full day ahead of you to enjoy the swim.

Our solo swimmers can have a more reasonable wake up time and breakfast. We will organise a transfer to Embrun late morning. Embrun is a pretty village and definitely worth a visit. There is also the plan d'eau which is a part of the main lake sectioned off for swimming and activities so you can go for a warm up swim there or just sunbathe by the water. You are welcome to join this trip and wander around the village and plan d'eau or stay at the chateau. Lunch will be a picnic lunch to either take with you or eat at the chateau. We will bring you back to the chateau at the end of the afternoon so you have time to relax and unwind before an early dinner ahead of your big day tomorrow. The other swimmers will be heading back at different times as they finish their swims so you'll be able to hear their news as they come in.

Dinner will be early again at around 6pm for tomorrow's swim team to prepare and get an early night and for today's swimmers to stock up after their energy expenditure. Later arrivals will be able to eat later.

View full itinerary

One swimmer take pause on boat on Lake Serre Pancon

3 happy challengers at the end of the swim

Accommodation

WIFI EN SUITE

A historic monument of the Southern Alps, between lake and mountain, Château de Picomtal is located in the Hautes Alpes at the entrance to the Écrins Mountain Range, yet still in the Provencal climate. It is the ideal base for our epic challenge on neighbouring Serre Ponçon.

Château de Picomtal with flowers growing outside

Rooms

The base trip price is based on you sharing a twin or double room. If you are travelling solo we'll pair you with a same-sex roommate, or if you’d like a room to yourself, choose a sole use room when booking.

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What's included

Included

4 night’s accommodation at the beautiful Château de Picomtal based on a twin, double or triple room share
4 evening meals, 4 breakfasts, 3 lunches, plus swim feeds
Dedicated safety provision for your swim
Ground support team available during your swim
A pre-swim visit of the lake and acclimatisation day (Thursday)
Transfers from Gap to your accommodation
Local transport to and from swims and to Embrun town on your free day
Visit of the Museoscope - interactive exhibition of the history of the lake
A medal for finishers
A SwimQuest swimming hat and poncho towel robe
VAT
ABTOT Financial Protection

Not included

Travel to and from Gap (see GETTING THERE tab)
Wetsuit (optional, you may swim skins if acclimatised and used to doing so)
Safety lights and swimming buoy
Spending money for any additional purchases / activities outside of the tour schedule

Getting there

Getting to Gap

Trip begins Wednesday at 5pm

Fly to Marseilles

The nearest airport is Marseilles (MRS). For help finding flight information and prices, you may wish to try a flight search engine such as Skyscanner or Kayak.

Marseilles airport to Gap

From Marseille airport there is a regular coach service directly to Gap every two and a half hours. Plan your journey using this website.

Please feel free to ask us about transport options when you enquire. We are working alongside the local company Undiscovered Mountains to run this trip, who are pros at getting people to this beautiful region!

Gap to Château de Picomtal

We will arrange pick up and drop off from the town of Gap. The team will meet you in Gap and transfer you to your accommodation in Château de Picomtal.

Alternatively - A train to Gap

Gap has a local SNCF train station. There are direct train links to Gap from Grenoble TGV station or Marseille TGV and there is also an overnight sleeper train from Paris to Gap. There is also a regular coach service which operates from Aix-en-Provence TGV directly to Gap. You can plan your train journey using the Oui SNCF website. This works from all major European cities.