Aiguebellette, France
Camp details
Ages
Masters
Format
5-day residential
Accommodation
Novalaise Plage
Airport
Geneva
Country
France
Whats included
- All equipment provided
- Full board accommodation
- Airport transfers
- Expert coaching
- Video analysis
- Evening workshops
Breathtaking alpine scenery
Lac-Aiguebellette must be one of the most beautiful rowing lakes in the world; it’s also where Gillian raced her first international regatta at the age of 17! The breath-taking natural clear waters and the perfect south-easterly French temperatures provide an idyllic environment for a hugely productive rowing training camp.
Rowers on camp will have access to the local rowing club, which boasts breathtaking views, a state of the art gym and is a 5-minute walk to the hotel. It doesn’t get much better than that!
So why not come and escape and indulge yourself in a camp full of outstanding coaching, top-tier equipment, luxury accommodation, great food and brilliant company.
Camp overview
Our immersive 5-day rowing camp combines high-quality coaching, technical development, and a supportive training environment — perfect for athletes looking to improve their stroke and speed by understanding more about the movement pattern. During the week
Guests arrive, settle into accommodation and meet the coaching team. After a welcome briefing and boat allocation, we finish the day with a low-key row to familiarise athletes with the water and to ease everyone in to the week ahead
Across the next three days, rowers take part in a full schedule of on-water sessions, technical input, and structured training.
* 2-3 rowing sessions each day depending on individual approach
* Focused technical guidance from coaches including boat set up input
* Targeted work sessions weaving in technical model
* Recovery and mobility sessions to support performance
* Workshops covering nutrition, race preparation, and effective training habits
The final day brings together everything learned during the week. Rowers refine their race plans, complete their final training rows, and take part in performance-focused pieces. The camp concludes with closing feedback, future recommendations, and a celebratory wrap-up.
Aiguebelette: still waters run deep
No matter what stage you’re at, every session on camp at Lac Aiguebelette is built to develop you as a rower – technically and physically. At GL Camps, our coaching has always centred on the fundamentals, because we’ve seen time and again that getting the basics right early is what separates real progress from a false start. Speed isn’t the goal here; understanding the stroke and what actually moves a boat through the water is, and on Aiguebelette’s famously still surface, that focus pays off fast.
Your Base
We stay at Novalaise Plage, right on the water in the village of Novalaise. Rooms look out over the lake, most with their own private balcony, and the hotel’s beachfront terrace makes it almost impossible not to end up back by the water between sessions.
The restaurant, Les Roselières, serves up Savoie cooking – think lake fish, local cheeses, and a wine list that leans into the region. Whether you’re eating on the terrace or watching the sun go down over Aiguebelette from your balcony, there’s no getting away from how beautiful this spot is.
On the Water
The positioning of Lac Aiguebelette gives it shelter from the wind by Mont Épine, leaving it characterised by unusually still water. This makes it the perfect spot for rowing, as demonstrated by the presence of an international rowing club where athletes regularly come to train. Indeed, the World Rowing Championships have twice been hosted here – in 1997 and 2015, with the water so well preserved, swimming in the lake is an absolute must.
Evenings & Beyond
Evenings on camp are just as much a part of the experience – think technical debriefs over dinner, a glass of Savoie wine on the terrace as the sun goes down, and time set aside for recovery and stretching before the next day’s sessions begin. It’s the kind of place where the training and the downtime feel equally special.