Ski Touring
Chamonix can boast vast quantities of off-piste skiing accessible from the lift system, but if you really want to explore the wilderness terrain and ski fresh tracks days after the last snow, then ski touring ranks alongside heliskiing as a great way to flee the crowds and get away from it all.
Whereas heliskiing is determined by cost and landing restrictions, with ski touring the possibilities are only limited by how much effort you want to put in.
Ski touring relies on the ability to climb on skis and sometimes on foot (with crampons) to reach your destination. With the right equipment and skills, no peak, hidden valley or remote mountain pass is out of reach.
6 Day Introduction with a 4,000m summit!
Our six day course will provide a thorough grounding in the skills needed for ski touring in a high mountain environment, and is ideal preparation for multi-day ski tours such as the Haute Route and the Bernese Oberland Tour. Whilst developing your skills you will discover four different areas of the Chamonix valley and to finish off the week you get to ski down the 4,061m high summit of Gran Paradiso in Italy. What a week!
You will learn how to fix and use skins and couteaux (crampons for skis), how to travel uphill and how to perform kick turns for steeper terrain. We will stay one night in a mountain refuge - no ski touring experience is complete without a pre-dawn start high in the mountains, watching the sunrise.
The agenda will also cover the complimentary mountain craft skills you will need when touring, such as avalanche awareness and crevasse rescue.
You do not need any previous ski touring experience to join this programme but you should be a fairly competent off-piste skier. You should also have a reasonable level of fitness and be prepared to undertake climbs of 2-4 hours on skis.
High comfort with fully catered chalet accommodation!
We will continue using the Yeti Lodge for our all-inclusive winter courses.
The Yeti Lodge is located in the charming village of Argentière, close to our office and sport shop for your convenience. The chalet has a sauna, hot tub and superb views of Mont Blanc. The luxurious and spacious bedrooms are twin or triple bedded, so you should be prepared to share your room with one or two course participants. The comfortable lounge area has a real fireplace, satellite TV & DVD and free WIFI. There is a secure underground car park, ski lockers and overnight ski boot warmers in the basement. Breakfast, lunch pack, afternoon tea and three-course dinner are included and prepared by our hosts, so you can relax and fully enjoy the course.
Course Details
Duration: 6 Days
You should plan to arrive Sunday before course start date and depart Sunday after course finish date. Accommodation and meals included.
2010 Dates:
March 01 - 06
March 08 - 13
March 15 - 20
March 22 - 27
March 29 - 03 April
April 11 - 17
Group Size: 3-6
Ratio: 1:6
Included: Guide fee, 6 nights half board hotel or chalet accommodation on a twin share basis, lunch packs, lifts, 1 night in refuge, local transport, group equipment, avalanche transceiver, harness.
Not included: Personal equipment, mountain rescue insurance, airport transfers.
Equipment: See Equipment List or contact our office.
Price: 1,850€ per person
1,245€ without accommodation
10% discount for groups of 4-6 booking together
For whom: Skiers with off-piste skiing experience and a good level of fitness. No touring experience necessary. This course is a perfect preparation for the Haute Route or the Bernese Oberland Tour.
Mont Blanc extension
You can add the 3 day ski Mont Blanc programme as an extension to the Ski Touring course. Having spent 6 days in the mountains already, you will be acclimatised and well in tune with the mountain environment. We offer a 5% discount if booked at the same time.
