Ski touring course Chamonix introduction
AVALANCHE RESCUE SKILLS
OVERNIGHT SKI TOUR
PREPARATION FOR HUT TO HUT TRIPS
DISCOVER SKI TOURING IN CHAMONIX
Ski touring is the key to discovering all the secrets of the Mont Blanc Massif. With the right equipment and skills, no peak, hidden valley or remote mountain pass is out of reach!
Our ski touring course in Chamonix will provide a thorough grounding in the skills needed for ski touring in a high mountain environment. It is ideal preparation for multi-day ski tours such as the Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt.
You will learn essential ski touring techniques such as how to fix skins and couteaux (crampons for skis), how to travel uphill and how to perform kick turns for traversing on steeper terrain.
We will stay one night in a mountain hut – no ski touring experience is complete without a pre-dawn start high in the mountains, watching the sun rise over the peaks.
The agenda will also cover the complementary mountain craft skills you will need when ski touring in the Alps, such as avalanche awareness and crevasse rescue.
On this course you will experience some of the most famous Chamonix classic ski tours such as Col du Tour Noir, Crochues Berard, Col du Passon or Col du Belvedere. The nature reserve of the Aiguilles Rouges is renowned for its excellent ski touring terrain and you’ve a good chance of encountering typical Alpine wildlife such as bouquetin (ibex) or the famous but timid chamois.
There is plenty of accessible ski touring terrain from the main Chamonix ski areas of Brevent, Flegere, Le Tour and Les Grands Montets – meaning that you can be out in the backcountry and away from the crowds in no time.
Of course, we will also be exploring the legendary off-piste terrain of the Aiguille du Midi, crossing over to Pointe Helbronner in Italy before skiing the Vallee Blanche back down to Chamonix. An unforgettable adventure that will set you on the path of many more!
From: 1190 €
Beginner
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Physical level 3/5
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Guiding ratio 1:6
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Group of 6 maximum
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5 days course
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Available January – April
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Chamonix
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1 night in a mountain hut
Dates
Start date | End date | Space | Price | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Monday 6 January 2025
|
Friday 10 January 2025
|
Guaranteed
|
1190 €
| Make enquiry |
Monday 6 January 2025
|
Friday 10 January 2025
|
Available
|
1190 €
| Make enquiry |
Monday 13 January 2025
|
Friday 17 January 2025
|
Available
|
1190 €
| Make enquiry |
Monday 20 January 2025
|
Friday 24 January 2025
|
Two more to guarantee
|
1190 €
| Make enquiry |
Monday 27 January 2025
|
Friday 31 January 2025
|
Available
|
1190 €
| Make enquiry |
Monday 3 February 2025
|
Friday 7 February 2025
|
Available
|
1190 €
| Make enquiry |
Monday 10 February 2025
|
Friday 14 February 2025
|
Guaranteed
|
1190 €
| Make enquiry |
Monday 17 February 2025
|
Friday 21 February 2025
|
Guaranteed
|
1190 €
| Make enquiry |
Monday 24 February 2025
|
Friday 28 February 2025
|
Available
|
1190 €
| Make enquiry |
Monday 3 March 2025
|
Friday 7 March 2025
|
Available
|
1190 €
| Make enquiry |
Monday 10 March 2025
|
Friday 14 March 2025
|
Available
|
1190 €
| Make enquiry |
Monday 17 March 2025
|
Friday 21 March 2025
|
Guaranteed
|
1190 €
| Make enquiry |
Monday 24 March 2025
|
Friday 28 March 2025
|
Available
|
1190 €
| Make enquiry |
Monday 31 March 2025
|
Friday 4 April 2025
|
Available
|
1190 €
| Make enquiry |
Monday 7 April 2025
|
Friday 11 April 2025
|
Available
|
1190 €
| Make enquiry |
Monday 14 April 2025
|
Friday 18 April 2025
|
Available
|
1190 €
| Make enquiry |
Monday 21 April 2025
|
Friday 25 April 2025
|
Available
|
1190 €
| Make enquiry |
Dates
Start date | End date | Space | Price | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Monday 6 January 2025
|
Friday 10 January 2025
|
Guaranteed
|
1190 €
| Make enquiry |
Monday 6 January 2025
|
Friday 10 January 2025
|
Available
|
1190 €
| Make enquiry |
Monday 13 January 2025
|
Friday 17 January 2025
|
Available
|
1190 €
| Make enquiry |
Monday 20 January 2025
|
Friday 24 January 2025
|
Two more to guarantee
|
1190 €
| Make enquiry |
Monday 27 January 2025
|
Friday 31 January 2025
|
Available
|
1190 €
| Make enquiry |
Monday 3 February 2025
|
Friday 7 February 2025
|
Available
|
1190 €
| Make enquiry |
Monday 10 February 2025
|
Friday 14 February 2025
|
Guaranteed
|
1190 €
| Make enquiry |
Monday 17 February 2025
|
Friday 21 February 2025
|
Guaranteed
|
1190 €
| Make enquiry |
Monday 24 February 2025
|
Friday 28 February 2025
|
Available
|
1190 €
| Make enquiry |
Monday 3 March 2025
|
Friday 7 March 2025
|
Available
|
1190 €
| Make enquiry |
Monday 10 March 2025
|
Friday 14 March 2025
|
Available
|
1190 €
| Make enquiry |
Monday 17 March 2025
|
Friday 21 March 2025
|
Guaranteed
|
1190 €
| Make enquiry |
Monday 24 March 2025
|
Friday 28 March 2025
|
Available
|
1190 €
| Make enquiry |
Monday 31 March 2025
|
Friday 4 April 2025
|
Available
|
1190 €
| Make enquiry |
Monday 7 April 2025
|
Friday 11 April 2025
|
Available
|
1190 €
| Make enquiry |
Monday 14 April 2025
|
Friday 18 April 2025
|
Available
|
1190 €
| Make enquiry |
Monday 21 April 2025
|
Friday 25 April 2025
|
Available
|
1190 €
| Make enquiry |
Itinerary
Welcome Meeting in Chamonix
You will meet with your group and mountain guide at the Chamonix Experience office on Sunday evening for a chat and to discuss plans for the upcoming week. At this point we can check that you have everything you need and answer any questions you might have. This is simply an example of a typical ski touring course – your week will very likely differ from what is listed below depending on weather and snow conditions. Your mountain guide will plan your course to give you the best possible experience of ski touring in Chamonix.
Day 1 – Les Grands Montets
You will start the day with a couple of warm-up runs to check everyone’s skiing ability and run through the basics of mountain safety and avalanche awareness at the famous ski area of Les Grands Montets. From the top of the lift station you will have your first introduction to skiing on glaciated terrain. Your mountain guide will assess the ability of everyone in the group and teach you all the correct techniques for using the ski touring equipment. A possible Grands Montets ski touring route is to put your skins on at the Argentière glacier and skin up the Glacier des Améthystes to the Col du Tour Noir.
Day 2 – Vallee Blanche Ski Tour
An exploration of the Chamonix Valley has to include a visit to the Aiguille du Midi and a ski tour of some of the most famous off-piste terrain in the world. You will cross the Vallée Blanche into Italy to reach Pointe Helbronner on the Italian side of Mont Blanc. Here your mountain guide will teach you some more glacier travel techniques before the fantastic off-piste descent down the Vallée Blanche back to Chamonix.
Day 3 – Aiguilles Rouges Ski Tour
Today you will discover one of Europe’s best ski touring areas, the Aiguilles Rouges. It offers so many ski touring possibilities, allowing your mountain guide to choose an excellent itinerary taking the snow conditions and ability of the group into account. Easily accessible from Flegere ski area, you will be in the Chamonix backcountry in no time. If this is your first experience of ski touring then you’ve already ticked off one of the dream routes by ski touring in the Aiguilles Rouges!
Day 4 – Overnight Ski Tour
This is where ski touring really comes into its own – skinning up to a remote refuge and spending the night in the mountains, then getting up bright and early the next day to ski off-piste before the rest of the world wakes up. Your mountain guide will choose the best mountain hut in Chamonix or nearby based on the weather, the snow conditions and the ability of the group. There may be a short drive to the start of the ski tour, depending on which route we take.
Day 5 – Full Day Ski Tour & Return to Chamonix
After waking up to breakfast in a mountain refuge, today brings an early start and a full day’s ski touring – an excellent introduction to multi-day ski touring. By this point you should be feeling confident both in your ski touring skills and your mountain experience. This last day will be a fantastic adventure far from the crowds found in lift-served areas. The course ends with a debriefing in the Chamonix Experience office on Friday evening.
Learning outcomes
- Learn how to use ski touring equipment such as skins and couteaux
- Learn the essential ski touring techniques such as efficient skinning and kick-turns
- Learn how to use crampons and ice axe to climb steep snow slopes and couloirs
- Avalanche search and rescue techniques
- Planning a ski tour with regards to navigation, weather forecast, and packing the correct equipment.
Level requirements
You do not need any previous ski touring experience to join this programme but you should be a competent off-piste skier (be able to ski comfortably in all snow conditions on slopes of up to 35 degrees). You should also have a good level of fitness and be prepared to undertake climbs of 2-4 hours on skis.
If you are not sure if this course is for you, please contact us on info@chamex.com and we will be happy to help.
Additional services
Equipment hire
We highly recommend that you book any equipment with us at least 2 weeks in advance as the hire shops can have limited availability in the busy season.
You can collect your equipment the evening before the start of the course and return it in the evening at the end of your course. We work with the following Chamonix ski hire and mountain shop:
• Concept Pro Shop which is conveniently located directly next door from our office. Open 7/7 08:00-19:00
Airport transfers
We can help you to organise your transport to/from Chamonix. We work with well established airport transfer companies which use new and comfortable vehicles and which have the capacity and know-how to handle everything from delayed and cancelled flights, to unexpected traffic jams with professionalism and efficiency.
To book your transfer, we will need the following:
- Your full name
- Mobile phone number
- Email address
- Your destination address
- Your flight details (date, time and flight number)
SHARED TRANSFERS:
This is the most economic and ecologically friendly way of travel. The driver will meet and greet you at the airport, gather you and the rest of the passenger group together and then head off to your chosen destination. The door-to-door service means that you will be dropped off and picked up right at your hotel /chalet / apartment. From 40€ per person for one way and 80€ per person for a return trip.
PRIVATE TRANSFERS:
Private Transfers are the quickest way to get to and from the airport. Your driver will meet and greet you at the airport and guide you to your vehicle. There is no waiting for other passengers. Private transfers are available for one to eight person bookings and travelling together and you are guaranteed sole occupancy of the vehicle for your transfer. And, of course, it’s a door to door service, so you won’t be lugging any bags very far.
Chamonix accommodation
If you need help to find a place to stay in Chamonix, don’t hesitate and let us know! We work with a network of excellent chalets, hotels, gites and B&Bs and we will find something to suit all tastes and all budgets.
Mountain rescue insurance
We don’t include the mountain rescue insurance in any of our courses. A rescue may be very expensive, particularly if helicopters are involved. Check with your travel insurance provider if you are covered for the specific activity you are going to do with us.
However, we can organise the mountain rescue insurance for you. Details of the insurance cover are different for EU and non-EU residents; please contact us for more information.
Guiding & Tuition
5 days of mountain guiding and ski tuition by a UIAGM qualified mountain guide.
Mountain hut
1 night in a mountain hut with breakfast and dinner included.
Local Transport
Any local transport that is required during your course.
Group Equipment
Ropes, safety equipment, etc will be provided when needed by your guide.
Office Support
Our team is based at the foot of the Aiguillle du Midi cable car and will be happy to help you with any questions you may have before, during or after your trip to Chamonix.
Not included in price
Skis / Snowboards
The price does not include skis/snowboards, boots or clothing. If you do not have your own we can help you organise rental, please ask us for details.
Personal Equipment
Please see the “Equipment” tab to find out what you will need on this trip / course. For private customised guiding, please contact us directly to confirm your personalised kit list.
Insurance
Travel insurance including a mountain search and rescue insurance is mandatory on all our trips (we can organise the mountai search and rescue insurance for you on request). We highly advice to have a policy covering the cost of medical treatment and to protect the value of your holiday in the event of cancellation. When taking out insurance please ensure the policy you choose covers you for the activities and altitude included in your itinerary.
Food & Drink
The price does not include lunch or snacks. You can bring your own food and we can stop for a picnic, or there may be the option to buy lunch at a mountain hut. Please make sure that you are carrying sufficient water and snacks as we will be in the mountains for a number of hours.
Travel to Chamonix
The price does not include flights, airport transfers or any other travel to/from Chamonix. However, we can organise airport transfers for you on request, please contact us for details.
Accommodation in Chamonix
Accommodation in Chamonix is not included in the price but we would be happy to advise or organise it on request.
Lift passes
To keep the itinerary flexible, we do not include the lift passes in the course price. We will advise you what lift passes you will need on day to day basis and organise them for you. The total price will vary depending on the weather, conditions and the selected climbs.