Expert tech level |
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5 days course |
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Fitness level 4/5 |
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Guiding ratio 1:3 |
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Groups of 3 maximum |
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Available January - March |
Chamonix is well known for its steep skiing terrain - the famous slopes of the Pas de Chevre, the Posettes couloirs from Le Tour, the ENSA couloir and Hotel Face at Brevent, the Grand Envers on the Vallée Blanche - need we say more?!
The goal of the Chamonix Experience steep skiing course is to improve your off-piste skiing skills and push your ski technique up to the next level. In the safe hands of our UIAGM mountain guides and ski instructors you will gain confidence and strengthen your technique to tackle steeper and more challenging terrain than you've ever skied before.
More than just a week of off-piste guiding, you will receive expert tuition in steep skiing skills such as learning how to handle all types of terrain, how to ski safely down couloirs, how to perform jump turns on steep faces, how to control your speed on icy snow, how to use your skis as an anchor, and much more besides. We'll also cover essential off-piste skills that could save your life such as avalanche safety and rope work. This course will teach you more in 5 days than most people learn in a whole season.
We will choose slopes that will be challenging for you but not too far above your limits, so that you progress at a steady rate over the 5 days of your steep skiing course in Chamonix.
Our Chamonix steep skiing course is divided into two parts: 2 days of technical training and 3 days of focussed ski tuition whilst riding the most amazing couloirs and slopes around Chamonix and Courmayeur.
You will benefit from the advantage of a small ski group, as we only accept a maximum of 3 clients per mountain guide. This not only ensures greater safety but also enhances your enjoyment of the course as you will be skiing with people of a similar standard and level of experience as yourself, meaning that you'll all make maximum progress.
If you're not quite ready for this course but want to improve your off-piste skiing skills, we recommend our Chamonix Off-Piste Introduction - a 5 day course where you will learn all the essentials of skiing off-piste terrain in all snow conditions right here in the Chamonix valley.
Chamonix has incredibly varied terrain, making it the perfect place to learn to ski steep off-piste. It has a world-wide reputation for extreme skiing and challenging backcountry. Over the 5 days of this course you will learn how to handle different conditions and types of snow whilst maintaining control in steep couloirs, deep powder bowls, dense forests and amongst glaciers.
Les Grands Montets and Aiguille du Midi give access to fantastic off-piste options that will both challenge and exhilarate you. You can ski the Vallee Blanche down one of the many less frequented and more formidable routes such as Grand Envers, or get the adrenaline pumping in the notorious couloirs of the Argentiere basin.
Chamonix's unique location on the border of three countries means that you can experience skiing the best of the French, Swiss and Italian Alps; depending on conditions we may take you over the border for a taste of off-piste skiing in one of our neighbouring resorts such as Verbier or Courmayeur.
We offer a full programme of off-piste ski courses in Chamonix, with our steep skiing course being one of the most advanced. In order to build up to this level we recommend that you start with our Introduction to Off-Piste Skiing before joining our Off-Piste Performance Clinic. Once you have mastered the required skills and are confident on all types of terrain, you'll be ready to explore the limitless options of the Chamonix valley on our Chamex'Plore off-piste ski safaris.
Our Steep Skiing courses are run by double-qualified UIAGM mountain guides and ENSA ski instructors. This ensures an excellent level of tuition, as well as unparalleled mountain safety. Our team is permanently based in Chamonix and we carefully select all our guides for their extensive knowledge of the local ski terrain.
Start date | End date | Spaces |
Prices
Prices
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January 17, 2022 | January 21, 2022 |
2
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1,250.00€ | |
January 24, 2022 | January 28, 2022 |
G
|
1,250.00€ | |
January 31, 2022 | February 04, 2022 |
2
|
1,250.00€ | |
February 07, 2022 | February 11, 2022 |
2
|
1,250.00€ | |
February 14, 2022 | February 18, 2022 |
2
|
1,250.00€ | |
February 21, 2022 | February 25, 2022 |
G
|
1,250.00€ | |
February 28, 2022 | March 04, 2022 |
2
|
1,250.00€ | |
March 07, 2022 | March 11, 2022 |
2
|
1,250.00€ | |
March 14, 2022 | March 18, 2022 |
2
|
1,250.00€ | |
March 21, 2022 | March 21, 2022 |
2
|
1,250.00€ | |
March 28, 2022 | April 01, 2022 |
2
|
1,250.00€ | |
April 04, 2022 | April 08, 2022 |
2
|
1,250.00€ | |
April 11, 2022 | April 15, 2022 |
2
|
1,250.00€ |
A
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Spaces available | |
L
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Limited Availability | |
F
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Fully Booked | |
G
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Guaranteed | |
2
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Two More to Guarantee |
We highly recommend that you arrive in Chamonix a day or two before the steep skiing course to have some warm up days. This is also the best way to check your equipment – particularly if you haven’t skied for a while or you have rental equipment. There is nothing worse than to miss out because your boots don’t fit properly or your bindings are not set correctly. It is also strongly recommended to have your skis serviced prior to the steep skiing course. If you need to hire skis or to have your own skis serviced please ask us for recommendations of ski shops in Chamonix.
The week begins with a welcome meeting at the Chamonix Experience office in Chamonix Sud, where you will meet the other members of your group and your mountain guide / ski instructor. You will have the chance to check your equipment with your mountain guide and ask any last minute questions about the steep skiing course. Your Chamex mountain guide will brief you on the itinerary, the weather and the prevailing snow conditions, giving you an idea of what to expect for the week ahead. The itinerary below is given as an example of a typical week, your week may be entirely different depending on weather and snow conditions. Your mountain guide will plan your course to give you the best possible experience of skiing steep off-piste in Chamonix.
The first day of this course is dedicated to preparing you for skiing on progressively steeper terrain. Your guide will analyse your technique and propose corrections to your ski position so that you feel increasingly more confident on your skis. The afternoon will include an avalanche search and rescue training session.
Your mountain guide will take you skiing on short steep sections where you can practice jump turns and controlling a side slip. The psychological aspect of steep skiing means that it is important to get used to the exposure of steep slopes and be able to navigate them calmly and confidently. You will learn basic rope work and how to rappel safely with skis.
The last 3 days of the ski course are dedicated to practice the steep techniques on steeper runs and couloirs. Chamonix has a lot to offer in this aspect and your guide will choose runs with the best snow for you enjoy - such as, Col du Belvedere, Couloir du Chapeau or Couloirs de Trient. You will use your ski touring equipment to access some of the runs.
Above all, mountain safety is our highest priority, which is why as well as steep skiing techniques we also teach you how to ski off-piste safely. Avalanche awareness and transceiver search are essential to your skill set as a confident off-piste skier, especially when skiing the Chamonix backcountry routes that can take you far away from the patrolled ski areas. You'll also learn more advanced safety techniques such as:
Our instructors are all qualified UIAGM mountain guides with all the knowledge and experience needed to teach you the essential mountain safety techniques.
This course is for expert off-piste skiers only and you will need to:
You are in excellent physical and cardio vascular shape. You can ski a full day, off-piste, in all types of snow. You can link multiple long descents without taking long breaks, over consecutive days, with the proper equipment. (backpack, shovel, probe, snack, water, etc.)
Our Chamonix steep skiing course is physically demanding and so it is essential that you prepare yourself. Regular practice of any kind of endurance sport such as ski touring, hiking, running, biking or swimming is the best kind of training. We also recommend core strength exercises – Pilates and yoga are perfect.
Warm hat
Thermal underwear
Fleece or woollen layers
Light puffer jacket
Windproof and waterproof jacket
Windproof and waterproof trousers
Warm gloves
Climbing harness
Ski goggles
3 x Screwgate carabiner
60 - 120 cm tape sling
Free ride skis
Ski boots
Ski poles
Crampons
20 - 30 litres rucksack with attachment loops for skis / snowboard
Ski / splitboard skins
Ski touring boots
Ski touring skis - freeride style
Avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe
Ski or snowboard helmet
Sunglasses
Water bottle - Ideally two 1L bottles
Sun cream high protection (for lips and face)
5 days of mountain guiding and ski tuition by a UIAGM qualified mountain guide.
Specific avalanche awareness tuition including assessment of the conditions, correct use of a transceiver and how to carry out a rescue using shovel and probe.
Ropes, safety equipment, etc will be provided when needed by your guide.
Any local transport that is required during your course.
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.
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.
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.
We will advise you on which lift passes you will need prior to your trip. If lift passes are required we can preorder them for you on request.
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.
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.
Accommodation in Chamonix is not included in the price but we would be happy to advise or organise it on request.
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.
CHAMONIX LIFT PASSES - FREE BOOKING & COLLECTION SERVICE
You can easily avoid the morning queue for the lift tickets - order your lift passes with us and then just pick them up the day before! We'll collect your lift passes and have them ready for you, free of charge.
For this course you will need the 5 days Mont Blanc Unlimited lift pass, please contact us for further details.
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.
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 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. 250€ per car for one-way and 500€ per car for a return trip.
We don’t include mountain rescue insurance in any of our courses but we strongly recommend that you have it. Mountain 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. The cost is 8€ per person per day for EU residents and 12€ per person per day for non-EU residents. Details of the insurance cover are different for EU and non-EU residents; please contact us for more information.
If you need help to find a place to stay in Chamonix, don't hesitate to let us know! We work with a network of excellent chalets, hotels, gites and B&Bs offering Chamonix accommodation to suit all tastes and all budgets.
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 that is conveniently located directly next door from our office. Open 7/7 08:00-19:00