Chamonix
off piste week 2025  
Updated itinerary > 5 days guiding + Chamonix
accommodation included |
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Course
overview
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We
offer two challenging levels of course: Level 1 - Adventure, and Level 2
- Performance. Level 1 is for those
with a little off piste experience, such
as a day on Vallee Blanche or 'between the
piste' off piste. Those on Level 2 will
have at least a week's previous off piste
experience, such as attending the Level
1 course. If you are in doubt as to how
to judge your ski level, click
here. |
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Both
courses are a week of the most thrilling
ski runs in the Chamonix valley, and Mont
Blanc massif. Our aim is for you to enjoy
a challenging, thrilling, great off piste
week. |
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Your
expert IFMGA Mountain & Ski Guide will
show you some of the most remote and beautiful
wilderness regions, whilst improving your
technique and looking after your safety. |
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The
level of the runs is only limited by your
previous off piste experience and the conditions.
You do not need to be super fit, but good
stamina will make the days easier and allow
you to enjoy the scenery. |
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Key
skills taught during this course include... |
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• avalanche
transceiver use
• glacier travel techniques
• recognising avalanche
traps |
• group
management off piste
• emergency
procedures
• choice of kit for
glacier skiing |
• crevasse rescue for
skiers
• route planning &
navigation
• crevasse rescue ropework |
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The
group for each course is limited to six people
per Guide to ensure that you get good access,
and learn as much as possible, as we have
found that a small group on the mountain achieves
and learns far more. |
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Dates: these
are listed in the column on the right, and
they show the live availability from our secure
online booking system. When you book online,
you receive immediate confirmation, your Alpine
Information Booklet, course specific kit list
and invoice. |
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| Instructors: this
course is led by an IFMGA International Mountain
& Ski Guide. This is the only qualification
that allows you to be instructed on glaciated off
piste runs, such as the Vallee Blanche. It is a
key selling point that you are led by ski guides,
as there are many off piste courses offered by others,
which are led by ski instructors who are not guides.
If you book one of their courses, you are limited to no glacier skiing, and will not ski the classics
that Chamonix is famed for, such as the Argentiere
glacier from Grands Montets, the Vallee Blanche,
or the Toula Glacier from Helbronner. When looking
for an off piste course, ensure that it is led by
an IFMGA guide, so you can ski on glaciers. |
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| Which
level of course? |
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Level
1 skiers can competantly ski any piste, and
will have skied a little between
the pistes, or a day or two of off piste at
most. Level
2 skiers will have at least a full week of
previous off piste skiing experience as an
absolute minimum, and usually more. |
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If
you are a little unsure as to which level
would suit you best, it's often easier to
decide by looking at the photo galleries of
the different courses, to see the types of
terrain encountered. Here are the photo gallery
links; Off
Piste level 1 - click
here, or
for Off
Piste level 2 - click
here |
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If
you are in any doubt as to which level you
are better suited to, then please get in touch,
so that we can advise you better, to ensure
you get the most out of the course. |
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Avalanche
safety airbags
We have teamed up with Black Diamond, who we also
stock in our Windermere mountain store, to rent
their avalanche airbags. We selected the Halo 28
JetForce airbag for our hire equipment, as the pack
size is well suited to our off piste and intro ski
tour courses. The key features are the PIEPS automatic
self diagnosis performs full system check on every
startup, the travel-friendly fully rechargeable
lithium-ion battery which supports 4+ deployments
per charge, a Cordura airbag made from puncture-resistant
automotive material is easy to repack for practice
and multiple deployments, and the unique Jet fan
which inflates the 200 L airbag in 4 seconds, and
automatically deflates after 3 minutes to create
a potential air pocket. Click on the image to the
left, for details of how to hire this. |
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Brief
Course Itinerary
The Level 1 - Adventure, and Level 2 - Performance courses run on different weeks, with the itineraries adapted
daily to cater for the best snow conditions, and your
improving ski level. The itineraries are for guidance,
but should give an idea of what you can achieve during
the week. Level 2 tackles harder, longer, and deeper off
piste...
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Sunday
Travel to Chamonix to arrive for your accommodation check in, which is available from 16:00 on the Sunday afternoon, so there's time to ski before if you wish. In the early evening there is a course safety and itinerary briefing. There is time for kit checks or rental of equipment, including the hire of any off piste equipment. Briefings and sorting equipment is over by 19:00 and then you are free to go out for dinner / drinks. Night in Chamonix. |
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Monday
After your breakfast you meet your guide are driven to
one of the ski areas, such as le Tour. The focus
of the day is to get skiing straight away, and to
introduce you to some of best off piste runs at
Le Tour. For
either level of course you will find untracked powder
in the bowls and through the trees, with descents
towards Tour, Vallorcine or Trient. Optional evening
instruction session or route
planning social after guiding. Night in Chamonix. |
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Tuesday
Typically today involves off piste over glaciers,
such as one (or more) descents of the famous Vallée
Blanche above Chamonix. If you've done the classic
route, there are runs via Helbronner by a more testing
route such as the Italian Bowl. Another option is
skiing the Glacier de Toule from Helbronner to Le
Pavillion, followed by the Vallée Blanche. Optional evening
instruction session or route
planning social after guiding. Night in Chamonix. |
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Wednesday
Searching for fresh tracks over glaciers, either
the classic Pas de Chevre from Grand Montets to
Montenvers, or maybe the Argentiere glacier. Another option is
skiing in the Aiguilles Rouges above Index. As you
will by now have spotted there are hundreds of options
for off piste skiing in Chamonix, so don't worry
as there is too much to choose from. Optional evening
instruction session or
route planning social after guiding. Night in Chamonix. |
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Thursday
By now your ski level should have developed well,
and you could consider a more challenging off piste
descent such as the back of Le Tour to Trient, or
the Grand Envers from the Aiguille du Midi. Another
possibility is to drive through the Mont Blanc tunnel
to have a day of Italian off piste with fresh tracks
and powder skiing above Courmayeur. Night
off from evening
instruction to allow you to relax for your last day of guiding
tomorrow. Night in Chamonix. |
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Friday
On the final day of skiing, most groups go for a
big day of classic off piste runs. The Grand Montets
lift above Argentiere is a classic venue for this,
as there are so many lines down to the glaciers
or on the front face. An alternative for the level
2 group is to try ski touring on the Argentiere
glacier, so as to pick up a new skill to access
better off piste next time. Evening
social drinks,
then a celebratory meal, with the final night spent
in Chamonix. |
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Saturday
The accommodation check out is by 10:00. Most
arrange their airport transfers to leave around
this time, to catch a flight from Geneva about midday. Depart for home.
ITINERARY NOTES: Where possible we follow itineraries.
Mountain adventures are weather and conditions dependant,
so occasionally we are forced to alter the plans.
If this is the case, suitable alternatives are offered.
Please use this outline itinerary as a guide to
the types of route / activity that you will attempt. |
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| Course
Prices |
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Standard
course |
5
full days IFMGA guiding, 1:6 max ratio
Sunday-Saturday, guiding Monday-Friday |
£1295 |
Live
availability |
Click
on the planner logo to the right to
see the real time live course availability
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Secure
online booking system |
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| Standard Course
Inclusions |
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1) Hand picked IFMGA Mountain & Ski Guide
for five days (1:6 ratio max) |
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2) Chamonix accommodation (room only), generally in twin / double room |
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3) Chamonix concierge service for logistics, advice and support |
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4) Road or rail transport
in Chamonix valley to and from the slopes each day |
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5) Pre course information dossier, with training plans and kit lists |
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6) Briefing the first evening, with latest updates and weather reports |
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7) Equipment discount voucher for our Windermere shop / online |
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8) Preferential
rates on ski touring kit and equipment hire in Chamonix |
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9) Free 36 page
technical Course Instruction Booklet |
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10) Optional evening instruction sessions as per detailed
itinerary |
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| Exclusions:
1) Travel to and from Chamonix, 2) Cable cars (c.50€/day, click
for current prices, with Unlimited Pass
including lifts in Chamonix and Courmayeur), 3) Equipment
hire, 4) Personal laundry, telephone calls, lunches, &
any purchases in mountain huts / hotels / restaurants,
5) Transport outside the Chamonix valley e.g. Courmayeur,
6) Sunday pre-dinner drinks & Friday celebratory meal
& drinks, 7) Activities insurance, excess baggage
charges. |
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sizes: 3 - 6 people per IFMGA
mountain guide. For group sizes of over 6 people, there
are multiple guides, and the teams travel independently
of each other. |
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Current
course availability
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Course Dates
Chamonix Level 1
- [5+] 12 - 18 Jan 2025
- [5+] 26 Jan - 1 Feb 2025
- [5+] 23 Feb - 1 Mar 2025
- [5+] 16 - 22 Mar 2025
- [5+] 6 - 12 Apr 2025
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Course Dates
Chamonix Level 2
- [5+] 26 Jan - 1 Feb 2025
- [5+] 2 - 8 Mar 2025
- [5+] 13 - 19 Apr 2025
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NOTE:
This trip has scheduled
dates, but if there are four who
are booking together, it can be
operated on any date you wish |
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Client
feedback
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I
learnt so many techniques, skills and
tips from you all last week, that my
head is still buzzing
Sally
D , Off Piste Course
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A
great mixture of teaching, skiing and
socialising with a fun group. Learnt
loads, and had a ball of a time
Josei
S , Off Piste Course
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Amazing
week of skiing, with intimate local
knowledge to
find the best powder for us. Great
teaching from our guide, so my skiing
went up several gears
Wayne
W , Off Piste Course
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| Testimonials |
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| Press
& media |
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| Films
& videos |
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| Photo
gallery |
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| Location
data for this trip |
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| The
trips are based in the Chamonix valley in the French Alps,
at the foot of Mont Blanc. It is easily accessed via a
90 minute transfer from Geneva airport. |
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Time
Difference
GMT +1hr |
Local
Currency
€ Euros |
Travel
from UK
1hr flight |
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| Skis
& equipment advice |
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we know it is so important to you to have the most suitable
equipment and clothing for off piste skiing, we have devoted
a page especially to it, which you can access by clicking
on the image to the right, or by clicking
here. This page outlines the key equipment
you should bring, and gives examples of skis that are
suitable for the course. If after reading this page you
have any queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch
with our Chamonix team, who will be able to advise, and
to help you avoid any costly mistakes. The key point to
highlight is that it is highly unlikely that your piste
skis will be suitable for off piste skiing, as they are
too narrow at the waist and will not offer enough flotation
in the powder. In fact slalom style skis cut through powder
to the older crusty snow below. |
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| Trip
video gallery |
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Skiing
at Grands Montets on Level 1 off piste |
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Skiing
Courmayeur (Italy) on Level 2 off piste |
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| Ski
technique analysis |
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We sometimes use video feedback on our off piste courses,
whenever it is the best tool for helping people improve
their style and skills. Whenever we get film footage of
you skiing, we ensure that you get a copy of the film,
so when you return home you can show your friends what
a brilliant skier you are! Also any photos that are taken
of you are uploaded to an online gallery for you to download
or share with others. For recent photos, click on one
of the links below;
Off Piste level 1 - click
here
Off Piste level 2 - click
here
Vallee Blanche - click
here |
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| Suggested
reading and kit |
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View
full course equipment list,
with examples of kit, click
here |
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| So
why choose Icicle? |
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Itinerary
flexibility to allow you to take full advantage
of the weather and snow conditions each day, so
that you maximise the amount of time spent skiing
each day. |
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Our
prices are fixed in £ pounds sterling, to
protect you from euro currency fluctuations, so
that you can budget accurately. |
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We
have a team of over 30 IFMGA guides, and a resort
support team, who all want you to have the best
off piste skiing possible! For more details on the
guiding team and qualifications, please click
here. |
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| Any further questions? |
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A key part
of choosing a company is being able to come and talk about
your plans with an experienced course advisor face to
face. In an increasingly virtual world, we know our clients
value speaking to real people, getting open and honest
advice. The vast majority of our clients are British,
and our office and outdoor store is based in Windermere
in the English Lake District.
 
Get in
contact to arrange a meeting, and come in for a coffee
to discuss your course in person with a trip advisor.
Many people opt for this service, and it is an integral
part of what we offer, as we are keen to ensure that you
are prepared as possible, and that you select a course
that is suitable for you. It makes it easier and more
enjoyable for you and us, if you are on the right trip. |
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