Intro
ski touring & backcountry
2021 |
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| Course
overview |
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If
you have spent most of your time on
skis on piste or on popular off piste
runs, and want to escape the crowds,
this course will give you the skills
to access the mountains throughout the
winter season by learning ski touring
and more advanced backcountry skills. |
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This
course is also ideal as an introduction
or preparation for famous ski tours
such as the Haute Route (Chamonix to
Zermatt) later in the season. The
itinerary is flexible to take account
of the previous skills, experience,
and aspirations, but typically includes
a 50:50 split of ski touring and off
piste backcountry skiing. |
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For
this level you have skied a minimum
of two weeks off piste before, such
as a
one week off piste course, and another
week of off piste experience. Your
key ambition is to improve and get some
good instruction. If you are looking
for an early season alternative to this
course, see our Aosta
ski touring week. |
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Previous
touring experience
is not required, as this course aims
to teach key skills starting with the
basics. Sometimes people have done a
day or two of touring before, but not
received any formal tuition, so use
this course as a springboard to future
tours. |
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Any
mountaineering skills or knowledge of
ropes are an advantage, but not essential
as all necessary techniques are taught.
During the week you are based in Chamonix
Mont Blanc, but often have the the opportunity
to ski tour in Italy or Switzerland
too. |
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Key
skills taught during this course include... |
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• using skins and touring skis
• avalanche
transceiver use
• glacier travel
techniques
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• kick
turns for ascent on skis
• use
of couteaux / harscheisen
• using
crampons and ice axes |
• choice of kit
for ski touring
• crevasse rescue
for skiers
• recognising avalanche
traps |
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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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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 image on the left, for hire details. |
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Brief
Course Itinerary
The itineraries are for guidance, but should give
an idea of what you can achieve during the week.
Each week this course runs slightly differently
to cater for your preferences, the conditions, and
where the best weather and snow is to be found.
This flexibility allows you to have the course tailored
to your needs. There is even the option of using
two of the days to ski up to stay in a mountain
hut (half board lodging not included, but c.50€pp)
to then ski to reach an Alpine summit or high pass
beyond the hut the next day, before returning to
Chamonix.
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Sunday
Travel to Chamonix to arrive for the 17:00
check-in followed by and course safety and
itinerary briefings. There is time for kit
checks or rental of equipment. Briefings are
over by 19:00 and the Chamonix hosts accompany
the group to pre-dinner drinks. Some clients
opt to travel out a day or two early to get
their ski legs back and to test out their
skis, whilst many others opt to do a one day
avalanche awareness safety course. Night in
Chamonix. |
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Monday
After meeting your guide in the morning, you
are driven to one of the ski areas, such as
le Tour or Flegere. Day
of introductory level ski touring, practising
how to use the equipment and kick turns, as
well as off piste skiing to refresh your techniques. At Flegere, groups often skin up to Lac Blanc
and even to Col des Dards, before the long
off piste run down. Evening theory session
on the key safety knots, and skiers crevasse
rescue. Night in Chamonix. |
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Tuesday
Typically today involves glacier off piste
and perhaps a slightly longer ski tour, such
as skiing onto the Argentiere glacier and
ascending to the Col du Tour Noir, or even
across the Col de Passon to ski down to le
Tour village. Both these itineraries provide
stunning views of the glacier basins, which
normally hold the snow conditions well. Evening session on Alpine weather
prediction and the effects of mountains on
the weather. Night in Chamonix. |
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Wednesday
A classic day tour that is well worth doing
is the famous Crochues-Berard. You take the
ski lift from Flegere to Index, and then skin
up for just over an hour to Col du Crochues,
before skiing down and around to cross the
Col du Berard, before the sweeping descent
into the Berard valley, past the hut that
is usually buried under the snows, to finish
at Le Buet. Evening
session on avalanche prediction and tranceiver
search patterns. Night
in Chamonix. |
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Thursday
By now your skiing and touring level should
have developed well, and you could consider
a more challenging off piste descent such
as touring across the Vallee Blanche to Helbronner
point to ski the Toule glacier, before descending
the Italian bowl of the Vallee Blanche. Another
option is a two day tour with a night in a
hut. Note
the price of the optional hut night is not
included, but if you opt to stay in Chamonix,
the course accommodation is included. |
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Friday
On the final day of skiing, most groups go
for a big day of touring, though if the legs
are feeling tired then perhaps a day of great
off piste would appeal such as skiing the
Pas de Chevre from the Grands Montets to Montenvers.
If touring, a popular objective is a ski tour
summit such as Aiguilette des Houches and
Brevent, before skiing a different route to
the valley. Evening social drinks then a celebratory
meal, with the final
night spent in Chamonix. |
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Saturday
Breakfast
then 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 occasionaly 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
7 days holiday in total, Sunday-Saturday |
£799 |
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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Course Inclusions: 1) IFMGA Mountain
Guides for five days, 2) Chamonix course hosts for
logistics & briefings, 3) Pre course information
booklet, 4) Equipment discount voucher for UK shops,
5) Six nights B&B accommodation in Chamonix
(inc. bedding & towels), 6) Free 36 page technical
Course Instruction Booklet, 7) Road or rail transport
in Chamonix valley to and from the slopes each day,
8) Preferential rates on ski and safety equipment
hire, 9) Optional evening instruction sessions as
per detailed itinerary. |
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| Exclusions:
1) Travel to and from Chamonix, 2) Cable cars as
required*, 3) Ski and equipment hire, 4) Personal
laundry, telephone calls, lunches, & any purchases
in mountain huts / hotels / restaurants, 5) Any
optional stays in a mountain hut on a half board
basis for you and the guide, 6) Transport outside
the Chamonix valley, 7) Sunday pre-dinner drinks
& Friday celebratory meal & drinks, 8) Activities
insurance, excess baggage charges. |
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| Group
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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| Discounts: If
you do not need any accommodation for the course,
a £100 discount per person is offered. |
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Hire
equipment: To
save money, we provide the loan of ice axe
and crampons when required on this course
for free, so the most suitable hire bundle
is the 'Ski Off Piste bundle'. For details, click
here. |
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Ski
passes*: There
is great flexibility on the course to use
cable cars or to leave them far behind. Day
passes cost c.45€ (click
for current prices),
but you can save by not using cable cars on
some of the days. |
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2020
course upgrades
Chamonix
centre chalet -
half board stay including wine,
from £500pp in addition to course price, 2
people sharing.
Single
upgrade -
stay in a private self-catering studio in
central Chamonix, from £200 pw in addition to course price.
Avalanche
training day-
1 day course extension, for a
day of avalanche
safety training. £75pp (based on 3 people). |
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