Advice for off piste skis
The range of off piste skis is awesome and growing! The key advice is not to try to use your piste skis for our off piste courses, and their handling and flotation are not good enough. For example the waist of a slamon style ski such as the Salomon Crossmax is about 65mm, and you are looking for at least 80mm at the waist for a suitable off piste ski. Don't suffer - if you haven't got a suitable ski, then hire some for the week. It will make the world of difference to your skiing and enjoyment of the course. We work with a range of local ski hire shops who specialise in supplying our guests with the latest off piste skis. Some examples of the most popular off piste skis that you can hire, are pictured above.

Off piste boots, helmets, rucksacks etc
If you are on an off piste course and already have boots, you should use them as you will be used to their feel and fit. Do not try to wear in new boots on a course, as this always ends in tears! As regards boot liners, thermo fits are great and you can even consider a custom fit liner. We recommend custom footbeds (eg Superfeet), as this provides many people with greater precision in their skiing due to greater comfort. A good pair of ski goggles is essential. If you are skiing off piste a helmet is required for our off piste courses, and is recommended for day ski touring such as the Intro Touring & Backcountry course. You must ensure that your goggles fit comfortably with the helmet. In addition you should carry sunglasses for when you are touring or there is hardly any wind. For off piste, a rucksack size of up to 35 litres maximum will suffice, but ensure it has side straps for carrying skis. Keeping very well hydrated is essential, and you should carry up to 1.5 litres of water for each day. Playpus style hydration tubes are great for a quick sip, but could freeze if it is especially cold.



Ski touring skis

If you are on a ski touring course and are looking to buy a ski, there are two elements to balance; performance and weight. At one end of the scale you can get very light skis (eg Movement Red Apples) which as great for the uphill, but which flap around on icy descents. On the other end of the scale you can get heavy skis which are an effort on the up and a delight on the descent. Any of the skis listed in the off piste section above would be examples of this. For most people a happy medium is ideal, and the three skis listed above are popular and highly recommended for ski touring.

Ski touring rucksacks
When you are in huts you can ski with quite a light rucksack (ideally no more than 7kg), but if you have not skied with a pack before, it is worth trying it out (even on piste), so you get used to the different weighting and balance. Also ensure that your rucksack has straps for carrying skis for the portage (booting) sections. Before you set out on any tour our Chamonix team will help you check through your bag to ensure that you are travelling as light as possible. For all our tours we highly recommend that you do not take a bag any larger than 40 litres maximum. When staying in guardianned huts, no bedding is required (just a sleeping bag liner), so all you are carrying each day is some safety kit, spare clothing, snacks and water.



Ski touring boots

Following the explosion of interest in ski touring, the manufacturers are reacting, and the three boots pictured above are popular choices and styles to consider. We recommend the Scarpa touring boot series (Tornado, Denali, F1 etc) as the best range, and it is this that you will most likely be offered if renting touring boots. Of course it is possible to ski tour in downhill boots (or to ski off piste in touring boots), but the key differences and advantages of touring boots are that they can be made more flexible for the ascents / walking, and more rigid for ski descents. They tend to be lighter than off piste / downhill boots too, which all helps on a multi day ski tour.



Ski touring bindings & skins & safety kit

Safety kit for ski touring
For all ski tours we will provide you with a specific technical kit list, but this section considers the key kit. A classical ice axe (curved pick) for steeper climbs is great, and you can get very lightweight axes for touring. Skins for your skis are essential, and for fairly curved (carver style) skis, fitted skins are better. Also you will require ski crampons (harscheisen) that are complient with your type of touring bindings. Please note that we do not supply ski crampons on any of our courses, and you must hire these at the same time as your touring skis and skins. On tougher tours you may require regular climbing boot crampons for some sections. These can be fitted to your touring boots, and you can get very lightweight models specifically designed for touring that are made in aluminium or another light alloy. For safe glacier skiing a climbing harness is essential. For skiing you can use a basic and light-weight model, and make sure that the leg loops are fully adjustable, so that you could put on the harness without taking off your crampons / skis / boots. On your harness you should have a sling, prussic loops, and three screw gate karabiners. These items are for your general safety, and especially for crevasse rescue and abseiling.



Clothing (for both off piste and touring)



Jacket: a shell style jacket is more versitile than a padded jacket, and a built in wired hood is very useful. If the weather is looking good, soft shell jacket may also be ideal, and this is often the prefered choice for ski touring, as it allows a good level of vapour release while staying water resistant.

Base Layers: wicking materials (eg Patagonia capalene) takes moisture away from your skin when skiing.

Mid Layers: several thin layers are better than one thicker one, to regulate your temperature better.

Extremities: a fleece hat is a great way to keep warm, and neck gaiters are very useful too. For cold conditions you should also consider a balaclava, face ski mask and thin liner gloves (eg silk). Also ensure that your ski gloves are gauntlet style and good quality (leather palms give great grip on poles, ropes etc).