Zermatt
backcountry & touring 2022 |
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| Course
overview |
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For
those looking for challenging off piste
and day ski tours in stunning scenery, this
could not be better as you are surrounded
by over 29 mountains higher than 4000m.
From the highest cable car of the Klein
Matterhorn, you ski tour up Breithorn 4164m,
and you ski all the way back to the valley
with over 2600m of vertical descent. |
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For
this course you should be a similar level
to those on our Chamonix Off Piste Level
2 course with at least a week's previous
off piste experience, such as previously
attending the Chamonix Level 1 course. During
the week you are taught ski touring skills,
and a key feature of the week is a ski tour
ascent of the Breithorn. |
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Your
expert IFMGA Mountain & Ski Guide will
show you some of the most remote regions of
the Zermatt region, whilst improving your
technique and looking after your safety. As
with all our courses, you are taught important
skills such as avalanche awareness and tranceiver
searches, digging snow pits, essential Alpine
ropework, route finding over glaciers, and
crevasse rescue systems. |
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The
level of the runs and tours 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 more breath to enjoy the scenery.
Our aim is for you to enjoy a challenging,
thrilling, great off piste and touring week. |
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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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Brief
Course Itinerary
The
itinerary of this course is adapted daily to cater for
the best snow conditions, and your improving ski level,
but these details should give an idea of what you can
achieve during the week.
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Sunday - Arrival day
Travel to Zermatt to arrive for the 17:00 accommodation
check-in, usually in a hotel in the centre of Zermatt.
Above the town, the iconic shape of the Matterhorn
looms above, and the town itself is beautifully
preserved and traditional. There is time for you
to rent any ski equipment. Some clients opt to travel
out a day or two early to get their ski legs back
and to test out their skis, as well as to acclimatise.
Night in Zermatt on room only basis. |
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Monday - Day
1 guiding
Day 1 of Guiding (1:6): After early breakfast, you
meet the guide for a course safety briefing and
kit checks. You go the ski lift, and get going straight
away. The first day is ideal as a refresher for
your off piste skills, and there are plenty of good
areas to select from depending on the weather and
conditions. At the end of the day you ski down to
your valley accommodation, your base for the next
four nights. Night in Zermatt on room only basis. |
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Tuesday - Day
2 guiding
Day
2 of Guiding (1:6): A
popular choice for the day are
the off piste areas accessed from the stunningly
located Gornergrat cable car. Starting from opposite
the main Zermatt train station, this train takes
you up to the start of the runs through a range
of spectacular Alpine vistas with stunning mountain
peaks in every direction. Riffelberg
offers a wide range of terrain to choose from, for
all levels of skier. Night
in Zermatt on room only basis. |
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Wednesday - Day
3 guiding
Day 3 of Guiding (1:6): Today
is based from the more challenging Stockhorn cable
car. Your
Guide will take you through the
huge untracked powder fields, with demanding runs
through the trees. As
Zermatt is both high in altitudes with an abundance
of north facing slopes, huge areas of powder snow
or spring (corn) can still be found many days after
it falls - and
your Guide will know where to find it!.
Night in Zermatt on room only basis. |
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Thursday - Day
4 guiding
Day 4 of Guiding (1:6): A
week of backcountry and touring in Zermatt is not
complete without a day ski touring up to reach the
summit of the Breithorn 4164m, and then skiing the
longest run in Zermatt from the high Klein Matterhorn
ski station where you can descend all the way back
to Zermatt past the North face of the Matterhorn
- a distance of over 17km with a whole range of
freeride off piste routes to take.
Night in Zermatt on room only basis. |
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Friday - Day
5 guiding
Day
5 of Guiding (1:6): As
it is your last day of guiding, most groups opt
for an early start to make it a big day. A
day of high adrenaline! Today is an opportunity
to stray further
from the pistes and cable cars to try some 'hidden
gems' of Zermatt, with more ski touring to explore
deeper backcountry areas.
At the end of the afternoon, most groups opt to
go out for a few celebratory drinks and dinner.
Night in Zermatt on room only basis. |
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Saturday - Departure day
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 |
£1299 |
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) Pre course information booklet, 4) Equipment
discount voucher for UK kit shops, 5) Six nights accommodation
in the Zermatt ski area (includes linen, bedding &
towels) on a room only basis, 6) Free 36 page technical
Course Instruction Booklet. |
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| Exclusions:
1) Travel to and from Zermatt, 2) Cable Cars & uplift
(ski pass for the week), 3) Ski / boot hire, 4) Personal
laundry, telephone calls, lunches, & any purchases
in mountain huts / hotels / restaurants, 5) Transport
outside the Zermatt valley, 6) Sunday pre-dinner drinks
& Friday celebratory meal & drinks, 7) 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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| Upgrade
options |
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Avalanche
Skills Training
£75 (throughout the season) |
To
learn avalanche prediction, reutschblocks and use
of avalanche tranceivers. Course is available on
any dates, either scheduled or private, details. |
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