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Italian gourmet ski tour 2024
Ski tour for the cognoscenti, for remote areas, great snow, & good food
Course overview
A ski tour for the cognoscenti, staying in some of the best mountain huts for great Italian cooking, wine lists and hospitality. Enjoy great ski tours during the days, with comfort and good food and drink in the evenings. The huts have all been specially selected for their level of comfort and / or hospitality.
This is still ski touring, but it's for those who enjoy the social aspect of tours, and to chat about the days adventures over a good meal and drinks. You are led by some of our popular local Italian guide team, who help select the best huts and itineraries each week.
This course is also ideal as an alternative to famous ski tours such as the Haute Route (Chamonix to Zermatt) or Silvretta, and it allows you to escape the crowds that bit more. The itinerary is very flexible to take account of the weather and conditions, so you ski in the areas with the best snow too.
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.
Course notes
This tour is ideal for those wanting a intermediate level ski tour. As the course is based in mountain huts throughout, this course will also appeal to those wishing to escape the hustle of the valleys.
You can contemplate this tour after only a few days touring experience. Skiing ability should be fairly good as there is some steep skiing, and the powder on this area is legendary.
The Guide will also try to develop your technical abilities, allowing you to probe for crevasses, attempt route finding, practice crevasse rescue and the use of GPS equipment, & become efficient at avalanche prediction.

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. The skiing is always based in the mountains above the Italian Aosta valley, so previous weeks have been based in the Gran Paradiso National Park, Monte Rosa and Val Ferret areas. The focus is less on the high peaks, and more about good skiing and amazing scenery.
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.
Monday
After meeting your guide in the morning, you are driven through the Mont Blanc tunnel into Italy, and to Planpincieux. Here you ski up the Val Ferret, and then ascend right up the Armina valley. At its head you skin up over the Pas Entre Deux Sauts and down to the Malatra valley. Above the treeline is the stunningly located Rifugio Bonatti, where you stay for the night. Mara and her team are famed for providing great food and the hut even has duvets on the beds
.
Tuesday
A fairly early start, and after a good breakfast, you head up towards the Malatra pass, which is the high col leaving the valley. This is the route leading towards the Grand Saint Bernard monastery, and the skiing is through amazing scenery. The ski tour can be extended to loop around to near the Grand Col Ferret, and you return to the Rifugio Bonatti for the night. You can get a good warm shower in the hut, and there are drying rooms for your clothes too
.
Wednesday
Ski back down to the valley, and drive a short distance down the Aosta valley, to access one of the side valleys such as the Val de Rhemes / Grisanches / Savaranches. These run in parallel, and all offer great ski touring options at their heads. Some of the best huts to skin up to are the Bezzi or Benevelo Rifugios, both of which are traditional and welcoming. You settle in for the evening and enjoy a good meal, before heading for bed in the mountain hut
.
Thursday
An early start to take in a summit at the head of the valley, with the best snow conditions. Many of the peaks are around 3500m high, so you can ascend a high Alpine peak, to get the best vertical drop for the descent. You often descend to a different mountain hut, to see another region, and obviously to sample more food and wine! The huts in this region are famed for having wine cellars and stores that rival restaurants in the valley floor. Night in hut
.
Friday
Most groups go for a big day of touring, generally closing the loop to cross the mountains back to reach the minibus. This always involves a final high pass to cross, and then skiing a different route to the valley. For those with a ski mountaineering focus, there is always the possibility of another summit, if you feel the need to burn some of the Italian food off! Drive back to Chamonix. Evening social drinks then a celebratory meal, with the f
inal night in Chamonix.
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.

Course Prices
Standard course
5 full days IFMGA guiding, 1:6 max ratio
7 days holiday in total, Sunday-Saturday
£1399
Live availability
Click on the planner logo to the right to
see the real time live course availability
Latest Availability
Secure online booking system
Standard 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) Two nights self-catered accommodation in Chamonix (inc. bedding & towels), 6) Up to four nights half board accommodation in mountain huts including three course cooked evening meals. 8) Free 36 page technical Course Instruction Booklet, 9) Road transport in Chamonix valley and to and from Italy.
Exclusions: 1) Travel to and from Chamonix, 2) Cable Cars (not usually required), 3) Ski hire, 4) Personal laundry, telephone calls, lunches, & any purchases in mountain huts / hotels / restaurants, 5) Activities insurance, & excess baggage charges, 6) Sunday pre-dinner drinks & Friday celebratory meal & drinks.
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.
Upgrade options
Avalanche Skills Day
£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.
Current course availability

Course Dates
Gourmet Ski Tour
  • [ 4 ] 13 - 20 Apr 2024
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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Price: £1399 Book online

Preparatory trips
Intro Ski Touring

Silvretta Ski Tour

Alternatives
Haute Route to Zermatt
Monte Rosa ski tour


Next trips
Gran Paradiso Ski
Oberland Ski Tour
Client feedback


Thank you for organising this tour for us. The choice of routes and huts was superb. We will return next year for more

Geoffrey H , Gourmet Ski Tour

A wondeful week that really convinced us that ski touring can be a treat of a holiday, as well as great skiing and big days out. The meals were well earned each day!

Darren & Susan , Gourmet Ski Tour

Lovely huts and great skiing. A magical combination, and an excellent week

Ron N , Gourmet Ski Tour

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Location data for this trip
The trips all start in Chamonix valley in the French Alps, at the foot of Mont Blanc. It is easily accessed via a 90 minute transfer from Geneva airport.
Time Difference
GMT +1hr
Local Currency
€ Euros
Travel from UK
1hr flight
Suitable for split boarders
The majority of our ski tours are only suitable for those on skis, due to the nature of the terrain. However, this region is also suitable for those touring on split boards, as it is more rolling Nordic style, without many steeper icy traverses, where it is easier on skis. We accept mixed groups on this tour, so the scheduled dates are open to either ski tourers or split board tourers. Ensure that you take a rusksack that can carry either your skis or board.
Skis & equipment advice
Because we know it is so important to you to have the most suitable equipment and clothing for off piste skiing and touring, we have devoted a page especially to it, which you can access by clicking on the image, 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 you have any queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.
Suggested reading and kit
View full course equipment list, with examples of kit, click here
So why choose us?
We are true specialists in ski touring. See our blog, by clicking on the logo (on the right).
Icicle Blog
Itinerary flexibility to allow you to take full advantage of the weather and conditions each day, so that you maximise the amount of time spent skiiing each day.
Our prices are fixed in £ pounds sterling, to protect you from euro currency fluctuations, so that you can budget accurately.
We have a team of over 30 IFMGA guides, and a resort support team, who all want you to have the best skiing possible! For more details on the guiding team and qualifications, please click here.
Any further questions?
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.


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