Intro
ski touring & backcountry
2023
Chamonix based | 5 days of IFMGA guiding | optional accommodation  |
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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 your accommodation check in. For those who opted for the room only Icicle accommodation, this is available from 16:00 on the Sunday afternoon. 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 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
Guided days are Monday-Friday |
£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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| 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 concierge service for logistics, advice and support |
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3) Road or rail transport
in Chamonix valley to and from the slopes each day |
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4) Pre course information dossier, with training plans and kit lists |
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5) Briefing the first evening, with latest updates and weather reports |
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6) Equipment discount voucher for our Windermere shop / online |
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7) Preferential
rates on ski touring kit and equipment hire in Chamonix |
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8) Free 36 page
technical Course Instruction Booklet |
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9) Optional evening instruction sessions as per detailed
itinerary |
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10) Pre-course online course open evening one month before trip |
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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) as required*, 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, 8) Chamonix accommodation, but we offer an upgrade of £200pp for twin room only accommodation In Chamonix, subject to availability. |
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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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Ski
passes*: There
is great flexibility on the course to use
cable cars or to leave them far behind. Day
passes cost c.50€ (click
for current prices),
but you can save by not using cable cars on
some of the days. |
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Current
course availability
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