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Intro
ski touring & backcountry 2012
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| Course
overview |
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Course
dates & availability |
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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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The
only ski tour we offer at this level is our
Intro Ski Touring & Backcountry course.
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 both on your skiing and touring.
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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. |
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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
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glacier travel techniques
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recognising avalanche
traps
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choice of kit for ski
touring |
•
kick
turns for ascent on skis
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use
of couteaux / harscheisen
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using
crampons and ice axes
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crevasse rescue for
skiers
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route planning &
navigation |
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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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Course Dates
Intro Tour & Backcountry
- [ 3 ] 26 Feb - 3 Mar 2012
- [ 4 ] 11 - 17 Mar 2012
- [ 0 ] 15 - 21 Apr 2012
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| Client
feedback |
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Our
ski ascent over the Col du Passon
and down the La Tour glacier was
a great finale. The instruction we
received from the guides was superlative
Mick
C , Intro Ski Touring
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This
week really opened my eyes to the
possibilities of accessing the real
back-country, and gave me the skills
to escape all the busy areas in the
future, even if I visit a popular
ski resort
Joe
B
, Intro Ski Touring
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I
hadn't realised how remote some of
the areas I would visit could be,
and was stunned by the landscapes
we skied
Darren
V
, Intro Ski Touring
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So
why choose Icicle? |
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We
are true specialists in ski touring. See our
blog, by clicking on the RSS logo (on the
right). |
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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. |
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Our
prices are fixed in £ pounds sterling,
to protect you from euro currency fluctuations,
so that you can budget accurately. |
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We
have a team of over 30 IFMGA guides, and a
resort support team, who all want you to have
the best summit chances possible! For more
details on the guiding team and qualifications,
please click
here. |
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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 and skiing all the way down into Chamonix.
Evening
session; either a night in a mountain hut, or if
staying in Chamonix you have a optional avalanche
skills video. Night
in Chamonix. |
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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 instruction session,
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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Skis
and 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 after reading this
page you have any queries, please do not hesitate
to get in touch with us. |
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| Course
Prices |
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Standard
course
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5
full days IFMGA guiding, 1:6 max ratio
7 days holiday in total, Sunday-Saturday |
£699 |
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Live
availability
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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) Safety equipment as
detailed in the notes below, 9) Chamonix office support,
10) 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 hire, 4) Personal laundry, telephone calls, lunches,
& any purchases in mountain huts / hotels / restaurants,
5) Transport outside the Chamonix valley, 6) Sunday pre-dinner
drinks & Friday celebratory meal & drinks, 7)
Activities insurance, excess baggage charges. |
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| Notes:
The
loan of all avalanche safety kit is included (avalanche
tranceiver, avalanche probe and shovel), as is any technical
safety kit as required (harness, ice axe, and crampons).
All other kit is to be hired if required. |
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| Reductions:
If
you do not need any accommodation for the course, a £100
discount per person is offered. |
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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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| Upgrade
options |
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Half
Board upgrade
£99
(throughout the season) |
The
standard course is on a B&B basis, so with a
half board upgrade all the evening meals are included
too for nights in Chamonix,
click
for details. |
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Avalanche
Skills Day
£49
(throughout the season) |
To
learn avalanche prediction, reutschblocks and use
of avalanche tranceivers. Course is available on
any day during the week (includes ARVA),
details. |
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