If
you want to spend a full week snowshoeing in the
western part of the Swiss Valais area of the Alps,
then this is the course for you. The week is spent
on snowshoe day treks, with five days guiding and
four nights on a half board basis in comfortable
lodges.
Snowshoeing
is now officially the fastest growing winter sport,
and our team of guides cannot wait to show you why.
Many clients get the bug and come back year after
year on this holiday, but we ensure they don't repeat
any routes they have done before.
The
week shows you the classic snowshoe hikes in the
Valais, and some of the hidden gems. A key feature
is that during the week you spend four nights in
lodges in Switzerland. On this week there is the
opportunity to take in quite a few summits on snowshoes.
As
well as enjoying a great week of snowshoeing, we
aim to teach you the key safety skills for route
planning and winter Alpine journeys, with a lot
of weight put on avalanche prediction and reaction,
as well as the selection of appropriate Alpine equipment.
This
course really appeals to those who want to explore
different regions of western Switzerland, and to
stay on a half board basis in the regions after
each day of snowshoeing. It enables you to really
imerse yourself in the area, and to get five days
of the best snowshoeing routes that Switzerland
has to offer!
Don't
worry if you have never snowshoed before, as you
will pick up the skills quickly. All you need is
to be fit for hill walking, to have a sense of humour
if you fall into a soft snowdrift, and to love the
outdoors. We can teach you the rest, and you are
guaranteed a great holiday that you won't forget
for a very long time.
Over
the week you could opt to train for your National
Navigation Award Scheme Silver level award (www.nnas.org.uk)
learning advanced use of the map and compass, as
well as the use of altimeters and GPS
for winter navigation.
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.
A
great choice of bases that we stayed in
that gave us access to brilliant snowshoe
treks and summits. Thank you for all the
organisation and the top guiding. Matt
Wilson , Swiss Snowshoeing
Please
pass on my thanks to Kingsley who guided
us, for looking after us so well, and his
incredible local knowledge. We will be back
next year for more! Barbara
Stevens , Swiss Snowshoeing
Thank
you all again, for an unforgettable trip
for all the right reasons. The views and
choice of routes were amazing. S
& T Warner , Swiss Snowshoeing
Location
data for this activity
The
local airport to fly into is Geneva International Airport.
From there you get an airport transfer to Chamonix Mont
Blanc, where you spend the first and last night of the
course. From there you are driven to and from the Swiss
Valais, which takes less than an hour and is included
in the course price.
Time
Difference
GMT + 1 hour
Local
Currency
€ Euros & CHF Swiss
Travel
from UK
1 hour flight
Sponsored
by GV Snowshoes
We
are very kindly sponsored by GV of Canada, and our guides
are using Polar Trail snowshoes this season. Click on
the images on the left to visit GV Snowshoes website.
They are the leading manufacturer of snowshoes in Canada
& now export snowshoes, poles and rucksacks to Europe.
Technical
content of the course and safety training
Snowshoeing is a very easy sport to pick up, and even if you
have never used snowshoes before, after a few minutes training
and practice you will keep up with experts. That aspect is easy,
but what many clients keep thanking us for is our sharing of
local information, and the highly complex science of avalanche
awareness and route planning. For sure this snowshoeing week
is a holiday, but many people find the insights into the technical
aspects fascinating, and your highly experienced UIMLA qualified
snowshoeing guide will increase your knowledge in all of the
aspects outlined below. These gems of local knowledge really
add to the experience you have in the Alps.
•
Use of snowshoes and skills for
moving over different types of terrain
•
Use of avalanche transceivers, search
methods and management
•
Choice of route and the planning
and selection of appropriate terrain
•
Appreciation of the snowpack, crystal
metamorphasis and risk
•
Geomorphology / geography / ecology
(flora, fauna and tracks)
•
Slab formation and layering, and
isolation block stability tests
•
Winter cold injuries / first aid,
and avalanche victim recovery methods
•
Selection of appropriate equipment
and emergency snowshoe repairs
•
Decision making processes and travel
techniques on snowpacks
•
Avalanche form / release patterns,
and islands of safety & route plans
•
Winter navigation skills, and the
use of different Alpine map types
Whilst
snowshoeing is a fun and exciting sport, we never neglect
your safety for a second, and so you are led by highly
qualified mountain professionals. All our snowshoeing
holidays are guided by UIMLA International Mountain Leaders,
and you can read more about them by clicking on the logo
to the left. We never cut any corners with your safety,
and include the loan of safety equipment such as avalanche
transceivers in the course price. You are taught good
practice for travelling in the Alpine winter environment,
and are briefed on the avalanche and weather forecasts
each day. We want you to rest assured you are in the best
hands.
So
why choose Icicle?
We
are true specialists in Alpine snowshoeing. See
our blog, by clicking on the RSS logo (right).
Itinerary
flexibility to allow you to take full advantage
of the weather and snow conditions each day, so
that you snowshoe in the best areas each day of
the holiday.
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 guides, and a resort support
team, who all want you to enjoy the best days out
on snowshoes! For more details on the guiding team
and qualifications, please click
here.
Brief
Course Itinerary One
of the delights of snowshoeing is that, unlike skiing or climbing,
you can go out in all levels of visibility and snowfall, and
have a great day. The Swiss Valais is blessed with hundreds
of great snowshoeing areas, and so the itinerary can be flexed
on any day to take account of better weather or snow conditions,
to ensure that you sample the best on offer. The itinerary below
is to provide you with a taster of what you could achieve, and
isn't fixed in stone. We get many clients who come back year
after year to repeat this course, but they need never repeat
a route they have done before. Your guide will have a massive
local knowledge and experience.
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 20:00 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 hill legs back and
to explore the town. Extra nights accommodation are often
possible from £30pp. Night in Chamonix.
Monday
After meeting your guide in the morning, you are driven
to one of the snowshoe regions, such as to Martigny to
ascend Mont de l'Arpille, which has great views down the
length of the Rhone valley. The ascent is usually made
from the tiny Swiss village of La Ravoire, and the route
follows a series of alpages and snowy forests to emerge
onto the upper alpage with views to the Grand Combin and
back to Mont Blanc.
Half board and night in a Swiss lodge.
Tuesday
Today
the snowshoeing is typically in the Champex region, where
you are based for two days. One of the classic routes
enters the Arpette Valley, and in good conditions you
can ascend to the Fenetre d'Arpette, and enjoy the stunning
scenery down into the Trient valley on the far side. The
return trek takes you into the forests that surround the
lake of Champex village, your base for the night.
Half board and night in a Swiss lodge.
Wednesday
Another
great snowshoe trek is around the Champex forests, and
taking in the traditional villages such as Essert, where
the houses are built of wood, and there is a definate
'chocolate box' feel to the place. Other possibilities
include the Sentiers du Champignons through the trees
up to and around the lake. After the snowshoe trek, you
may relocate to the Grand St Bernard region and many groups
stay in the monastry lodge.
Half board and night in lodge.
Thursday
Above
the Grand St Bernard monastry there are a whole host of
snowshoe treks and even some summits that can be tackled.
Another option to the St Bernard region is to move to
the Zinal valley to enjoy some of the classic routes in
the region such as above the Hotel Weisshorn and St Luc,
or in the Bella Tolla or Bec de Bosson above Grimentz
village. Whichever
option is chosen, you stay for the night on a half board
basis in a Swiss lodge.
Friday
Today
is the final snowshoe trek, where most groups opt to take
in a summit in either the St Bernard or Val d'Anniviers
regions. You will be using all the skills and fitness
that you have developed during the week, so if you are
feeling strong, you can take in one of the bigger snowshoe
summits. Once you have completed your trek for the day,
you then return to
Chamonix after the snowshoeing for a celebratory meal,
with the final night spent in Chamonix.
Saturday
Breakfast,
then accommodation check out at 10:00, after which you
are free to depart for home.
If you feel you require any feedback, please ask your
guide on the Friday or the resort team.
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.
Snowshoeing
equipment advice
Because
we know it is so important to you to have the most suitable
equipment and clothing for snowshoeing, we have devoted
a page especially to it, which you can access by clicking
on the image to the right, or by clicking
here. This page outlines the key equipment
you should bring, and gives examples of snowshoes that
are suitable for the course. If after reading this page
you have any queries, please do not hesitate to get in
touch with our Chamonix team, who will be able to advise,
and to help you avoid any costly mistakes. The key point
to highlight is that snowshoes are loaned FREE of charge
anyway, as are avalanche safety beacons, so all you need
to arrive with are walking clothes, waterproofs, a small
rucksack and well worn in walking boots (not trekking
shoes).
Course
Prices
Standard
course
5
full days UIMLA guiding, 1:6 max ratio
7 days holiday in total, Sunday-Saturday
£999
Live
availability
Click
on the planner logo to the right to
see the real time live course availability
Inclusions:
1) UIMLA guide 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 B&B accommodation in Chamonix (inc. bedding
& towels) and four nights half board accommodation
in Switzerland, 6) Free 36 page technical Course Instruction
Booklet, 7) Road transport in Chamonix valley, 8) Chamonix
office support and briefings, 9) Equipment hire of snowshoes,
avalanche transceiver, probe & shovel, 10) Certificate
for NNAS navigation award.
Exclusions:
1) Travel to and from Chamonix, 2) Personal laundry, telephone
calls, lunches, evening meals, & any purchases in
mountain huts / hotels / restaurants, 3) Cable cars and
mountain uplift, though not normally required, 4) Activities
insurance, & excess baggage charges.
Notes:
The loan of all technical equipment for each client
is included* in the course price as required: snowshoes,
avalanche tranceiver, avalanche probe and shovel.
Money
saving pricing
This
course includes all the key costs, so you can budget
accurately. Hire kit is included as detailed above,
which if not included would cost over £100
extra for the week! We offer full board upgrade,
to give clients a choice of eating with the group
or doing their own thing. What you see is what you
get. There are NO extra hidden costs.
