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Verbier Off Piste Clinics
2012
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| Course
overview |
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Course
dates & availability |
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Verbier
is famous for being the town in the centre of
one the biggest ski areas in the world. The Four
Valleys have over 400km of runs, with plentiful
off piste providing challenging runs for intermediate
to expert skiiers. It is the home of free skiing
with the off piste made accessible by efficient
cable cars or very short walk ins.
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During
this week you will challenge and enhance your skiing
ability, with long descents down steep gullies and
couloirs, or through deep powder down into hidden
valleys. |
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For
this course you should have done at least one
full week of off piste skiing, such as a structured
off piste course, such as previously attending
the Icicle Chamonix Level 1 course.
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Your
expert IFMGA Mountain & Ski Guide will show
you some of the most remote regions of the Verbier
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 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 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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Course
Photo Gallery
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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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| Sun |
Travel
to Verbier to arrive in the hotel for the 19.00 meeting
with your Guide and the rest of your group. There is an
itinerary briefing and time for equipment checks. Briefings
are over by 20:00 and the Guide usually accompanies the
group for a drink in the bar. Night in Verbier. |
| Mon |
Based from the Savolyres lifts, today is a day to ski
the powder on the Northern slopes. It is a day to get
your ski legs back, build your confidence, test your equipment,
and run through the key safety techniques of avalanche
prediction and transceiver searches. Night
in Verbier. |
| Tue |
For
over 25 years the runs from the top of Mont Gele have
provided some of the best and wildest skiing in Verbier.
The lifts have the highest elevation in the valley at
3030m. From the top there are some exposed ridge sections,
but with drops into fantastic powder filled couloirs.
Night in Verbier. |
| Wed |
Today
is a day to experience the hidden gems of the Verbier
region. This could be based from Torta or Gentianes, to
access the famous runs of Stairway to Heaven or Rock Garden,
or to enjoy the deep powder on Marlene. Due to the altitude
base at 1500m, powder in the region stays untracked for
many days which offers free skiing down challenging chutes
and through hidden valleys.
Night in Verbier. |
| Thu |
The
aim of today is to reach the highest summit of Verbier,
Mont Fort at 3330m, and to ski the long 2000m vertical
descent run via the Glacier de la Grand Desert to Siviez.
The cable car takes us up to just 30m below the rocky
summit ridge, and from here there is a short exposed climb
over the iced up rock which is protected by a fixed rope,
and a helpful rope from your Guide! From the summit the
panoramic views are amazing, with the towering peaks of
the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc. The long descent down the
backside of Mont Fort is adreanaline packed and should
not to be missed!
Night in Verbier. |
| Fri |
This
is either a day for more challenging runs in the region,
or for the opportunity to upgrade to try a day of heli-skiing
(see upgrades notes below) - weather and conditions dependent).
There is also the opportunity, if the group would like
to try a day of ski touring, of the short climb on touring
skins to reach the stunning Col du St. Bernard with its
famous Monastery and great views. Final celebratory dinner
& night in Verbier. |
| Sat |
Breakfast,
then depart for home. It is also possible to extend your
stay in Verbier for an extra night so you can enjoy a
day of extra free skiing unguided, and depart on the Sunday
(supplement payable). |
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| 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
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5
full days IFMGA guiding, 1:6 max ratio
7 days holiday in total, Sunday-Saturday |
£1099 |
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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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| Standard
Course Inclusions: 1) IFMGA Mountain Guides for five
days and all their lift passes and fees, 2) Pre course information
booklet, 4) Equipment discount voucher for UK kit shops, 5)
Accommodation in the Verbier ski area (includes linen, bedding
& towels), 6) Free 36 page technical Course Instruction
Booklet. |
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| Exclusions:
1) Travel to and from Verbier, 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 Verbier 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). |
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| Upgrade
options |
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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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