Introductory Ski Mountaineering

Duration 8 Days » Grade Introductory

Saturday to Saturday, 6 full days skiing

Skiing off the back of Le Tour, Chamonix (www2), 39 kb

Skiing off the back of Le Tour, Chamonix Photo: © Tom Briggs

The Introductory Ski Mountaineering course gives the mountaineer and piste, or off piste skier the chance to sample the ski touring experience. The course will teach you how to travel safely in the mountains on skis. It is an ideal springboard to longer ski touring trips such as the legendary Haute Route or most of our intermediate level ski tours. It will also give you the skills and knowledge to start ski touring on your own.

Located in the Chamonix Valley (The 5 March 2011 course is in Andermatt - see outline programme below), the glaciers and passes of the Mont Blanc Massif and the Aiguilles Rouges provide tremendous scope for learning and for short ski tours. The scenery is dramatic and the opportunities for exciting off-piste runs are endless. With several nights being spent in the valley, the apres-ski scene of this world- famous ski resort adds a welcome contrast to days on the hill. The course price includes avalanche transceivers, probes and shovels.

Read Ski Mountaineering: An Introduction by Tom Briggs.

Grade: Introductory
Course base: Hotel La Chaumiere, Chamonix and Hotel Badus, Andermatt

Outline Programme - Chamonix

Day 1:	Course participants meet at the course base at 7pm. Briefing on the week's activities in the evening. The Course Director will organise any hire equipment or boot fittings for the following morning.
Day 2-3:	Off-piste skiing techniques, use of skins, up-hill skiing, kick turns, avalanche awareness and transceiver work, search and rescue techniques. The off piste terrain off the back of Le Tour and the Grands Montets are ideal venues for this.
Day 4:	Our first taste of skiing in the high mountains with short day tour, putting into practice the lessons of the first 2 days. For example, we might choose to ski the Vallee Blanche, head into the Argentiere Basin from the top of the Grands Montets, or do a day tour in the Aiguilles Rouges from Le Brévent lift.
Day 5-7:	A 3-day tour taking in an Alpine summit. Depending on conditions, we may ski on the French side of Mont Blanc, or in Switzerland or even Italy. This will be an exciting few days, travelling amid superb mountain scenery, crossing snowy passes and spending 2 nights in mountain huts. During the tour we will cover some more important topics, such as crevasse rescue, defensive skiing, navigation, weather, route choice, maps and guide books. On completion of the tour, we return to our hotel for our final night before dispersing the following morning.
Day 8:	Dispersal. Breakfast will be provided on the last morning before leaving the course. Those joining the Ski Haute Route will have their first days skiing today.

Outline Programme - Andermatt

Day 1:	Course participants meet at the course base at 7pm. Briefing on the week's activities in the evening. The Course Director will organise any hire equipment or boot fittings for the following morning.
Day 2:	Warm up day on the 2,961m Gemstock. Fabulous long off-piste runs and the chance of a summit.
Day 3:	Stoxtigen Firsten 2,747m.
Day 4:	Täscht 2,591m.
Day 5:	Piz Borel 2,952m to Maighels Hut.
Day 6:	Piz Badus 2,928m and Piz Cavradi 2,614m.
Day 7:	Pazolastock 2,743m to Andermatt.
Day 8:	Dispersal. Breakfast will be provided on the last morning before climbers leave the course.

Pre-Course Skiing Ability

This course is designed for those who want an introduction to Ski Mountaineering (or 'Ski Touring'). To enjoy the course and for you to take advantage of the instruction being offered, you should have some previous off-piste skiing experience and you should be able to ski linked, short radius turns confidently. When we are not based overnight in the valley, we either do day tours from huts, or a short hut-to-hut tour at the end of the week, allowing you to ski with just a light pack. You should bring along your sense of humour and a desire to learn! For a detailed overview of our ski grading, and the level you should be skiing at to join this course... [read more]

Further Information

Find out more about our guides, transport and accommodation, equipment, insurance and course inclusions and exclusions... [read more]

Latest Reports & Photos (Jul '01)

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Dates

Click to book a place online
Sat 5 Mar - Sat 12 Mar '11 Sat 2 Apr - Sat 9 Apr '11

Prices (choose currency)

Joining in	Chamonix £850
Insurance	Course Only £48

Expeditions

If you have the skills & fitness required, then Jagged Globe offers a wide range of exciting expeditions [read more]

Other Courses at this Grade

These courses have a similar grade and might also suit you. They are all considered to be 'introductory courses'.

Course name	Days
Scrambling Bank Holiday	4
Alpine Introduction Mont Blanc Extension	5
Via Ferrata Introduction	8
Alpine Introduction	8

Ski Mountaineering Courses