Ski Touring Introduction - Scotland

Overview
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Overview

Friday to Monday

Introduction

Watch Mountain Guide, Andy Owen, give a presentation on Getting into Ski Touring

The Ski Touring Introduction - Scotland course gives the 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 in Europe. It will also give the beginner the skills and knowledge to access more challenging off piste skiing terrain.

Overall, the course is designed to be a lot of fun and you should come away feeling as though a whole world of skiing possibilities have been opened up.

The 'Outline Programme' below is an example. The day to day venue and program is always going to vary according to your teams ski abilities, ski conditions, weather and prevailing avalanche conditions.

Course base: The Ballachulish Hotel, Scotland

Outline Programme - Scotland

Day 1:	The course begins at 6 p.m. on Friday evening with the Course Briefing. The briefing covers essential information for the weekend. We will discuss equipment for the following day and issue hire kit. Overnight hotel.
Day 2:	Morning spent reviewing ski touring equipment. We aim to ensure that people are fully aware of the function, safety and use of ski touring bindings, giving an awareness of DIN settings and the potential limitations of touring bindings as opposed to piste ski bindings. Review of boot fit to binding and touring boot function, fitting of crampons to both boot and ski. Fitting skins to skis and skin maintenance and care. Clothing, protective equipment, technical climbing, and crevasse rescue equipment. Group safety equipment, improvised sledges. Introduction to Avalanche safety equipment. Afternoon at the White corries ski area (Glen Coe) focussing on transceiver searches, group management in avalanche terrain and an introduction to skinning, our first kick turns of the weekend.
Day 3:	Drive to Nevis Range ski area in Fort William, looking at off piste technique, dealing with various snow types and terrain choices, skinning into the back corries and looking at safe travel on steeper terrain both in descent and ascent. Evening presentation on safely planning your own ski tours.
Day 4:	Ascent of Carn Mor Dearg to ski the NE facing basins whilst Taking in the views of the nearby N Face of Ben Nevis, putting into practice the skills gained over the previous two days.

Pre-Course Skiing Ability

Grade: 8B [ Ski Grading ]
This course is designed for those who want an introduction to Ski Touring (or 'Ski Mountaineering'). 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 you are not based overnight in the valley, you 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!

Additional Information

If you wish to discuss any aspect of the ski or your suitability for it, please phone +44 (0)114 276 3322 or contact us.

What the price includes

3 nights' accommodation, on a single-room basis at the excellent Ballachulish Hotel.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner throughout.
Road transport to fulfil the course programme.
3 days' ski guiding and instruction (including all the IFMGA Guide's fees and expenses). Ratio 1:6 maximum
Loan of Avalanche Safety Gear (digital transceiver, metal shovel, 240cm + avalanche probe)
Loan of ice axe, crampons and harness