Backcountry Bliss: Your Ski Touring Start - Forget the chair lifts, it’s all about earning your turns. Discover why ski touring is the hottest thing on the slopes right now.
Join us in Chamonix for an unforgettable introduction to ski touring, where you'll learn essential backcountry skills amidst some of the Alps' most breathtaking landscapes.
With this experienced guide, you'll master new techniques by day and share stories over hearty meals by night, surrounded by the stunning peaks of the French Alps.
Evening 1 - Arrival in Chamonix
Day 2 – Developing Backcountry Skills
Day 3 – Perfecting Skills
Day 4 – Mountain Hut Des Prés and Ski Touring
Day 5 - Ski Tour Descent
Picture this: you’re in the middle of the Mont Blanc Massif, waking up to views of remote mountainscapes out the window of your ski lodge, coffee in hand, ready to take on the day. Sound good? We think so. With some of the best ski touring routes in the French Alps, Chamonix never disappoints. This is a trip designed to channel your inner backcountry explorer; remote hiking meets off-piste downhill skiing in this up-and-coming new sport, and with world-class guides and like-minded people around you, it’s a trip you won’t forget. You’ll learn the art of ski touring as well as developing mountain safety and navigation skills.
Evening 1 - Arrival in Chamonix
Time to make yourself at home at our basecamp for the trip: a cosy backcountry ski lodge. We’ll meet our guide for a briefing and tuck in to some traditional Alpine food ready for a day of adventure tomorrow.
Day 2 – Developing backcountry skills
We head over to the Brévent or Flegere ski area for a full day of touring in the Aiguilles Rouge. This will give us an introduction to backcountry skiing and skinning, help us to familiarise ourselves with the gear and we’ll discuss avalanche risk, the importance of weather forecasting and practice using transceivers.
Day 3 – Perfecting those skills
Depending on conditions, we’ll find a great area to keep practicing and learn new skills off piste with another full day out. We’ll work on the skills introduced yesterday, and most importantly - have some fun!
Day 4 – Mountain hut Des Prés and ski touring
We'll transfer to Les Contamines and Val Montjoie, and ski tour up to a brand new ski refuge. It has a spectacular setting in the heart of the Contamines nature reserve, facing the Mont-Blanc range - spectacular views all round!
Day 5 - Ski tour descent from the lodge
Depending on the conditions and weather we'll enjoy another morning of ski touring before heading back down to Les Contamines and back to Chamonix by car.
Please note: this itinerary is given as an indication; weather conditions and safety requirements may mean changes are made to the programme.
Is this a good trip if I'm travelling solo?
What's the typical age range?
Is there a minimum age for this trip?
How good a skier do I need to be?
How hardcore is this going to be?
What skiing skills will we be working on?
What mountain skills will we be working on?
Do I need travel insurance?
Is the guide insured?
Is equipment included?
What's the ski lodge like?
Who's our guide?