Ski tours on skis are the wonderful combination of the views and tranquility of mountain hiking, together with the action of downhill skiing.
The knowledge required to go on ski tours in a smooth and safe way is in itself very extensive and we need both personal skills in skiing, general knowledge in navigation and route selection as well as specific knowledge in, for example, knowledge of avalanches. In short – there is a lot of fun to be learned in this course. We spend a week deepening our knowledge.
The goal of the week is for you to learn more about top tours and at the same time have incredible experiences in magnificent surroundings.
The location for this course week is in the Chamonix area of the Alps.
Content of the course
• Equipment for summit tours
Review of different types of equipment and their pros and cons.
Of course, we do parts of this before the week so that everyone has the right equipment when we are on site.
• Top Tour Technicians
To walk efficiently on spurs and make "kickturns" and turns.
• Road selection uphill
How we lay a track uphill with a trade-off between safety and efficiency.
Where and how do we make our turns and which formations to avoid.
• Skiing technique in different snow conditions.
How do we handle slush, wind-packed snow, cardboard, concrete and other interesting types of snow, but also how we ride in powder snow.
• Route selection exit
How we find the best snow and how we choose the safest line.
• Tour planning
How we already post a trip on the map and calculate how long it will take.
• Navigation
How we read maps and compasses and how we use GPS.
• Avalanche knowledge for summit tours
We dig in the snow and look at different layers to learn more about avalanches. Above all, we will go through how we should lay our route choices uphill and downhill to minimize the risks of avalanches. We also go through the factors that increase the risk of avalanches and what to look for to avoid avalanches.
Course objectives
The goal of the course is for you to get a good foundation of knowledge to go on top tours on your own. After the course, you should be able to plan and go on a trip together with others who have the same knowledge.
Previous knowledge
We assume you can ski and handle black pistes, you don't need to have off-piste skiing experience although it's good if you have it. You do not need to have previous experience of top tours. Do not hesitate to contact us if you are unsure of your prior knowledge.
Program for the week
The schedule for the week depends entirely on weather, conditions and the ability of the group. But our goal is for you to learn as much as possible and there are endless nice tours in the Chamonix valley to choose from.
Every day we have a summary where we tune in, draw conclusions and learn from the day. The whole week is adapted to the weather and you as a participant become involved in the mountain guide's work to follow the weather and choose the right route for the day.
Day 1
Arrival day. You can check in at your hotel from 15:00
Day 2-7
Top tour course in the Chamonix area
Day 8
Home journey day. You check out of the hotel at 10:00 at the latest
Getting to Chamonix
If you choose to travel by train, it takes approximately 24 hours from Sweden. Our tip is the night train to Hamburg and from there a direct train to Basel, on to Geneva and from there to Chamonix.
If you choose to travel by plane, Geneva is the nearest airport. From there there are shuttle buses right outside the airport.
The following is included
• Training and guiding by authorized mountain guides (UIAGM/IFMGA) for 6 days
• Loan of avalanche safety equipment (shovel, probe and transceiver)
• Loan of ice axe, harness and crampons
• Transport throughout the week by minibus
• Tolls and tolls
• Accommodation 7 nights in a hotel, part in a double room.
• Lots of nice summit tours
Not included
• Personal equipment
• Possible lift ticket, if we choose to go on a top tour that starts from the lift
• Travel to/from Chamonix
• Lunches and dinners
Personal equipment
The following is a suggested equipment list. If you have any questions about anything in this list, please contact us.
If you're missing something, you can rent Skis, Boots, Poles, Bindings and Trail Skins at Snell Sport.
• Skis with bindings for top tours
• Stig skins
• Telescopic poles, with large trough
• Boots for summit tours
• Ski backpack, approximately 35 litres
• Clothing for skiing (shell jacket and trousers)
• Extra undershirts, 2 pieces (to be able to change if you get really sweaty)
• Extra warm jacket, for example a thin down jacket, or extra fleece, to put on when resting or if it gets really cold (small and handy to keep in your backpack)
• Extra gloves
• Hat
• Sunglasses
• Ski goggles
• Sun protection
• Thermos
Offer for 2024:
If you book the trip no later than 4 months before, a 16-week training plan specially developed for this trip by our licensed personal trainer is included
More information
Please note that a minimum of 4 participants/trip is required for us to complete the course at the price stated here on the website.
Group discount
If you gather a group of friends of 5, 6 or 7 participants and book together, we offer a friend discount. Mail info@mountainguide.se for more information.
