Chamonix Off-Piste & Touring Skills – Progression – Feb 2022

Chamonix Off Piste & Touring Skills is a joint venture between High Mountain Guides and Off-Piste Performance aimed at giving you expert advice and coaching in all aspects of backcountry skiing. This progression course features 2 days off piste coaching with a ski instructor and 2 days touring / ski mountaineering & training with an IFMGA Guide.

Our second & more advanced course has been designed specifically for those who have consolidated their touring and off piste skills after the classic course, or who have a similar level of experience and also have a very good level of fitness.

Course Aims

• Develop competence and confidence skiing in adventurous mountain terrain
• Improve technical ski ability on steeper & more sustained slopes
• Develop ski touring skills with the view to tackling steeper / harder day & hut to hut tours in future
• Complete some excellent high mountain ski touring often with at least one long (1000m+) day
• Develop planning skills for selecting your own ski tours & route finding / terrain choice during the tour
• Meet like minded others keen to enjoy 4 excellent days mountain skiing & touring

We run this course in late Jan, Feb, March and April so you can really experience and enjoy the variety offered by skiing in the Alps through the winter and spring season.

This February course aims to make the most of the mix of mid winter powder skiing and powder touring conditions as well as the first hints of spring, hopefully ski some fresh tracks and also get in to the high mountains.  As with all our courses a key element is making the most of the prevailing conditions and discussing how best to do that.

Progression Course Pre-requirements

Ski Ability

Competent, confident, robust and reliable skills whilst skiing any pisted run and off-piste in all conditions on slopes up to 35 degrees. You will have already completed at least a week of ski touring and be competent performing kick-turns on steep & sometimes exposed terrain. You will have practised with an avalanche transceiver and generally be a competent member of an off piste / ski touring team.

Mountain Fitness

You’ll need to be able to cope with 4 full mountain days and have the fitness & stamina to maintain an ascent rate of at least 300 metres per hour for 3-4 hours and still be able to then make a safe and reasonably stylish ski descent!

Team Approach

These are group courses and you will need to embrace this important element of the week.  If you are keen to maximise your time in terms of individual ski coaching, or completing longer / more physical tours then we recommend Chamonix private ski guiding.