As the snow arrives in abundance in Chamonix and around the northern Alps here is an explanation as to how to make the most of your off piste skiing, ski touring, mountaineering, training and climbing with us this winter season.
December 2025
Whilst numerous resorts in Chamonix and around the wider Mont Blanc Massif will open from the 29th November our guiding calendar remains relatively quiet for much of December.
Early winter is an inspiring time to be in the mountains – aren’t they all! Fresh powder, cold days, hard ice, tough climbing. But the rewards are high, both at the time and investment in the training bank for the rest of the season.
Cruising the early season powder off the Index lift at Flegere with the north faces of Les Grandes Jorasses (right) Drus (centre) and Aiguille Verte (centre left) beyond
We don’t have open group courses running then so it’s a great time to join us for some private guiding & here are some proposed activities to make the most of the early winter conditions.
- Early season ski touring – around the resorts, in the middle mountains, with grassy bases! Either in Chamonix or nearby Evasion / Aravis resorts.
- Ski tour up to the Grand St. Bernard Monastery
- Avalanche awareness and glacier travel training
- Ice climbing & mixed climbing
- Snow shoe / glacier journey from Skyway Monte Bianco
- Mountaineering snow / mixed ridge and glacier journey from Aiguille du Midi (from Dec 20th)
Early winter Intro To Ice Climbing In Chamonix
Christmas and New Year is a busy time in Chamonix!
We can arrange private guiding for off piste skiing but beware the Queues! For Parking, the ticket office, the lifts..the whole Chamonix Valley! We would ideally recommend going ski touring instead to get away from the resort crowds a bit or likewise, climbing in less popular destinations.
Emily and Ben kitted out with the snow shoes and ready to go from the Skyway – Monte Bianco beyond.
For the latest availability, dates, course fees and details on all our group courses – check out our dedicated Courses Page here.
January 2026
- We have places available on our Chamonix Intro Ski Touring weekend
- January 10, 2026 – January 11, 2026
Chamonix Intro Ski Touring Weekend January 2026
- Our January Chamonix Off Piste & Touring Skills courses are all full, but we do still have spaces on our March progression course
- In January we also still have some availability for private guiding for ice & mixed climbing, ski touring
- Or sampling the tough ‘pleasures’ of winter mountaineering, often accessed through the ski lift infrastructure
February 2026
In early Feb, just before the school holidays kick off, we have another opportunity to do our classic 2 day intro Ski touring course in Chamonix
Chamonix Intro Ski Touring February 2026
With an intermediate course also running that weekend
Chamonix Ski Touring Weekend
Later in the month we have an inspiring series of day trips including off piste skiing at nearby St. Gervais, intro ski touring at Combloux and intermediate touring days in the Italian Val d’Aosta and brilliant Evasion resort of Les Contamines.
Catherine cruising the Mont Joly ridge line with Contamines and the Mont Blanc Massif to her left and Megeve and les Aravis to her right.
Chamonix dwellers can easily access these Evasion days by getting the train to Le Fayet where we can do a pick up from, or for St. Gervais, you can also take the new Valléen lift which links the Fayet train station to the main ski area lift in St. Gervais.
Ski St. Gervais Off Piste Day
Combloux Intro Ski Touring Day
Val d’Aosta Ski Touring Day
Ski Touring Les Contamines
At the end of that week we have one of our most popular courses running, the nearly Italian Val Feret ski touring weekend with base camp at the lovely Rifugio Bonatti
The sundowner ski back to Rifugio Bonatti after a lovely after lunch ski tour in the Val Feret, with Monte Bianco beyond
Val Feret & Rifugio Bonatti Ski Touring Weekend
March 2026
In early March, the most famous off piste ski run in the world is in full swing. Read our article below on Skiing the Modern Vallee Blanche & Join our team to do just that on the 2nd March and various other dates through the winter.
Ski Vallée Blanche
Back in the VB! Booted and suited for the descent of the Midi arete…
The middle mountain ski touring season is also in full swing and we are pleased to say that we have bookings for an intro touring team at the remarkable base camp of the working monastery on the Grand St. Bernard Pass. Not to be missed!
Grand St. Bernard Intro Ski Touring
Returning to the Monastery across the well frozen lake at Grand St Bernard on the Italian Swiss border.
A brilliant way to progress your off piste skiing skills and touring experience at the same time, and we still have places available on our Chamonix off piste & touring skills progression course, combining coaching from a ski instructor with touring and training with a mountain guide.
Chamonix Off-Piste & Touring Skills – Progression – March 2026
Is it still winter in late March? That depends on where you are skiing, and what the conditions are!
But for skiing the modern Haute Route, we have had some great conditions recently in late March and, in 2026, we have a brilliant opportunity to combine an Haute Route Training weekend at the Grand St. Bernard Monastery, a ski Vallee Blanche trip in Chamonix and then set sail on the full Haute route tour to Zermatt…
Read our article on skiing the modern Haute Route here:
Skiing the remarkable last descent down the Stockli Glacier with the Dent d’Herens beyond. En route to the Matterhorn and Zermatt
Ski Haute Route Training Weekend Grand St. Bernard
Ski Vallée Blanche – Skyway Monte Bianco
Ski The Haute Route
Ski Haute Route team arrives on the streets of Zermatt. Great conditions
Looking ahead to the inspiring spring ski mountaineering season…
Check out our courses page for what’s available and our Spring 2026 Explainer to follow shortly.
But in the meantime, here’s a few inspiring spring ski trips to whet the appetite for early starts from mountain huts with ski crampons crunching on frozen snow with a well earned juicy spring snow descent to follow…
