Ski Verbier & Grand St Bernard

2009 DATES Click Dates To Book.... Week 11: 8 Mar - 14 Mar Full Skiing Programme Click Here COURSE DURATION 5 days, 6 nights ALL INCLUSIVE PRICE £865 Your course price covers: • Guiding + guides expenses • Full board + accommodation • All picnic lunches/snack food • All course transportation • All mechanical uplift • Loan of technical equipment Click here for Full Details RATIO Intermediate

Combining the fantastic off-piste skiing of Verbier with high alpine touring above the St Bernard Pass gives a truly inspiring ski week which can be enjoyed by a broad range of skiers. The famous Swiss resort of Verbier is renowned for its off-piste skiing and we aim to spend two days here, taking in the Rosablanche which is of the major summits of the Chamonix- Zermatt Haute Route and gives a magnificent ski descent.

The area around the Grand St Bernard pass is a perfect one for ski touring, having a wealth of summits suitable for ascents on ski plus excellent ski-touring routes on both the Swiss and Italian sides of the frontier. Here we base ourselves initially at the St Bernard Hospice, a 10th century monastery founded by St Bernard to give shelter to traders passing over the col. Still run by monks, its hospitality is as warm as it ever and it provides an excellent base from which to ski tour. In winter the Hospice can only be approached using skis or snow shoes, giving it a remote ambience.

The course is ideal for people who want to gain more ski touring experience before embarking on more demanding multi-day tours such as the West Oberland Haute Route or the Haute Route du Soleil. As such it is a perfect follow-up week to our Ski Touring Skills course. Ascents of most summits can be made within 4 hours, giving plenty of time to enjoy the descents and to work on off-piste technique.

Sample Programme:

Day 1. We have an early start from Leysin and enter the Verbier lift system from the Le Chable, a small village just below Verbier. On the first day we shall be skiing on and off the piste, . This is a perfect day in which to look at ski technique and give personal feedback and focus points to work on for the rest of the week. Avalanche transceiver practice can be done when the piste are closed as we shall spend the night at the Mont Fort hut which is situated just off the piste.

Day 2. The Rosablanche is a great summit which often climbed on the Chamonix Zermatt haute route and this is our objective for the day. We make an early start from the Mont Fort hut and climb to the Col de la Chaux (45 minutes), from there a short ski traverse give access to the final 2 hour approach on the glacial to the summit. The summit of the Rosablanche has breath taking views of Mont Blanc, the Grand Combin and the 4000m peaks of the Valais to the east. The descent of the north facing Glacier de Grand Desert is spectacular and remote, giving reliable powder skiing at an enjoyable gradient. We pick up the ski lift system at Super Nendaz and ski back to the Verbier using the lifts. Night in a hotel in the valley.

Day 3. Ski Super St Bernard, a small ski resort having great off-piste skiing. We start with a warm-up ski to refresh off-piste skills then ski through a tunnel to the far side of the mountain, where a fantastic off-piste descent followed by a half-hour ascent using skins through the 'Combe de Mort' which leads us to the Hospice.

Day 4. An ascent of Mont Fourchon (2902m), the classic ski-touring peak of the area giving breath-taking views of Mont Blanc and the Grand Combin. If time and conditions permit we make an ascent of Mont Mort (2866m) in the afternoon for great powder skiing down its northern flank.

Day 5. The Combe de La, a classic trip over 3 cols culminating in a 12km descent. The route has a wild remote feel and is exceptionally scenic as it traverses a terrace overlooking the east side of the Mont Blanc massif, giving views of the Grand Jorasses, Mont Dolent and Mont Blanc, which are very impressive from this unusual angle. We spend the night in Hotel Col Serena night in Etroubles. This must rate as one of the best day tours in the Alps.

Maps: Martigny 282S 1:50 000 and Arolla 283S 1:50 000

Ski ability required: Effective turns off-piste, good general fitness. Ski touring experience is desirable, but people without touring experience may join the course provided they are strong off-piste skiers. Good general fitness is important and you must be able to comfortably sustain a climb at a rate of 250 to 300 vertical metres an hour. A typical day will involve 3 to 4 hours uphill skinning (up to 1000m height gain).

A day of instruction in ski touring techniques can be arranged on the Sunday the course convenes.

Click here to see client feedback on our courses