Ski Touring Skills

The course offers comprehensive instruction in all the techniques of ski-touring as well as focussing on off-piste skiing skills. The course also includes certification in Avalanche training level 1 from the Swiss Mountain Training Organisation and The Association of Swiss Mountain Guides (SBV/ASGM).

Is This Course For Me?

It will suit people who plan to ski-tour on their own in the future, those who want to prepare for more demanding tours (such as ISM Haute Routes), as well as keen downhill skiers who simply want to try ski-touring for the first time. Specific instruction in off-piste skiing technique is given as part of the course, using video analysis where this is helpful.

Ski ability required: Strong parallel turns on piste and ability to make effective turns off-piste. No ski touring experience necessary. A good level of fitness is desirable as a typical day will involve around 2 or 3 hours of uphill skinning.

Course Content

Some of the touring will be on high alpine glaciers, which give another aspect to ski touring and bring in such skills as glacier travel with skis through crevassed areas, crevasse rescue in a ski touring situation and use of the rope in ski touring.

During the tour we make ascents of suitable summits, some of which may be climbed entirely on ski and some of which may require the use of ice axe, crampons and rope for the final few metres. Instruction in these skills is given as required. We overnight in comfortable and well-equipped mountain huts then return to our hotel in Leysin for the Friday evening.

Sample Programme

Sunday - 6.45pm The course begins with a briefing meeting with your guide followed by dinner.

Monday - Skills training and a ski short tour around Leysin. We teach the use of touring bindings and all aspects of using skins for ski touring - including general care and carrying of theskins, most effective methods for fitting skins on to skis, and of course skiing with skins both in ascent and descent. Other ski touring skills are also covered including assessment of avalanche risk by examining the snow pack, the use of avalanche transceivers, off-piste ski technique for different snow conditions, and how to ski most effectively carrying a rucksack. We also use the new 'state of the art' Leysin Avalanche Rescue Training Centre, where we learn essentials skills on how to rescue an avalanched victim.

Tuesday - Ski traverse of Pic Chaussy. The 900m ascent of this elegant peak begins from the Col des Mosses. We use the skinning skills acquired on day one and cover aspects such as choosing the best line of ascent and avalanche avoidance. During the superb descent of this peak we look at snow conditions on different aspects of slope and how this affects our choice of route. Evening session on Avalanche awareness.

Wednesday - Friday - Multi-day day tour in the high Alps, staying two nights in high mountain huts. To give you the best possible tour in the prevailing conditions we keep the venue flexible - always choosing the best destination for the expected weather, conditions in different mountain areas and of course the needs of the group. Past tours have run in the Western Oberland, Grand Combin area and the Mont Blanc Massif.

Saturday - Breakfast at the hotel before departing.

Maps: Rochers de Naye 262 s 1:50 000, St Maurice 272s 1:50 000, Wildstrubel 263s 1:50 000. Possibly Arolla 283s 1:50 000).