Ski and snowboard mountaineering makes the mountains more accessible than ever. Escape the crowds and attain your goals in the mountains—both ascending and descending.Combining the elements of alpine climbing and skiing, backcountry skiing is the "King" of all mountain disciplines. Efficient travel on AT and Telemark skis or a Splitboard provide a satisfying escape from the crowds to lonesome peaks and untracked powder stashes. While "ski touring" typically does not involve technical sections and climbing gear isn't needed, "ski mountaineering" takes place on varied and complex terrain often with extensive glacier travel, climbing steep snow and rock to summits and passes and may even involve rappelling. The challenges can be complex and backcountry skiers and riders, aside from having at least solid intermediate downhill skills, need knowledge on avalanche safety and mountaineering basics. Our ski touring and ski mountaineering courses are designed to teach you all the skills necessary to get you going on your own.
Ski Lessons
A Swiss top-level certified ski instructor, I invite you to hone your downhill skiing skills on groomers, bumps or off-piste. Whether it be to break some old habits, get over a mental block, bring you to the next level or prepare you for your next ski touring adventure, my personalized well-thought out progressions will transform your downhill ski performance. I work with you through movement analysis, visual aids, specific drills, and personal feedback towards your break-through learning experience while having a lot of fun, too.
Intro Backcountry
You've seen others do it and marveled at their tracks beyond the confines of the resorts, you want it now! This course is your first step to the wonderland of backcountry skiing. You experience skinning up a slope blending your climbing track with the undulating terrain. From the top, you anticipate the addicting feel of laying down your tracks in untouched snow. Here you learn the nuts and bolts about the proper equipment, how to stay warm and dry, efficient uphill movements, and how to adjust your downhill ski technique to backcountry gear and conditions. Your guide will also teach you a basic avalanche awareness. Minimum 1 full day, December - April.
Backcountry Efficiency
By now, you got hooked on backcountry skiing and you dream of bigger tours. We teach you advanced tricks to be smoother and more efficient in your transitions, track setting, ski techniques and group management. Having already accomplished a Level 1 or Level 2 avalanche course, we review your decision making process regarding avalanche safety and optimizing terrain selection. We'll also go over navigation skills with map, compass and altimeter, something you'll really appreciate the first time you're out in a full blown white-out. Minimum pre-requisites are strong intermediate ski skills, basic backcountry touring experience, good fitness, Level 1 avalanche course. Minimum 1 full day, December - April.
Ski Mountaineering
A seasoned backcountry tourer, you have developed a good sense for snow and terrain. Venturing onto more complex terrain involving glaciers, steep snow and ice couloirs, rocky ridges and rugged peaks, we teach you the technical rope skills necessary for such challenging tours. We cover basic rope work including ski and snow anchors, belaying and rappelling, moving roped up, glacier travel and the use of an ice axe and crampons. Minimum pre-requisites are: strong intermediate ski skills, basic backcountry touring experience, very good fitness, Level 1 avalanche course (recommended). Minimum 2 full days (1 day if you already have basic rope handling skills), December - May.
??? Steep Ski Camp
You are a very strong skier, and you like to tackle the steep and deep in the backcountry. This course focuses on skiing techniques, apply effective rope work and risk management specific to skiing steep slopes. Minimum pre-requisites are: advanced skier (comfortable on any black resort runs), very good fitness, Level 1 Avalanche Course. Basic mountaineering experience preferred. Minimum 1 full day, best April-May.