INTRODUCTION TO HUT TO HUT SKI TOURING

The evening before the start of the course you will have the chance to meet your guide and the other course members to discuss the itinerary, the mountain conditions, and ask any questions.

Your guide will also use this time to check over your equipment and help you prepare what you will need for day 1 of the course. Those who have reserved rental equipment will have time to collect it from our partner shop, your guide can come with you to check that you get everything you need. It is a good idea to bring with you any clothing or technical gear that you would liked checked over prior to the start of the course.

Warm up and practice day in Chamonix. Our guides will use this day to check everyone's equipment, ski touring skill set, and to teach you the basics of avalanche beacon and crevasse rescue on an introductory tour accessible from the local ski lifts.

You will return to Chamonix at the end of the day for any gear changes or additional equipment requirements in preparation for the following 3 days.

Today starts with an early taxi ride from Chamonix to the Grand Paradiso National Park in Italy.

We begin our ski tour with a 2-3 hour climb up to the beautiful Benevolo Hut in the Val di Rhemes, which will be our base for the following 2 days. You will be able to enjoy a traditional Italian lunch before embarking on a short 2 hour tour from the hut to practice your ice axe and crampon skills.

The day will typically involve around 450m to 800m elevation gain, depending on the route chosen by your guide. There are many different itineraries options available from the hut to suit all levels and skill sets.

The Gran Paradiso nature reserve is tranquil, wild and unspoilt, offering stunning views and great skiing. You definitely won't be fighting against crowds here, but may well be lucky enough to have the odd encounter with local wildlife!

A bigger tour today lasting around 5-6 hours. You will cover around 800m elevation again and enjoy a descent of about 1000m. There are many varied options to choose from along the Grand Paradiso chain.

With some help from the weather you’ll be rewarded with magnificent views and great skiing. A nice late Italian lunch will be a welcome reward and well needed fuel to keep you on track for the final day tomorrow.

This is the big day and final push! We will leave the hut early and cover roughly 1200m elevation gain over around a 7-8 hour, possibly summiting of one of the nearby peaks such as Grand Vaudala or Granta Parei.

The ultimate reward will be the lovely long 1600m ski descent back down to the trail head where a taxi will be waiting to bring you back to Chamonix for a cold beer, a hot shower, and your own bed!

We can help you to organise your transport to/from Chamonix. We work with well established airport transfer companies which use new and comfortable vehicles and which have the capacity and know-how to handle everything from delayed and cancelled flights, to unexpected traffic jams with professionalism and efficiency.

To book your transfer, we will need the following: 

• Your full name 
• Mobile phone number 
• Email address 
• Your destination address 
• Your flight details (date, time and flight number)

SHARED TRANSFERS: 

This is the most economic and ecologically friendly way of travel. The driver will meet and greet you at the airport, gather you and the rest of the passenger group together and then head off to your chosen destination. The door-to-door service means that you will be dropped off and picked up right at your hotel /chalet / apartment. From 40€ per person for one way and 80€ per person for a return trip.

PRIVATE TRANSFERS: 

Private Transfers are the quickest way to get to and from the airport. Your driver will meet and greet you at the airport and guide you to your vehicle. There is no waiting for other passengers. Private transfers are available for one to eight person bookings and travelling together and you are guaranteed sole occupancy of the vehicle for your transfer. And, of course, it's a door to door service, so you won't be lugging any bags very far. 

We don’t include mountain rescue insurance in any of our courses but we strongly recommend that you have it. Mountain rescue may be very expensive, particularly if helicopters are involved. Check with your travel insurance provider if you are covered for the specific activity you are going to do with us.

However, we can organise the mountain rescue insurance for you. Details of the insurance cover are different for EU and non-EU residents; please contact us for more information.

We highly recommend that you book any equipment with us at least 2 weeks in advance as the hire shops can have limited availability in the busy season. You can collect your equipment the evening before the start of the course and return it in the evening at the end of your course. We work with the following Chamonix ski hire and mountain shop:

• Concept Pro Shop that is conveniently located directly next door from our office. Open 7/7 08:00-19:00