5 day Chamonix splitboard course

This splitboard course is based in Chamonix and we will depart from here for our daily explorations. We will use local lifts to quickly gain elevation and continue on foot to reach the best backcountry runs. This program is an example of what can be done in ideal conditions. The exact itinerary will be decided on your arrival according to weather and snow conditions and the general level of the group. Optional Extra : we can incorporate a 2 day splitboarding tour with 1 night in a mountain hut. This option will be subject to additional 85€ per person and will have to be agreed on by the whole group.

Today we have an early start at Le Tour, a ski area at the northern end of the Chamonix valley, right on the Swiss border. Your mountain guide will start by checking your equipment, assess the overall group level and run through the basics of mountain saftey and avalanche awaress. Then we’ll take a short hike up into the great Le Tour backcountry terrain. Le Tour is an ideal place to find your splitboarding legs and warm up; the off-piste is easily accessible and the descents are not too steep. We’ll also prepare you for the week ahead by carrying out basic avalanche safety training.

Discover one of the many great tours of the Aiguilles Rouges – the sunny side of the Chamonix valley. This is a beautiful and remote area where’ll you’ll quickly find yourself far from the crowds and the lifts. It is also a nature reserve, so there is a chance that you might see some typical alpine wildlife such as bouquetin or chamois. You will also have a tuition session on safe and efficient travel in the winter mountains, group management and trip planning. Following on from yesterday we will also look at reading of the terrain, snow conditions ans assessing the avalanche risk.

Today we start by taking the lift up to the Grands Montets ski area in Argentiere; the highest ski area in Chamonix at over 3000m. From the top of the ski area we’ll ride down the Grands Montets and across the glacier d”Argentiere. Time to take the split boards apart for the tour up to the Col du Passon. The last 150m of the ascent is a climb up a steep couloir using crampons, ice axe and rope. Your efforts will be rewarded by a fantastic off-piste descent of over 2km along the glacier du Tour.

Coming to Chamonix and not going up the Aiguille du Midi is like going to Paris and not visiting the Eiffel Tower! Today we’ll take the Aiguille du Midi car up into the heart of glaciers at an altitude of 3842m. We’ll explore one of the many Vallee Blanche splitboard tours, all of them beautiful and quite literally breathtaking! Your mountain guide will teach you essential glacier safety skills and crevasse rescue techniques, to enable you to snowboard safely on off-piste glacial terrain.

Today is your last day, so we go wherever you want! We can either revisit whichever area you’ve enjoyed most during the week, discover somewhere new in Chamonix, or explore the fantastic freeride terrain on the other side of Mont Blanc in the Italian resort of Courmayeur. Whichever option you choose it’ll be a fun day where you can practise all the splitboard techniques that you’ve learned throughout the week.

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:

• Full name
• Mobile phone number
• Email address
• Your destination address
• 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.

If you need help to find a place to stay in Chamonix, don’t hesitate to let us know! We work with a network of excellent chalets, hotels, gites and B&Bs offering Chamonix accommodation to suit all tastes and all budgets.

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.

CHAMONIX LIFT PASSES – FREE BOOKING & COLLECTION SERVICE

you can easily avoid the morning queue for the lift tickets – order your lift passes with us and then just pick them up the day before! We’ll collect your lift passes and have them ready for you, free of charge.

If you have booked a course or a private trip with us, your guide will bring your lift passes along for you. There are two types of lift passes in Chamonix – Mont Blanc Unlimited and Chamonix Le Pass – please don’t hesitate to contact us to find out which lift pass will be the best for you.

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 which is conveniently located directly next door from our office. Open 7/7 08:00-19:00