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Ski touring level 1 in sainte FOY, France
One Step Beyond! This course is tailored to high intermediate skiers with a good level of fitness and ability to ski off-piste who wish to develop their mountain safety and technical skills learning to ski tour.
This is one of our favourite areas in the world to ski tour for a mix of everything including old alpine tradition and unforgettable and varied terrain.
You will stay in luxury self-catered accommodation in the very heart of St Foy station and the package includes 7 nights with 5 days guided ski touring and teaching with Floss Cockle and our newest instructor Emmy.
With over 25 years coaching experience Floss will take you to different locations every day always hunting for the best conditions and teaching you the best techniques. There is old school mystique to the Tarentaise with reminders of early alpinists, mountain huts, chapels and churches everywhere. Depending on conditions and availability the course also includes an overnight experience in a mountain hut – refuge.
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Ski Ability
You will be able to ski red and black pisted runs. You can cope with most conditions. You have confidence and ability in skiing off-piste terrain and are able to link turns and to control your speed using different radius turns up to 35 degrees. You are comfortable to ski down variable conditions narrow paths and more complex terrain with trees and gullies. You have had some experience with exposure.
Each tour will involve 2/4 hours of going uphill every day and between 400-1000m of uphill with a mindset to be coached. You must be able to cover at least 400m of uphill per hour with little or no ski touring experience
Terrain and Location
The mountains and the terrain here are very varied from steeps to shallows, couloirs, bowls, tree skiing and a host of different snow conditions dependant on which faces you descend. We always look for Powder but expect varied snow types especially at different altitudes. We will ski from 3,000 m some days and descents can be long.
Accommodation and Base
St Foy is a hidden gem located in the heart of all the mega resorts, you will be staying in the ski village with every amenity on your door step. The apartment is situated close to many cool bars and restaurants with every activity being very close by.
St Foy is a small community of likeminded skiers and boarders with many ski seasonaires attracted to the location due to huge amount of off-piste available right on the door step. You will notice many guides and ski professional’s in the local bars and an inordinate amount of touring skis on the racks outside of them. It really is a unique community.
Weather
The trips in March will be considerably warmer than our January trip. However, we cannot predict what the average weather conditions will be. This area of the world has unpredictable weather patterns, and it can come from quite different directions even over a week period. Big dumps of snow happen every winter however with no real general pattern. This means avalanche awareness must be heightened and studied daily.
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Skins and leg Power
We will meet Flossie in the morning for a debrief of the day ahead, discuss any area of practice or knowledge you wish to focus on that day. We use leg power to get as high as possible or as close to the itinerary we wish to ski. Some days we will use the lift system to gain altitude and access different areas. This is a course, so learning mountain skills and how best to use touring skis is our primary focus while focusing on technique.
What you will learn
Ski touring techniques – snow awareness, avalanche training – route selection, navigation, how to plan a ski touring day – make better decisions in avalanche terrain – improve your off-piste skiing – how to use your ski touring equipment and the extra kit you need
Overnight stay in a mountain refuge
Depending on the weather and abilities of the group there may be the opportunity to stay in a mountain hut overnight. This allows us to begin much earlier in the day and to have a true mountain experience. From mid-march the huts are manned and provide food (evening meal and snacks). Please budget €75-€85 per night to cover the stay and food and drinks
The huts only accept cash. For an overnight stay we recommend you take more snacks for the next day, spare socks, toothbrush, head torch, wet wipes, bacteria gel, thin thermals to sleep in.
TRIP SUMMARY
What's included
What's not included
Common questions
A complete checklist will be sent to you at time of booking.
- Skis: ideally an all-mountain ski with a ski touring binding that is 85-100 underfoot.
- Skins: ideally, skins should be a mixture of mohair and nylon and must have a nose and tail clip.
- Boots: if you haven’t got your own ski touring boots you can rent them.
- Poles: telescopic ski poles with a powder basket are essential
- Clothing for Spring touring - wear thin light breathable layers with a Gore-Tex or similar shell. Ski Trousers should have a zip on the outside of the leg for ventilation. Light synthetic mid-layer for the summit or a lightweight down-layer. A neck buff is always essential for ski touring in Spring and in Winter.
- Touring ski and skins
- Touring boots
- Transceiver
- Probe and shovel
Get in touch
To book a trip or to start a discussion, get in touch via email, phone or WhatsApp, or use the form below.
