Avalanche Course & Ski Touring in the Chamonix Area

57hours is committed to providing safe outdoor adventure experiences. We require all guides using our platform to have a COVID-19 safety plan and to make the details of that plan accessible to travelers. In most cases, group sizes will be reduced, guides will avoid overcrowded locations, and other safety measures will be met depending on the location and activity.

We also expect clients to respect local regulations and take measures to protect themselves, guides and the communities they’re travelling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures in Chamonix please refer to France Diplomacy’s advice for travelers and foreign nationals and the Chamonix COVID-19 sanitary rules.

Please contact us if you have any questions or require further information. We are happy to provide you with the most up-to-date information!

What you get in this adventure:

• • An experienced, certified ski guide with extensive knowledge of the area
  • Evening briefing and five full days of backcountry skiing and avalanche awareness training
  • All fuel and transport during the course starting and finishing in Chamonix
  • Loan of technical equipment (harness, crampons, ice axe, belay plate, sling, carabiners and prussic loops)

What’s not included:

• • Technical backcountry ski touring equipment
  • Avalanche safety equipment
  • Uplift
  • Transportation to and from the start of this course
  • Food and snacks in Chamonix and mountain hut
  • Accommodations in Chamonix and mountain hut

To enjoy this backcountry and avalanche awareness adventure, you need to have a good level of fitness as a typical day will involve around 2 or 3 hours of uphill skinning. You will need to manage controlled descents in variable conditions. All participants should feel comfortable on challenging blue or black-level resort runs and be able to carry a loaded daypack while skinning up variable degrees of terrain.

To participate in this tour, you don’t need to have previous backcountry skiing experience, but it is always welcome. You will be skiing, touring, and summiting on glaciated terrain for 5-7 hours every day. You have to be able to make strong parallel turns on piste and possess the ability to make effective turns off-piste. Your guide will take care of the planning, oversee your technique, and teach you how to better manage the terrain. They also have the experience and avalanche training necessary to keep you safe.

For technical backcountry ski touring gear, you will need to bring:

• • Alpine touring skis, telemark skis or splitboard with skins (can be rented)
  • Touring boots and poles (can be rented)
  • Avalanche safety equipment (can be rented from a rental shop or your guide):
    • Digital, 3-antenna avalanche transceiver or beacon
    • Lightweight snow shovel
    • Avalanche probe
    • Harness for glacier travel (for advanced touring)

For personal items, we recommend bringing:

• • Helmet
  • Sunglasses or ski goggles
  • Gloves and hat
  • Wind and waterproof shell jacket with hood (Gore-Tex recommended)
  • Ski pants (Gore-Tex recommended)
  • Down jacket or vest
  • Synthetic or wool base layers, underwear and socks
  • One triple-action locking carabiner or two conventional locking carabiners
  • Repair kit and Leatherman for your equipment (can be shared between several people)
  • Water bottle and 1L of water
  • Thermos with a warm beverage — optional
  • Food you can eat on-the-go
  • First aid kit
  • Sunscreen
  • Daypack large enough to carry all items listed (around a 30-40L backpack)
  • Camera — optional

Loan of technical equipment is included and it consists of a harness, crampons, an ice axe, a belay plate, a sling, carabiners and prussic loops.
Your guide will give you the detailed equipment list after booking.

All mandatory gear can be rented if you don’t have your own. Avalanche safety pack can be rented from your guide or in a rental shop. You can rent:

• • Avalanche safety pack, including backpack beacon, shovel and probe from Sanglard Sports Chamonix
  • Alpine touring or telemark skis, touring boots and poles can be rented from Sanglard Sports Chamonix

Ski rental locations are in Chamonix and should be picked up the night prior to your outing. If you need to rent gear, let us know and we can help make arrangements.

Group sizes and pricing:

• • For this adventure, the max client-to-guide ratio is 6:1.
  • The minimum number of participants and client-to-guide ratio is 4:1
  • Costs per person decrease as the group grows for this adventure, so it’s the perfect opportunity to ski with friends and family.

Ski touring in the Chamonix region can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.

Min. age requirements:

• • If you are older than 18, you’re good to go.
  • Minors may be permitted to join private tours on a case-by-case basis.

If your group has skiers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

To get to Chamonix, most people fly into Geneva Airport about an hour away from Chamonix. From there, you can rent a car or take a shuttle service.

Once you and your guide agree on the details of your itinerary, your guide will suggest the best place to meet, whether that’s at the guide shop or a predetermined location. The guide will choose the appropriate terrain dependent on conditions and the ability of the group.