UCPA Off Piste Course Chamonix - No upper age limit but no boring people

A snowHead

Hello fellow Snowheads.

Having read all the recommendations for UCPA on here and looking at Action Outdoors website I was blown away by how cheap their off-piste courses are, but was crushed to discover they have an upper age limit or 39. (I'm 46)

However, having spoken to those lovely people at Action Outdoors it turns out that the upper age limit is only a guide to put off old fuddy duddys who would just be complaining about all the drunken mullarkies and general youth hostel type vibe.

Anyway, I thought I would share that little gem of information and see if there are any other off-pisters out there on a similar tight budget who might want to make up a small group? We can show those pesky kids how it's really done!
I was thinking sooner rather than later as I quite fancy the off-piste Bash in March aswell.

Typical package includes:

7 nights accomodation
All meals
Lift pass 6.5 days
Ski/Board & boot hire
Full tuition/guiding
All additional equipment - transceiver, shovel, probe

Starting from about £550, all you need to do is get there. BARGAIN! To put it in context SCGB charge £425 just for the tuition/guiding.

PS not only limited to over 39's, everyone is welcome...as long as you love all things snowy.

Andy

A snowHead

Are you thinking about guiding or instruction?

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Good question, I hadn't really decided although I'd have to say some of those hardcore Chamonix nutters scare the life out of me. Its nice to watch the videos but I wouldn't want to try and keep up with them.

So I'd probably lean towards one of the instruction courses but I'd have to look a bit deeper into the levels and maybe go with the guiding. I read the UCPA Val D'Isere off-piste packages are only for expert skiers so maybe the Chamonix stuff is not quite as hardcore as I thought.

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I went to UCPA Chamonix 3 years ago to do the off-piste course. There is no tuition, only guiding. Although there is a freeride course at Agentiere which includes some tuition.

When I was there they split-up the off-piste groups based on experience. So, as long you've got a bit of experience off piste you should be fine with the guided group.

I can't recommend it highly enough.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I was looking to go on this course or the one in argentierre in the second week of April. Not sure if thats a bit late in the season or not, but can't really go any other time.

You'll need to Register first of course.

I will be interested in the guided off piste.Have you any dates in mind ?
On a seperate note I'm glad you found out about the age thing as I am 46 years young as well and have just been looking to take my son and two of his friends away with ucpa.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Is it definitely Chamonix you want to go to?

The reason I ask is that I think there are better places to go with UCPA, for off-piste guiding, if you haven't done much before. Don't get me wrong, Chamonix is fantastic but we very rarely found any untracked powder - even with a guide.

Serre Chevalier is the best UCPA I've been to - Ski in/out, ensuite rooms, great terrace views, some great off-piste etc. and lots of fresh tracks.

After all it is free

jzBun, Thanks for the heads up, exactly the sort of knowledge I need. I hear what you're saying about Serre but the Snowheads bash in March is going there and somehow in all the years skiing I've never actually been to Chamonix and its just one of those places you have to cross off the list. But I've made a mental note for UCPA Serre for next time. Cheers.

rambotion, Now you've got me thinking, could I sneak in 3 trips? Watch this space. Failing that I'm sure there will be others up for a late trip.

limegreen1, No dates as such. I'm keen to go quite early, just because I'm impatient and can't wait months, think small child on Christmas Eve, but I'm pretty flexible. In my head I'm balancing between going too early and risking not enough snow against going early and getting my snow fix sooner and it also being a bit quieter (and cheaper) in early January. At the moment earlier keeps winning. PS. apparently the age thing is important if under 18, they are very strict about that, something to do with French Laws and minors and adults sharing accommodation so hopefully your son and his friends are over 18.

Anyone got any useful info about getting there? Remember cheapness is important. I quite like the sound of the coach from London. SleazyJet to Geneva seems quite cheap but not sure I can bring myself to give them my hard earned cash. I would normally drive but I'm not sure my poor old car is upto another dash to the Alps. Anyone know how costly/easy the train is? I've only ever done the snow train and Eurostar to Bourg before.

Dorset Andy, Completely appreciate where you're coming from. It's exactly the reason I went to UCPA Chamonix first to do exactly the same thing. We're about the same age - seems like a mid-life ski crisis.

Luckily when I was there so were a large group of 30 somethings from a singles holiday company. Nice.

You've got me thinking now...Can I fit in another trip in Jan?
'

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

UPDATE: I got a bit over excited and went ahead and booked it.

So its Argentiere, 15th - 22nd Jan, full time off-piste instruction. Cost £535 (with discount) plus £45 Geneva airport private transfer. I booked flights with EasyJet (I feel guilty now for calling them SleazyJet...sorry, please dont lose my bag), Bournemouth/Geneva return incl. baggage £85 incl. How do they do it?

All I've got to do now is try to contain my excitement for 10 weeks.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

snow reports

perthpowchaser, group levels were good. There were four Freeride groups of six to eight people each on my week (and a further four off-piste instruction groups) and we were split after the first day, ranging from recent Eurotest passers and crazy Swedish true freerider types in the top group to competent 'effective' off-piste skiers (not incredibly stylish, tended to fall back to one turn type but could get down anything and keep up a good pace) in the bottom. The guide I had was adequate, finding us good snow almost all week during a rather barren spell, an excellent skier with some good tips on handling some of the seriously steep stuff but he wasn't the friendliest. The group didn't really get a lot of say in what to do and where to go. I later found out he was an independent guide working for the UCPA for a week as the centre was very busy that week, and those moved from my group to the lower groups said their guides were more friendly. The UCPA guide I had in Flaine was much friendlier/approachable. I found the pace quite quick, mainly due to a stinking cold I had and the presence of the aforementioned crazy Skandies (and I don't tend to exactly ski slowly) and we were up on the first lift and often the guide stayed out after the last lift, with half an hour lunch on the mountain as the sole break. Unfortunately the snow conditions limited us slightly from the skiing we were doing, but routes we skied that week included the Grand Envers, Pas de Chevre/Rectligne, Possettes, front of the GM, so all pretty much standard stuff and nothing too extreme. I'd certainly go back again if I was skiing on my own/without a partner, although I've got my eye on the Steeps course at the Chamonix centre which offers some of the more exotic terrain such as ENSA, Cosmiques etc.

You know it makes sense.

Thanks Sideshow Bob, very useful, sounds like they run enough groups to seperate people out and not get stuck with pple holding the show up.
Will be at La Grave the week after Argentiere so not too worried if can't hit up really exotic terrain at Cham as will be in a pretty full on group the next week in La Grave.

Cheers

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Dorset Andy, ah.

I'm already away that week.

A snowHead

Sideshow_Bob, Thanks for the info, I wonder if I could pick your brains a bit more.

I booked the instruction package but having spoken to some people I'm worried it may be a bit too basic. I think I've undersold myself a bit, I've got a few weeks of off piste under belt in places like Verbier and St Anton but nowhere near your level. I can get down most stuff and love the steeps and trees, just get twitchy when its steep and narrow. I think I got abit caught up in the whole Chamonix image thing and expected it all to be jumping off cliffs and dodging crevasses.

I've re-read Action Outdoors web-site and I'm confident I could easily meet there level requirements for the guiding element but I'd hate to be the muppet that holds everyone up. Could you expand on your views of the lower abilty guided groups as that's probably more my thing. I think I just need to grow some balls and crack on with it.

Thanks

Andy

Mosha Marc, Sorry mate.

A snowHead

Sorry I probably should have said I've had a couple of weeks "tuition" with a ski buddy who is a BASI qualified instructor and I've done a transceiver training course but not the full rescue element with probes and shovels.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Dorset Andy, I went at a very popular week and the course was well and truly full, with some people being moved down to the tuition offering after the first day. I'd say probably the lowest group level was roughly BASI 2 standard. Cham/Argentiere does tend to attract the more experienced French/Swedish crowd so the level of the freeride course was higher than the off-piste courses at other centres like Flaine. There were a few off-piste groups too, and from talking to people the standard at the top end of the off-piste group was similar to the bottom freeride group, the main difference being the off-piste group were with instructors, not mountain guides, and hence couldn't go on glaciated terrain. To be honest it's going to be difficult to say without having seen you ski. I think fitness also comes into it a bit, especially with the higher pace of the freeride course, so if you're fit and can feel you can hike up to 45 minutes at altitude carrying skis without killing yourself I'd say try the freeride, you should be able to downgrade if necessary. Full transceiver/probe/shovel training on the hill is included on both courses.

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Dorset Andy, You should be absolutely fine. I can't comment on Argentierre as I stayed at the Chamonix centre but I think the two places attract the same types - although Agentierre has the more advanced freeride groups.
I went in the first week in Jan, a real quiet time normally, but the centre was full. Lots of Scandinavians. I was put in with a group of Scandies in group 3 out of 4 where group 4 were complete novices. I'd done a couple of weeks off-piste with a guide previously (SCGB) and, over the previous few years had messed about between pistes and followed instructor mates when I did a season, so not dissimilar to you. The ability level in the group was pretty good (I wasn't the worst and certainly not the best). All were able to do most of the stuff we skied without anyone holding-up anyone.

As mentioned previously, there was no tuition. We simply followed the guide. He'd give the odd tip here and there but no drills or exercises. But, even at our relatively inexperienced level we were kitted out with harnesses and spent a few of days on Grand Montets so I think you'll find your level.

They ask you to fill in a questionnaire regarding your experience and ability when you arrive so you can be as bold or as timid as you like. Suss out your comrades in the bar on Saturday night then fill in the form on Sunday morning!!! (beware of everyone else's false modesty)

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Sideshow_Bob, jzBun, Cheers guys, just what I needed. I even went out for a run with the dog tonight to start getting the old legs up to peak physical perfection.

You'll need to Register first of course.

Never done the off-piste - still very much an on-piste type of guy - and now into my 40s not sure how the UCPA courses would cater for me as an off-piste novice ?

Have booked Flaine for March with UCPA, full time instruction. It is worth noting that the 39yr old age limit is not too rigid. Action Outdoors were very welcoming to me, guess you just have to accept it is a hostel and not full of the comfort you might be used to with a chalet. But leaving kids at home, so happy to room share etc if it means maxing out the full week's skiing.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

......

After all it is free

damobloke1,
Reading the website there seem to be lessons for just about everything. The advanced ski lessons seem to include some off piste tuition or they do a whole week of off-piste introduction but that seems to require some limited experience of skiing off the edge of the piste and skiing in cut up snow. You pays your money you takes your choice.

Help!!

UCPA Off Piste Course Chamonix - No upper age limit but no boring people

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