Poster: A snowHead
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Just got an offer from a friend to join him and his friends (20 overall) in a chalet in Val d'Isere for the last week of Jan. They're mostly beginners and intermediates so pretty much all of my skiing will be apart from the group (though I hear there might be two advanced boarders). It would be a pity to go there and stick to pisted runs. Are there any guided groups I could join ? (standard: offpiste, skiing just about anywhere). If so, does anyone know prices, whether I have to book ahead (and where) or just turn up, etc.
Also, I own shovel and probe, should I get a transceiver or will they lend me one?
Cheers
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brian
brian
Guest
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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There are several good ski schools in Val that offer off piste guiding. My favourite is www.alpineexperience.com, they are a small and friendly group that specialise in off piste. Many other ski schools are more varied in their activities and so you can get teachers that are good, but not specialists, in the off piste. End of January you might be able to book a place day or two before, but booking much earlier is better. Booking earlier also means you get the same guide each day so they can choose better terrain for the group and give better instruction. Alpine experience provide transcievers for clients, they check that everyone has a working transceiver before going off piste.
There have been several other Snowheads threads about Val d'Isere ski schools and off piste guiding. My quick search found:
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=10220&highlight=
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=9931&highlight=
Both of which have several other links that you might examine.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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brian, Adrian, thanks.
On TGR someone would've said 'Search function, JONG!'. Adrian was much more polite!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Jean-Marc Pic at Alpine Experience is a very good freind a very good friend and a top guide.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I would go and check out the guides office on the first day/evening and see what the score is. The conditions might not be suitable for pre-booking, so have a chat and join./make up a group. This is quite normal but not a very Brit thing to do. We tend not to be too upfront about mixing. Don't really oversell your ability on the first day because you don't want a roasting in the group.
Be straight with them and you can get set up with a nice like-minded bunch of people to ski with.
And they will lend you one as it should be in the price...!! Might be an idea to know how to use one tho' as the man with the shovel and probe should be at the back
Check out this guy' routes. He is a cousin of a friend at work and I've not met him but if I was going to Val D I would check it out..
www.chaletchardons.com/off-piste.html
I would add that the usual caveats apply about a guide offpiste - which is where we all came in at the top..!
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