 Poster: A snowHead
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I'm a pretty proficient off piste skier and I wanted to see what all this fuss about ski touring is about.
Has anyone done the above course with UCPA before?
If you have, I'd be interested to know the following:
1. What is the balance between skiing and climbing? I only have a week to spare, so I would certainly like to get a number of good runs in, but at the same time I fancy a bit of an uphill challenge.
2. To what extent is the course lift-assisted - e.g. do you catch a lift as far as you can and then climb the rest of the way to the desired destination?
3. What level of fitness is required? I'd say I'm pretty fit (I regularly cycle/run), but I'm certainly no marathon runner.
4. Is it possible that the introductory course will be too easy, or is it a necessity to do it before advancing onto the more challenging courses?
Thanks!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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The itinerary looks like it will be more towards the touring for one long run end of the spectrum than lots of skiing with a bit of touring thrown in
There isn't a huge amount of magic to the uphill - dealing with skins and physically skinning can be learnt in a morning. using that knowledge in such a way that doesn't get you in trouble is the tricky bit 
I'd look at a freeride course that stipulates that people should bring touring kit with them then check with the organiser that it is OK for beginner tourers to attend
In terms of routes, I have done a Flegere -> Berarde route as mentioned in the itinerary, that will involve using the Flegere lifts then skinning up to the ridge and over one of the cols there. Depending on the route and how quickly you move, you might be able to lap something and then do the ski out to Berarde
Heading up to the Argentiere refuge also has a number of options. I have only been there once but we spent the whole day skiing powder on Grands Montets then got the last lift up, skied all the way down to the Argentiere glacier and over to the hut. Great day. You could, I guess, skin up from Lognan or even the valley which would be more "pure" but less fun
Fitness - you'll probably be fine - just take it steady and slow
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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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Many thanks for your insight Arno 
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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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Hi
I did the intro to split boarding week last year, which while not exactly the same as ski touring the weeks looks quite similar. The course I did doesn't quite seem to exist in the same format but basically we did the following (I can't find my photos with names or routes on them at work so apologies for vague descriptions):
Monday - Le Tour to practice with the arva, getting the splitboard into ski and with the skins, practice kick turns, skinned about 45 mins, nice decent and then a hike out back to lifts. Think we did a couple more lift served runs.
Tuesday - reasonable skin, 1.5h to 2h maybe? Off the top of aiguille du midi, not the typical valle blance route but cant remember what it was called. Only did that today.
Wed - free skiing.
Thur - Pretty crap long traverse in poo-poo conditions from mid station of aiguille du midi - windy, snowing. Traverse not comfortable in the snowboard boots and splitboard configuration, tough on ankles. poo-poo conditions on the ski down. Long crappy hike down to the valley through a muddy forest. I had a sense of humor failure/tiredness and called it a day and got the bus back, I was also soaking wet as it was raining in the valley. The others went to Les Houches and did a few things over there.
Fri - big skin up, like 3 hours or something in Les Houches. Top of the world and lovely decent down.
I found the actual skinning fine for my fitness levels (netball, some running, some MTB, bike to work). The pace was comfortable - if you can MTB and hike on hills for a few hours you will be fine.
What I really underestimated was that skinning up would leave me tired for the decent, and the additional weight of the pack was more than I was expecting so the decent were a lot tougher than they would normally be. As well as your normal avi kit and lunch stuff, we had crampons, skins (obvs) sometimes wore a harness, and we had to carry the ski poles in the rucksack on our decent as well. All added up fpor a few kilos more than my legs were used to.
I'm going back and doing the 'Splitboard Mont Blanc Tours' which has 2 nights in refuges. In preparation, based on where I found it tough last year, I'm going to do a lot more work with a heavy pack (hill hiking) as although MTB and running are good for the cardio fitness they didn't get me used to the additional weight.
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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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Oh the routes on the itinerary is for example only really, they will go wherever the conditions are good.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@kat.ryb, light is right 
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@kat.ryb, did you ever ski prior to snow boarding ?
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I did, but only for one year at the dry ski slope and probably 10 days on snow. I was only 12 and probably at the messy 'nearly' parallel but ski fast with no fear stage! Have got about 16 weeks on a snowboard plus many many dry slope afternoons.
That said, the splitboard was a horrible compromise - not as good as skis in the ski config, and not as good as my snowboard in the snowboard config! Like you say, the transitions were slow and the chunky block bindings added extra weight.
I feel like touring is where I want to head, but I think it would take me SO long to get as good on skis off piste as I am on a board that it has put me off changing. Maybe if I really like the touring aspect of the splitboard week this year, but not the actual splitboarding, I will book a month off and go learn to ski next season. 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@kat.ryb, maybe the way to go, late March into April when you might score Spring snow which is so easy to ski on, though must add a caveat that you could well come across sludge as well lower down.
When do you arrive in Serre or have I got that wrong that you're coming out?
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@Weathercam yup out to SC on 31 Jan for lift served off piste with UCPA. Its the course where they take you to other ski areas for 2 days so they should be able to find us some snow hopefully. If not there is always the amazing thermes to visit.
Hope you get some god skiing in at some point!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I did this course at the beginning of the year and thought it was brilliant. i was a strong off piste skier but no experience of touring or using an avalanche transceiver. after the course i would feel completely confident to go touring. Each day we would usually do one or two runs to warm up on some blue or red pistes then get the lift to the top and go for a tour for the majority of the day and back in resort about three. there was then the option to have a few more runs using the lifts or head home. you have to be reasonably fit, but if you are regularly cycling then you should be fine. I would definitely recommend it as i learned a lot.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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i was a strong off piste skier but no experience of [ ] using an avalanche transceiver
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Not sure how you managed to get to the stage of being a strong off piste skier but with no experience of using a transceiver!
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i lived in whistler for a while where there is plenty of off piste skiing in bounds of the resort.
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You know it makes sense.
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i lived in whistler for a while
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Lucky lucky you!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Hi, I've done the intro course a few years ago now. Same position as you, strong off piste skier who had not toured before. My thoughts for what it's worth:
1, Intro course is run by an instructor rather than guide, so no glacier skiing. We were given fairly lightweight touring boots and Dynastar Altitrail Vertical which are not much fun on the downhill compared to more freeride orientated skis. Focus was more on the uphill and scenery than powdery descents.
2, we used lifts to get up then toured from fairly high. We did Aiguillette des Houches, Col de l'Encrenaz, col des Dards etc.
3, sounds like you'll be fine for fitness
4, I'd say the intro would be too easy. I bumped into a guide I'd done UCPA steeps with previously and he was surprised I was bothering with the intro week. Intro was a fun week but if it's your only week skiing I'd do the freeride rando or whatever they call it now - I've done it a few times and it's a great week. Led by a qualified guide, you're given freeride skis with AT bindings, often people on it who haven't toured before but always strong skiers whereas the intro course caters for intermediates as well. Focus tends to be on a day tour with a long decent, eg Col du Passon, Col du Belvedere, Crochues-Berard traverse, Vallee Noire etc. You'll probably also do a bit of rappelling, crampon use and crevasse rescue etc which we didn't cover on the intro week.
Hope that's helpful...
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Poster: A snowHead
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| TomDeSavoie wrote: |
| Led by a qualified guide ... Focus tends to be on a day tour with a long decent, eg Col du Passon, Col du Belvedere, Crochues-Berard traverse, Vallee Noire etc. You'll probably also do a bit of rappelling, crampon use and crevasse rescue etc which we didn't cover on the intro week. |
This sounds freakin' awesome! Thanks for sharing.
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