Anyone used the Instructor Lead Guiding with the Ski Club of Great Britain?

A snowHead

I stopped my membership of the Ski Club of Great Britain (SCGB) a few years ago as, whilst it was a good organisation, it wasn't offering me anything I could make use of, for example skiing with one of their Leaders didn't really attract me.

However, their Instructor Lead Guiding (ILG) is certainly an attraction, not least for it great value for money when compared to other companies offering off-piste courses etc. I am therefore wondering if anyone here has made use of the ILG and what was their impression?

A snowHead

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

Mate used them in st anton last season and it was a guy from new generation who lead the group, he spoke very highly of them when he returned to KK.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Done probably a score of ILG days in the last 3 years which says it al really. Quite a few folk in Tignes have rejoined because of it (including a few snowHead

)

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I did one last year in La Plagne; fab morning with a great instructor and friendly group of people; would definitely recommend.

You'll need to Register first of course.

It’s a good deal for what it is. I’ve used ILG on two trips.
My thoughts are that the one guy in Argentiere was very good and tried hard the other guy in St Anton was a bit lazy.
But for €20 for half a day’s instruction/guiding who can complain!

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

Been on the ILG off piste days in Avoriaz a couple of times, going again this feb half term. I think it's great. Better than skiing with a leader IMHO.

After all it is free

I was considering the St Anton SCGB/New Generation one next week. How many people are in a group typically as can't see any info re numbers?

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

@admin.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

@malarkey99, I think there were 3 others plus me last time. Not sure of the max number I think it may be 8 max per group.

snow reports

Max is 6 per group. Minimum to go ahead is 3.

I went with ILG in Courchevel last Feb. first afternoon was a group of 6 with mixed abilities and visibility was awful so the guide took us down some 'sidecountry' stuff which was suitable for lowest skilled skier in the group, the next day I was the only one who showed up so we went ski touring up to Petit Mt Blanc and down Val d'Aval, pretty much a full day out 1:1 guided for a tiny sum of money.
Given I hadn't planned to do full day touring I didn't have enough food & water, but the guide had plenty packed for me and was super friendly and totally on it for snow safety, constantly checking surrounding peaks for any movement etc.
Will be using the service again for sure this winter.

You know it makes sense.

Thanks for the info folks Very Happy

sounds like it’s a goer!

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

For those that did this is in St Anton, was this as part of a Ski Freshtracks package holiday?

A snowHead

A snowHead

@Snow&skifan, no it wasn’t I was just on my own trip. I just paid the €20 for the morning or €40 for all day or whatever it was. It was peanuts though for what’s on offer.

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

@sethpistol, Yip they are more French than the French in St Anton. Talk about cartel! With the prices for ski rental etc I'm surprised anybody goes there any more.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Thanks for all the replies to this post. It certainly seems worth joining the SCGB and getting involved in the ILG, although I note you can still join the guiding if you are not a member, you just have to pay a bit more.

I note that Snoworks charge £385 for 5 half-days and £525 for 5 full-days, and no doubt other companies charge a similar amount, which makes the SCGB even more value for money.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I don't have an interest in either but comparing these SCGB 'ski along' days with a Snow-orks course is like comparing apples with... a Jean Sulpice 5 way Preparation of Autumn fruits.
Just because you have an instructor on-hand with each, doesn't make the 2 things in any way comparable.

You'll need to Register first of course.

@x7, I would disagree. The ILG is heavily subsidised by the Club. And much as i respect Snoworks many of their instructors are not based in particular resorts and are not part of the off piste fraternity that share information on a daily basis. I have received some excellent instruction from the ILG instruction and been taken to.places where you do not see any British ski schools.

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

Maybe you think you disagree @chocksaway, but what you've written by explanation doesn't counter my point at all: if anything it affirms it.
You're clearly a big fan of the SCGB ski-along groups and why not, if they're providing something you want at a subsidised rate? That still doesn't make these days out comparable to the courses that Snow-orks run.

Snow-orks specifically group clients by ability and deliver goal-orientated multi-day courses.
For somebody with one or two highly prized weeks each season available to ski, and wanting to push their technique forward, they get a relatively guaranteed experience, targeted pretty accurately at their requirements.

Alternatively, turn up for the SCGB ski-along and you might have an instructor to yourself, or you might be in a group of 8, who might be evenly matched in ability, fitness, ambition, lunch-style or they might not: pot-luck!
For a retiree hanging around a resort most of the season, it's great: bods to ski with and on some days you get a nice rest pootling socially while on others, you 'get lucky' with a bit of focused attention from the instructor. If the group on any particular day is too big or too fast/slow or just not your type of people, no biggie: there's always another tomorrow. Still over the course of the season I bet it adds up to a pretty nifty deal.

As you point out, not the same, and which you, personally value most highly is determined by so many different factors as to make them entirely incomparable.

Anyway, I don't know why you're being so defensive of the Tea Club - although it does tend to be their default stance rolling eyes

I didn't say that a Jean Sulpice 5 way Preparation of Autumn fruits was better than an apple. An apple is cheaper but does that make it better? Some people will always prefer his concoctions while some would always prefer an apple - most would enjoy either, in different ways but still, while they both have apple in, it doesn't make them comparable.

After all it is free

@x7 I think I would tend to agree with @chocksaway, judging by most of the other posts here regarding ILG. Whilst I have not yet done any ILG I have done a lot of Snoworks courses. Snoworks' philosophy is for course participants to 'go open' in an 'open environment' which means they don't focus on teaching technique. The result of which is that you are being guided safely around the mountain with a few 'tips' on tactics and technique. There is nothing wrong with this if that is what you enjoy but it is hugely more expensive than ILG for fundamentally the same thing. I understand your point of view but don't agree that the two products are as different as you state - except in terms of the price.
Also, I think one of the advantages of the ILG is that you are not paying for the service every day, leaving you free to do your own thing on some days, which admittedly may not suit everyone but then neither would the alternative.

@x7, I was not being defensive, just stating my view point to answer Waitrose's question which was about ILG not who to have a full weeks off piste course with. They are comparable in many ways, you are paying a ski school for off piste instruction; its just delivered at a different rate which may suit some people who are lucky enough to ski a lot or people who wish to have one day off piste on a family holiday. But you are clearly on the attack at the SCGB. I am an avid member of both; you are clearly not. Firstly I have already stated the maximum group number is 6, it might be worth you reading the whole thread before pressing submit. Clearly you have never been on an ILG day as to describe it as SCGB ski-along is demeaning to both the the Club and the instructors. If skiing the Fingers or the Grand Couloir in Tignes is a ski-along then Lord help the ski a-longers! The Ski Club also has a 4 tier grading system for off piste with a detailed description to allow you to assess yourself so you can pick the right day and if you are wrong then the instructor will tell you, so all in all pretty much like Snoworks or any other ski school. Clearly the more days you spend with either the more accurate your grading will become.

So yes if you want a full week in ski school off piste and have sufficient funding then Snoworks is probably for you, especially if you like marketing speak such as goal orientated and focussed. Or if you want one day off piste on a holiday or every other week like me ILG is a definite winner.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Plus 1 for Chocks comments
Although not a club member now I have done the ILG and what a good thing it is too!
Off piste with guide to places even the scgb leaders should not go including said fingers for very little money is a great bang for your buck

Help!!

Anyone used the Instructor Lead Guiding with the Ski Club of Great Britain?

snowHeads Forum Index >>> The Piste