 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi folks,
I have done a fair bit of touring in the UK and Europe, but the instructors were always organised by a third-party organisation. Consequently I never payed much attention to who they worked for, just their names and what they were telling me to do...
My better half is keen to give touring a go, but I would like her to take an introductory course first so that she's familiar with transceivers, avalanche drills, etc.
Can someone recommend a UK/Europe based introduction to touring course, which they have either recently taken themselves, or which a friend has recommended.
(It's not an issue if the course is beginners only - I'll either skip it, or attend too as refresher courses are not a bad thing).
Cheers.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Alpine Experience do off piste and bits of touring. It depends on snow conditions but they often need to do a bit of skinning to access the chosen slopes. Add to that Henry's Avalanche Talk and the training they offer on avalanche awareness, safety, transceivers etc and your better half should learn much of what you want. Henry also does multi-day courses, one of those may suit you.
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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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fr0sty, www.offpisteskiing.com who posts here as offpisteskiing is hoping to run one for snowheads.
Highly recommended.
He found us some great snow last year. There is a thread for this some where titled "snowheads intro to touring" I think.
If I can I'll do it again this year.
Mountain tracks in Chamonix are good for avi courses.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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RPF, how could I forget the intro?
fr0sty, if you only have a weekend, definitely give that one a go. if you have a week, consider the eagles one
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| Quote: |
how could I forget the intro?
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Arno, first thing that went through my head was how could Arno forget the intro?
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If your looking for UK based course then Glenmore lodge do introduction courses - in both winter skills and also ski touring.
Glenmore lodge & Glencoe are going to have the UKs first snow based transceiver training parks this winter - sponsored by Anatom.
Your other cheaper UK based option would to hire an MIA for the day to do a specific avalanche awareness course.
The plateau between Cairngorm and Ben Macdui is actually remarkably reliable for touring in Feb / March. Way more snow sure than the ski area. Though depending on conditions you may need to hike 400/500m up to the snow-line (as the funicular cant be used by ski tourers).
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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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| RPF wrote: |
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how could I forget the intro?
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Arno, first thing that went through my head was how could Arno forget the intro? |
That's why I posted a link to the "Snowheads intro to touring" thread (albeit clothed in secrecy) just after Arno.
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Another vote for the glenmore lodge courses if you want to stay in the uk. I did one of the 5 day courses a couple of years ago and it was very good, it covered avalanche awareness tranceivers etc. There was also a series of evening talks for the keen on mountain navigation, avalanche awareness etc.
I think they do beginner and intermediate courses and also do a weekend introduction.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Haggis_Trap wrote: |
| you may need to hike 400/500m up to the snow-line (as the funicular cant be used by ski tourers). |
Even if you buy a lift ticket?
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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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| betterinblack wrote: |
| Even if you buy a lift ticket? |
http://www.cairngormmountain.co.uk/mountain-access-and-conservation
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All visitors including skiers and non skiing visitors may use the mountain railway and should undertake their activity within the ski area boundary (please refer to piste map). We remind all visitors that it is not possible to use the railway at any time of the year as a means of access to go beyond the ski area boundary and explore the plateau area. However, visitors are free to explore any part of the mountain area by walking from the car park and we ask them to use the network of established footpath routes.
Our terms and conditions of carriage for non skiing tickets specify that we do not allow the carriage of sports equipment, this includes; ice axes, crampons, mountain bikes etc. |
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We remind all visitors that it is not possible to use the railway at any time of the year as a means of access to go beyond the ski area boundary and explore the plateau area.
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Which is not true, it is just their interpretation of the VMP. Most would say that as long as the train isn't your last uplift then you can go where ever you want. Its also unenforceable. What they can do is refuse carraige of equipment such as iceaxe and crampons.Of course if you were solely touring you'd probably not want to purchase a ticket as you'd have to buy a full price ski ticket at ~£30.
Another example of the unenforceability of it is that I'm a season ticket holder. I carry my season ticket whenever I'm at CairnGorm as it entitles me to a discount in catering as well as use of the lifts. So I turn up and the weather is a bit poor, so i have a ski in the area. Weather improves so I head off over the back - I'm suposed to ski to the bottom and start skinning up from the car park - I think not. Or the whole area is open and I take the DLP, WWP CT and PT to the top. I've not used the railway at all and the VMp cannot apply restrospectively to equipment that was on the mountain before the railway.
The sooner the VMP is rescinded the better. The fastest way to get to the european protected area is to turn right out of the carpark and take the northern corries path and go no where near the uplift. Shows how stupid the VMP is. It is actually a fair walk from the top of the railway to the european protected area!
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You know it makes sense.
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Many thanks everyone for the suggestions.
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