 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi
Further to previous advice, the Snow Works week that my friend and i wanted to attend is sold out.
What are people's experience of the Ski Club of Great Britain Freshtracks off-piste weeks? Are they in the same league as companies such as Snow Works? We are thinking of the January trip to Tignes as they accept a variety of standards which we like as its difficult to determine your level from their scales!
Thanks for your thoughts in advance!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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As far as a good off piste holiday goes, I would imagine it depends on if the group is all of the same standard, so you can all push on at the same rate. I have Looked at the freshtrack thing before and Ski freshtracks grade their holidays so that everyone falls into the same standard. Their scales are quite self explanatory and so it will be up to you to pick the right grade/standard of holiday for you. As I said I havent been on a freshtracks holiday but have skied with their reps on off piste days and with them and a guide. Ive also been on courses with snow works and snowworks do work with the ski club, and ski freshtracks do use top guides as shown in their brochure if you want to look them up, so my thoughts are that they can offer you the same .
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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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For about the last five years I have been on two Freshtracks holidays and two Snoworks holidays per season, all off piste.
I tend to prefer Snoworks for instruction and Freshtracks for pure guiding although both organisations offer both. When I have to choose between the two, it often comes down to what destinations they offer at times that suit me.
Despite what you might get here sometimes, there is a fairly similar clientele with both groups. As I have gotten to know some of the regulars with Snoworks, I have found that a lot of them are scgb members as well, although maybe some of them keep quiet about it!
When comparing prices you might want to check the amount of guiding and instruction you get. With some Snoworks trips you get five half days or five full days, with one complete spare day. With Freshtracks the trips I go on have always included six full days, but you will need to check the details of each trip to be sure.
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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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richjp,
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I tend to prefer Snoworks for instruction and Freshtracks for pure guiding
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I've done one Freshtracks powder holiday: was expecting instruction and got guiding. Not very satisfactory, particularly since my group was mixed ability, from incompetent (me) to rather good (lots of other people who liked the guides and booked themselves on that particular holiday every year, irrespective of their standard).
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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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Fleecy, one on-piste SCGB holiday was not what I would have wanted - but every off-piste holiday with them (five or so) was very enjoyable. I have no experience of Snow Works
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Fleecy, snoworks and the guys that run it are very good. When it comes to instruction, much better than the freshtracks holiday I think. If you are looking for off piste Instruction you are better going with Mountain Masters, Tarantiseia etc. if snoworks are full. I can give you a few links if you PM me. If you just want guiding, then they are all very similar but as richjp, said check how many days guiding with a professional guide each compnay gives you first.
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How strict they are about keeping the group up to standard is quite important. If someone isn't up to the standard on a Freshtracks holiday they do in theory (and often in practice) tell you to join a ski school group. They are helped in standardising groups in that people get officially graded on holidays and tend to come back.
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I guess you are referring to the "Off-Piste Progression" holiday.....tends to be the only one they do in Tignes. I did this one three years ago. It is a large holiday with 5 or 6 groups all matched to ski grade - if you haven't got one they will assess you over the phone. I agree with the above posts - I don't think anyone beats Snoworks for tuition - and it can depend a lot on which guide you get. You will be with the guide all day for 5 days, compared to 5 more intensive half days with Snoworks. There is more effort put into the social side with Freshtrax, with at least one rep charged with making sure this runs smoothly.
I enjoyed it....but go to Chamonix with Freshtracks now, and Val with Snoworks....
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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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PS If you are still relatively new to off-piste the Freshtrax Flaine weeks with Yann Westercamp will give you top class full time instruction and an accurate grade at the end of the week.
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andrewchalmers, Is absolutely correct- I have been on several Freshtracks holidays easy in Chamonix(Guide Marrtin Burrows- Smith), a weekend at the end of the season in Zermatt (Guide Klause Scerring), a weekend in la Grave and a week in Flaine with Yann Westercamp and Diane Moreau (instructors).
I enjoyed every holiday- a lot.
The guiding is quite different from the instructional holidays and I did not really appreciate this. They each have advantages. But I will suggest Flaine and the off piste progression.
In Flaine I skied with Diane- she is amazing.
a TR is here http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=55843&start=280 piccies of a very steep couloir skied with her and other great snow Yann and Diane found even after a week or more since the last fall.
I don't think any of us dreamed we could have done it. She is very very good at sussing out what you can/can't do- getting you better- getting you to ski to the limit of what you can do- safely and laughing all the way and then relaxing- like a good play- by that Shakespeare - art really- I am a basically miserable old git- but I have to say the instruction was great and I have nothing to fault it with.
Flaine is really quite a good place for off piste instruction- good easily accessible terrain, not many people skiing off piste, the steep stuff won't go on for ever (like la Grave/ Chamonix/Zermatt) and when you have finished it you can relax (unlike la Grave say when you can never relax until you are in a bar with a beer in hand).
I am back skiing with Diane and Yann in January with 2 others I met this year. I am sure we will have a great time, be happy, find good snow, improve, ski stuff we didn't think we could, improve a lot and find some reasonable places for lunch- does skiing (life) get any better?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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ed123, just watch out for the lapiaz in Flaine!
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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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Sideshow_Bob, ?
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lapiaz- limestone pavement yes best not to combine skiing with potholeing
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You know it makes sense.
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ed123, if your guides didn't tell you about the lapiaz in Flaine then imho they've been quite negligent. Flaine is dotted with massive cracks and one has to be very careful skiing off-piste in certain areas around the bowl - as bad as skiing on a glacier.
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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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Fleecy, Go for it. I've done lots of Freshtracks trips and a couple of Snoworks ones. I agree with others that it is hard to beat the technical instruction you get with Snoworks. Freshtracks offers a very wide spectrum of trips (from on-piste cruising to instruction to guiding, safaris and beyond) so it's important to read the blurb before booking to be sure that you know what you are signing up to. The Tignes holiday has a focus on instruction so should be a good substitute - but I'm guessing it's more likely to be "Gallic flair" rather than "BASI technical".
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Poster: A snowHead
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Anyone here been on a UCPA off piste week. That is another alternative for an Instruction week. I did one many moons ago, what are they like these days?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Sideshow_Bob, they did- I just couldn't remember the vocab!
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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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snowcrazy, great fun. Not much instruction but good guiding. The ones I've been on have been for quite strong skiers who already have some off-piste experience rather than the red-run skier who wants to venture off the side of the piste.
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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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UCPA off piste/freeriding courses have been excellent for me. They are the best value packages possible for the independent skier looking for full time offpiste/freeride guiding. Many guides and instructors work at UCPAs prior to moving on to various schools and guiding companies.
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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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I am in Flaine with Yan and Diane (Freshtracks) on 14th January! Was stoked anyway but can't wait now!
I am also doing 2 weeks in Fernie with NonStop in March - wanted to do the powder safari but it was sold out so doing the 2 week camp instead. Anyone got any experience of this?
Apart from that, I've already done a weekend in Zermatt this season and am doing a weekend in Morzine early Feb and probably another in Grindelwald late Feb, but these will strictly be on-piste (OK maybe a bit along the sides...)
I was also thinking of doing a weekend ski mountaineering course with G2 in Cairngorm - can anyone recommend or dis-recommend this?
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