 Poster: A snowHead
|
I'm looking at doing the Action Outdoors Off Piste Course. Which resort would you recommend? Chamonix or Tignes?
Cheers
Mark
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Wed 2-11-11 19:37; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
second part of this question, how difficult is it to travel from Chamanoix to Tigne?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
I have never heard of this firm. How advanced is your skiing and what does the course consist of?
Travel by train via Chambery to Bourg St Maurice. About 6 hours. Then local bus from the station to Tignes (about 3/4 hour). Or you may also be able to do it all by bus with a few changes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
I'm getting all excited and making mistakes:-) the Company is called - Action Outdoors! not Outdoor Adventure as detailed above.
I'm currenlty BASI L2 and looking for personal development to complete my L3.
I've been to Tigne before but mainly teaching on piste, never been to Chamonix.
Any advice welcome.
Mark
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
snowball, I think the OP probably means UCPA, sold by Action Outdoors in the UK. Very good quality, by all accounts. I'm sure either would be good.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
Yeah it's UCPA....think they mainly use French instructors.
Tignes has some awesome off-piste skiing, but come on its got to be Chamonix.
If you're serious about doing your Level 3, it might be better sticking with BASI instructors, just saying?!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oh I see. I'm sure both would be fine but if you have never been to Chamonix you should. Mind you, it gets tracked quickly, off piste, with all those experts around.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Did this last year (Dec 2009-Jan 2010), in Cham.
not sure which course you are doing - the one we did was more of a 'guiding with hints' rather than tuition - although as they days went by, and the attendees dropped like flies, it became quite a bespoke group.
We were in the lowest of the 3 standards, so 'tuition' might be better in the upper groups... but if you're looking to get something specific for a qualification, I'd check with Action Outdoors.
if you just want a guided offpiste holiday, I'd thoroughly recommend it.
To Snowball - you weren't there on New Years day 2010... nary a soul around, a bluebird day, one guide and 3 willing sheep. The only downside was that my partner's turns were so much more elegant than mine....
but yes... it _can_ get tracked quickly... but that's why you go with a guide. Ours was called Alain... I'd follow him anywhere.
social scene in the UCPA accom is fun too.
enjoy
h.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
skierchris, debatable which of the 2 has better easy access lift-served off-piste for the 'ordinary off pister' (before the gnarl factor starts to ratchet up...) which doesn't get tracked out within 2 microseconds of a snowfall... I'd say its a close call and not necessarily in a Cham-ward direction, much as i love the valley...  All depends on the skier i guess.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I agree with skierchris regarding sticking with BASI instructors.
There are some good ones in both Tignes and Chamonix who offer specific instructor training. Bass Chamonix and Ski Focus (www.skifocus.co.uk) in Tignes although I am sure there are others.
*Disclaimer - I am currently training with Ski Focus but have no current financial or other interest.
P.S. How is the pimped up A-Team van going Mark? 
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
I agree with Simon. I lived a season in a appt. under the couloir d'ENSA and there was never a powder day when it wasn't tracked before the lifts opened. In Tignes you can find freshies a week after snowfall although you'll have to climb. Cham is at the epicenter of off piste skiing, it is like 10 on the richter scale. There are so many ski bums who ski harder, earlier and better than you ever can, at least as a visitor.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| Quote: |
I lived a season in a appt. under the couloir d'ENSA
|
Where's the Couloir d'Ensa? Tignes or Chamomix? 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yeah if it was someone wanting to try off piste on their own I'd say chamonix because the off piste on grand monte is so accessible off the lifts and without fear or risk.
But with every other powder hound in the universe there, and many of them enthusiastic climbers too, it'll be hard to get value from the snow. Prob a lot easier to get fresh tracks in tignes.
But if it was serious ski mountaineering type ascents you'd be doing there's a lot more of them in chamonix.
Christ I wish it would start snowing....
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
Thanks for the input everyone. very mixed bag there.
I agree to some extent with using BASI instructors, however its also good to see alternative methods of teaching. I'm booked in for my MS and L3 Teach in May 2012 but I'm not planning my L3 Tech until 2013, So I've got plenty of time to hone my skills with BASI guys.
I've spent a lot of time teaching for the military, most of which as been on piste, so my off piste skills have suffered.
I'm looking at the UCPA course for 3 reasons, value for money, good social and training. The first two being the priority.
Considering I have to be in Tignes on the 7 Jan anyway to teach a group for two weeks I've decided to go for both and have asked Action Outdoors to give me a quote:
1) 26 Dec - 1 Jan Chamonix (Off Piste Training) _ with UCPA
2) 2 Jan - 7 Jan Tignes (On Piste Training) with UCPA
3) 8 Jan - 26 Jan Instructing for the Royal Navy at the RN Ski Champs.
Touchguru, How do I know you......or should I correct that.......how do you know me? But for info the A Team van is going well:-)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
Both are excellent, I would go chamonix if funds are plentiful and tignes if funds are less plentiful!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
| thepirate wrote: |
I agree to some extent with using BASI instructors, however its also good to see alternative methods of teaching.
...
2) 2 Jan - 7 Jan Tignes (On Piste Training) with UCPA
|
Getting off-piste mileage before the mountain safety is a very good idea and will help greatly - regardless of who you ski with. At the end of the day your off-piste skiing is assessed by a guide, not a BASI Trainer (unless you get one of the few people who are both) and the expectation is generally more focussed on you skiing safety than with "flow", etc.
I'd be more cautious about the on piste training as it's potentially very easy for you to get someone who will spend a week trying to get you to ski in a way that a future BASI trainer won't like and will want to undo.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
| thepirate wrote: |
| second part of this question, how difficult is it to travel from Chamanoix to Tigne? |
Whilst not the cheapest option, one option would be to transfer back via GVA.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
I guess it depends what you end up being taught on the off-piste course, if the focus is more tactical for example and less
about your specific technique then its not such an issue. I'm not sure how UCPA pitch there courses depends who you get.
If its a young lad fresh from the Eurotest, you could get quite a technical focus. Hopefully you get what you need!
Basi is piste/race bias but you still need to ski bumps, variables and steeps to a good level. Depends what sort of skier you want to be too.
I like to see a rounded skier that can flow down anything!
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Thu 3-11-11 12:23; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
I wouldn't look on it as actual instruction more an opportunity to self develop in a supported environment. From what I know of UCPA people are signed up to ski offpiste might not want to work on skills that might improve their offpiste skiing, especially if these might be be better developed on piste e.g. I'd be mightily pissed off if I went on a UCPA off piste week to find myself working on braquage drills or inner ski edging or whatever. i.e. don't expect your group to have the same goals as you.
I know you've concluded on both but given your general objectives I'd say Tignes might have the edge for wealth of opportunity as you're clearly not in the "as much gnar as possible" category NTTIAWWT.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Thanks guys, your right I'm not in the 'GNAR' Category...yet:-) Although I love watching the videos.
fatbob, the reason I've concluded both is purely down to the fact that I've never skied Chan=m before however I may consider both weeks off piste, one week at Chamonix followed by a week at Tignes. I'm sure I'll have plenty of time to continue to develop my on-piste skills in between instructing on the RN Ski Champs. We have some great talent with us.
I'm fairly confident that I will be up to the Mountain Safety Standard, I've done some Ski Touring in the past and my Mountain Nav and Avalanche skills are fairly high. My focus is more about having a good experience and making a few gains skiing general off piste rather than trying to reach the L3 Standard immediatley, I have plenty of time to achieve that.
Your input has been very helpful, cheers.
Mark
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
sounds like a great idea. Week in each would be spot on. Having skied both a fair bit I'd agree with this thread that Tignes can actually have more going for it in terms of finding the freshies, despite Cham being the obvious choice and having some stunning terrain. yep, UCPA are good from everything I have heard...enjoy!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Quote: |
Where's the Couloir d'Ensa? Tignes or Chamomix?
|
Sham'
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
committed!!
I've booked one week at Chamonix and one week at Tignes - both off piste with instruction:-) All this ollowed by two weeks working in Tignes for the RN Ski Champs!
Is it ok now to start to get excited about the coming season.....happy dayz!
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| Quote: |
Yeah if it was someone wanting to try off piste on their own I'd say chamonix because the off piste on grand monte is so accessible off the lifts and without fear or risk.
|
I really, really hope you're joking.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I mean off the lower lifts, as in between the pistes. Not off the top lift, little bit more sketchy up there.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| stevomcd wrote: |
| Quote: |
Yeah if it was someone wanting to try off piste on their own I'd say chamonix because the off piste on grand monte is so accessible off the lifts and without fear or risk.
|
I really, really hope you're joking. |
??? The lift exit has metal stairs and railings! There is a piste to ski down if your nerves are rattled what more do you want!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
