Freeride/touring long weekend for really experienced off piste skiers

A snowHead

Hello All,

I was just reading Nadtatic's post for a freeride/touring week for very experienced off piste skiers.

His week is an excellent idea. Unfortuately I can't commit to a full week in April due to work. Also I don't want to wait until April!

So, shamelessly copying Nadtatic's idea I'm proposing a freeride/touring long weekend. Date would be sometime in the next month or so. Details are as follows:

When: 3-4 day weekend to be agreed in the next month or so.
What: Freeride/touring. Emphasis will be on finding good untracked snow and geneniue quality off piste descents. If that can be accessed straight off the lift great. If not we'll do as much (or as little!) walking as required to get it.
How many: me + another 2-4 like minded skiers.
Level: As pointed out by Nadtatic this is important. This is a trip for people who can genuinely ski off piste all day. You don't need to be a superstar (I'm not) but you need to be able to make it down enjoyably and in good time in pretty much any type of snow and be fit/skilled enough to keep doing that (plus a few hikes) all day long. I have lots of off piste experience but only a little with skins so on that basis no real experience with skins is required.
Equipment: it may well be necessary to use skins so you should have or be prepared to rent that. I don't have epic hikes in mind so marker duke/baron set up should be good. It goes without saying that transceiver/probes/shovel (and some knowledge of how to use them) will be required.
Where: I suggest in or around Davos but am open to suggestions.
Costs/Logistics/Accommodation/Guide: Assuming there are takers I will do the leg work on accommodation/guides etc. The plan will be for reasonably priced accommodation either in or a short drive/public transport from the hill.

I will have a car that can transport some/all of the group depending on size.

Let me know if anyone is interested.

Stephen

A snowHead

Hi Stephen - got space on this, could possibly do shorter week if you can't manage the whole 7 days:

http://www.whiteroomchalet.com/win_backcountry_weeks.htm

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

Thanks Stevomcd. Will bear this in mind but, while I've heard good things about Sainte Foy, as I live in Zurich there are much closer options offering similar types of off piste groups. Without wishing to sound ungrateful I guess the purpose of trying to pull together my own group is that my experience with organised groups is that as often not the level isn't quite there. Your group sounds different from most which are 'intro to off piste' but still sounds less ski experience than what I was hoping to gather in my group (if I read correctly your groups might include skiers who have never skied deep powder or don't yet have a few days off piste experience).

However, given the muted response to my post it seems like I'll be lining up for something like what you propose but a little closer to home. I'd imagine the best options for experienced off piste skiers closer to Zurich would be Engelberg mountain guides or piste to powder/any of the regular ski schools in the Arlberg. Anyone have any other suggestions? Or any takers for a snowheads group? Anyone, anyone...

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Hi Steven,

I'd agree with you - hard to justify driving past half the Alps to get to Sainte Foy from Zurich! Just to clarify though, anyone looking to join our groups SHOULD HAVE skied deep powder and have a few days off-piste experience.

Stevo

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Freeride/touring long weekend for really experienced off piste skiers

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