 Poster: A snowHead
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Went out last Sat 12th Jan and once in resort went to Evolution 2 in Tignes to inquire about guiding.
Just as well I did as they were nigh on fully booked. So booked three four hour sessions for the Tues (PM), Wed (AM) and Thurs (AM) as I had friends arriving Sunday and they wanted to have a day prior to guiding.
I also wanted to take out a couple of the guys who work for Crystal who had helped my daughter out after she did her ACL as a thank you, wanting to give them the "guiding" experience as it were, on their day off on the Wed.
Only issue was that when I asked about ski touring / randonnée they (Evo2) said that they do not really do it as there is no need in Tignes / Val d'Isere, oh well I thought, no real complaints if I still get fresh.........
Come Tuesday weather was bad with poor viz, and my other half already said that she's pass on the afternoon's guiding due to the conditions. We met up with the guide and he was pretty cool on deferring to Friday, and he liked my suggestion of maybe touring.
After we left the guide I had a chat with a group of Brits who had just done a morning's off piste with a guide and I asked them how it was and they were raving about it (?) and then I asked them about the afternoon and they were all enthusiastic about how they were going out again (?). So must admit that I thought that maybe I dropped a clanger, though I did raise my doubts to my mate as to maybe their perception of what constitutes a good day and mine might be different, and that maybe I have been spoilt over the years.
However all through lunch kept wondering if I'd made a mistake in agreeing to cancel.
That afternoon we went back out, and headed over to Brevieres to see what the trees were like and stay low. It was later in the afternoon that we saw the same group of Brits and my doubts were reassuringly confirmed.
So to Wednesday and we met up with a different guide, Pierre.
He gave a very detailed safety briefing and was quite ironic in that Evo say they supply ABS bags, to which when my wife found out poured scorn on me for making her take my mates bag with her which severely affected her baggage allowance of 20kg. When we turned up minus ABS bag having left hers in the chalet, as the ones they have were lighter and smaller, they did not have any more left for clients !
It was good for the two young "dudes" to get the briefing in use of transceivers and the like, and then when we went up the hill there was further explanation and demonstration of how to use the gear.
We then had a really good morning with Pierre surprising the "dudes" with lines they never knew existed around Palafour. One of the guys has done four seasons and thought he knew most of the local lines to be had off the lifts.
So an excellent morning, and a fair amount of fresh was had, and the "dudes" ended the day using expletives such as "epic" and "awesome" to their mates in the Loop at lunch, so mission accomplished !
Vid of Wed
Tignes Off Piste Jan 2013 around Palafour from Weathercam http://vimeo.com/57545520
Thursday we had Pierre again, minus the "dudes" was still good, but one of our group did not want to "hike" so that limited us to what we could do, plus she was not uber confident on steeps.
So did my brain in seeing people getting some nice lines in off the Col du Chardonnet in the fresh. Though the number of people hiking up to the Col was similar to those photos you see of people queuing to get up Everest, and I did proclaim that was the reason I ski tour !
We finished the morning off with a good run down the Vallon de la Sache, though again a fair number of people had been down it.
And the Mrs with frozen hair, and this time her own bag!
Friday my other half was always going to go to Albertville with my daughter for her MRI scan, and was going to have lunch up the mountain with her, fortunately the member of our group who the previous day did not like the idea of hiking thought lunch sounded better than what I wanted to do, so our group was down to two 
This time our guide was Jean Marie, and we set out out taking a couple of lifts, with him sussing out our capabilities. We then took the Borsat Express and then traversed a very long way with a fair amount of uphill polling, and then put our skins on for a short half hour climb to be blessed with some great snow and turns.
He, the guide was so enthusiastic over it all, loving the idea of getting away from everyone, it was great to hear and see him lapping it up!
We then did some more traversing and another climb, this time the light and time was against us. We had a good descent before the long gnarly run out along the river to the Manchet Express. By then the guide really thought we might end up having to get a taxi back from Val, but we tore down into Val non stop and at break neck pace. And then finally up the other side with another all out run down to get the Tommeuses lift back to Tignes. My mate who's legs were no longer part of his body by this time had the great honor of having the lift closed as he went through!
So a very good day, and in the end I was impressed with what the guides could offer, as I was initially skeptical as to what they would be like, having only ever used UIAGM guides in many various place.
Little bit of skinning and skiing getting away from the hordes and finding some fresh from Weathercam http://vimeo.com/57785822
I would recommend the way we did things, and between six it's not too expensive with it working out at 540 Euros for all with a 10% discount.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Do Evolution2 not employ UIAGM guides as their guides then? What qualifications do they have: are they Ski Teachers?
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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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I presume it's the same as when you see ESF taking groups off piste, they are not UIAGM, they probably have some further mountain qualifications but are definitely not UIAGM as you never see any of them wearing the badge - I'm not sure however if they are allowed to guide off piste on glacier terrain for instance, but again they might have other high mountain qualifications that let's them.
One thing that I did not mention is that they are far more forth coming with tips on how to ski better than various guides (maybe because they are essentially instructors) I have been with over the years, and I found this very refreshing and helpful, especially as my skiing has taken a wee bit of a knock since I did my ACL and I need to find "speed is my friend" again !
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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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Weathercam, thanks for the report. A few years ago I did a couple of mornings with Top Ski out of Val D. A little climbing can get you a long way 
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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 think only UIAGM can guide on Glaciers but this doesn't seem to make a big difference to what you can do in that area, in my experience. Guides don't normally teach but are usually happy to give a few tips if you ask.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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snowball, Weathercam, I suppose in part it depends if they have a teaching qualification; are they 'only' guides or are they also ski instructors. Maybe there is a french law that says you cant teach even if you are a mountain guide.
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I've used the same guide for years, and he teaches in a very understated way. He also takes me to places which pushes me beyond my boundaries, which means I've learnt enormous amount without realising. I've also used ski instructors who guide, and I would argue the experience is much less rounded, and no cheaper. I'd take a mountain guide every time.
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Chamcham, nail on the head there !
I've been with my "guide" who is now more of a mate for over fifteen years - I do stuff for him (websites for him & his Mrs) as well as sourcing gear be it bikes / windsurfing and we do a "contra" against guiding trouble is neither of us can ever remember who owes what 
Just done a revamp of his site and I've said I want to do Bar Des Ecrins in May when he's back from his winter jaunts, think that will be pushing my boundaries a little !
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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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Sounds and looks like you had a great time "Weathercam". I "skinned" up to the Col de la Vanoise from Pralognan today. It's certainly great to get away from the pistes 
For info: IFMGA Guides (was UIAGM) can take clients on glaciers and on overnight trips using mountain huts. French ski instructors are not permitted on glaciers and on multi-day tours. If you ever want to find out what they are and aren't allowed to do ask to see their "Carte Professionnelle" as it states their qualification and the "prerogatives" that go with it. To pass the French mountain guides diploma now takes 3 years and the entry test, the "probatoire" requires a high level of skiing (in addition to a high level of mountaineering skills) around the same level as the "test technique" for the "pisteur-secouriste" (ski patroller). French guides are certainly allowed to teach; but that's not their primary role.
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