Not yet ready for high adventure? Ask us about lessons. We are happy to arrange group or private lessons for alpine skiing (including new school and carving), snowboarding and cross country skiing. We will help you select the right program and instructor. We will even book in advance to guarantee your place.

In the French Alps you are free to explore the mountains. With this freedom comes the obligation to do it responsibly. High mountains are full of dangers: Crevasses, ice falls, avalanches, sudden weather changes. Professional guides and qualified instructors know the terrain and have the expertise to guide you safely over it. They also know where to find the best snow conditions. For any level of skier or boarder, a high mountain guide or experienced instructor can take you places you could not go on your own. Hiring a guide is a good way to expand your horizons and become a better skier or boarder. safaris are generally one week

Lessons

Lessons for All Levels

Are you thirsty for high adventure but want to learn more?
Or maybe you are already a confident skier and would like to try snowboarding?
This is a great place to learn some new fun!

Adult and children's lessons are offered in private or in groups.

All instructors are licensed, qualified full-time professionals. They have all passed the prestigious and rigorous French National Standards test. Teaching and guiding is their lifetime profession.

Have questions, want to know more?

Guided Alpine Tours

Some examples of Guided Daily Adventures:

N.B. Like all back country adventures these must be taken with a qualified guide. Only a qualified guide has the expertise to cross this unmarked mountain terrain with its avalances, crevasses, cliffs and many other dangers and obstacles, as well as to find the best snow and a way home.

1 meter = 3.28 feet
1 kilometer = .62 miles

From Les Trois Vallées

Glacier de Gébroulaz: Take the lift system to the end of Val Thorens, altitude 3114 meters. Then hike up another 320 meters (1 - 1½ hours). The last 50 meters are steep; crampons and ropes are often necessary. You will be rewarded with a spectacular view of the beautiful Vanoise glaciers. And a several hour descent of 1700 to 2000 meter vertical drop. It depends which route you take down. This is one of the grand descents of the Alps. Altitude at depart: 3114 meters Verticals: +320 meters, -1700 meters or -2000 meters.

From Espace Killy

Col du Montet: Take the lifts up the Pisaillas glacier in the Le Fornet sector of Val d'Isère. Hike up a short distance to the pass l'Ouille Noire, traverse the Montet glacier to the Col du Montet. There is some hiking and climbing up involved, about 1½ hours. The very last part is quite steep. Your reward will be beautiful scenery, and an excellent north facing decent. Altitude at depart: 3200 meters Verticals: + 200 m and -1200 m.

Tour of the 7 Resorts: Start from the Col du Palet in Tignes and cross the Vallée de Champagny facing the famous Grand Casse Peak, then make your way westward through the French Alps resorts of La Plagne, Montchavin, Peisey-Nancroix, Les Arcs and Villaroger. When you buy a 6-day lift pass for Espace Killy, you get one day lift passes for these resorts for free.

La Foglietta: Start from the top of the lift system in Sainte Foy (a few minutes down the road from Val d'Isère and Tignes) hike up about one hour. From the summit your view will be Mont Blanc on one side and Mount Pourri (one of the highest peaks in Savoy) on the other. There are three excellent routes down. One on the north face and two easier ones on the south face. Altitude at depart: 2600 meters Verticals: +330, -1730 m , -1560 m, and -1380 m.

If you are a good skier with off-piste experience, add some extra excitement to your holiday. Take a day to go heli-skiing or heli-boarding. Prices start at about $200 per day depending on the number of drops and the number people in your group.

...A word on Val Grisenche, the heliskiing base…
Val Grisenche is a valley in the Val d'Aosta region which lies right behind the French Italian border range. It can be reached easily from Tignes and Val d'Isère by driving half an hour to the nearby resort of La Rosière and skiing over. Completely undeveloped, it is one of the most beautiful wild valleys of the Alps. The summits on both sides are all above 3,000 meters. The ski routes take you over glaciers, over snow covered pastures through Larch forests and clearings, through tiny villages and farms.

From Chamonix: Ski Mountaineering

Chardonnet Pass to Saleina mountain refuge in Switzerland: Take the Grands Montets cable car to the top (3,295 m). Ski down from the Grands Montets pass (3,233 m) on the Rognons Glacier (-283 meters). Next traverse the Argentière Glacier. From here climb up the Chardonnet Glacier to the Chardonnet Pass (+733 meters). Climb down the other side into Switzerland. At the top, you will need crampons and ice axes. After you can ski down on the Saleina Glacier (-693 m ). Then climb up a short way (61m) to reach the Saleina Mountain Refuge. Here you will spend the night on what feels like the top of the world. You are at 2,691 meters surrounded by amazing peaks: Portalet, Planereuses, Grande Lui, Les Aiguilles Dorées, Grande Forche, Aiguille du Chardonnet... Total:
Climbing +834 m.
Descent: -1,376 m.

From the Saleina hut you can make your way through 3 passes to the village of La Fouly in Switzerland. Begin by climbing up the Evole Glacier to the Planereuses Pass (+ 339 m) then descend the Planereuse Glacier on the other side, on foot at the top, on skis at the bottom (-100 m). After climb up the to the Pass Crete Seche (+74 m). Now you are on the Treutse Bo Glacier . From here descend a short way on skis (-24m). Then climb to the Pass Pointe des Essettes (+160 m). From here descend the on skis over the L' A Neuve Glacier al the way down to the little village of La Fouly in Switzerland where you can spend the night in a hotel (-1,570 m). Spectacular views of Mont Dolent and Aiguille de l'A. Neuve.
Total:
Climbing: +573 m.
Descent: -1,694 m.

The next day from La Fouly it is possible to cross into Italy. Climb to the Ferret Pass and cross into Italy. Then ski in the direction of Courmeyeur at the feet of the Grandes Jorasses chain in the Val Ferret Valley. From here you can take the Point Helbrunner cable car to the Torino Hut in Italy. The next day ski the Italian (virgin) side of La Vallée Blanche back to Chamonix.

Aiguille du Midi - La Toule Glacier - Virgin Combe of the Glacier Géant: Take the Aiguille du Midi cable car then ski down the Glacier Géant to Adolphe Rey (-593). Then climb to the Orient du Toule Pass (+261 m). From here ski down the la Toule Glacier to the Pointe Helbrunner Cable Car (-1,237 m). Take this up. From the top of the Pointe Helbrunner Cable Car ski down the Virgin Combe (right hand side) of the Glacier Géant. Then take the train back into Chamonix. Spectacular views of Brenva (Italian Face of Mont Blanc) and the Grand Paradis National
Park.
Total:
Climb: +261 m.
Descend: -1,830 m.

Col du Passen - le Tour: Take the Grandes Montets cable car (3,295 m). Depart on skis from the Grandes Montets Pass (3,285 m), down the Rognons glacier to the Argentières Glacier (-683 m). Climb up the other side to the Passen Pass, first on skins then with crampons and ice axes to the top (+500 m). From here you can ski over the le Tour Glacier and continue all the way to the village of le Tour (-1590 m). From le Tour take the bus back to Chamonix. Spectacular views of the "North Face" of the Argentière Glacier: Aiguille Verte, les Droites, les Courtes, Aiguille de Triolet.
Total:
Climb: +500 m.
Descend: -2,273 m.

Price $1635 US, includes accommodation for 6 nights with 3 meals a day, 10 helicopter flights, lift passes for 2 days off-piste (off-trail ) skiing in the resorts, snow cat skiing (if conditions make flying dangerous 1 day of snowcat skiing will count for 1 helicopter flight), registered international mountain guide from the region who is a heliskiing specialist (maximum 7 people per guide), transportation for pickups farther down the valley while heliskiing, use of avalanche beeper (2-way ortovox, rescue training is planned), ski touring bindings and skins if necessary.

Contact us for more details and Booking.

Can't get enough?
Air transportation from major US cities and
airport transfers can be included.

We recommend Chamonix, Val d'Isère, Tignes and Val Thorens for spring skiing.

With North South and West Facing Slopes, it is possible to find perfect spring snow all day long. In the morning the east facing slopes are brilliant. Around 10:30 it's time to move on to the west facing slopes, then to the south facing slopes. By late afternoon, when everything else has turned to soup, you can find good snow on the north facing slopes.

Huge ski terrains almost totally above the tree line, over a hundred lifts and pitches facing every direction make for plenty of skiing on perfect spring snow.

In the springtime conditions are such that you can venture far off into the mountains in warm and sunny weather. You will often see mountain wildlife such as marmots, bouquetins (ibex or large mountain goats), and chamois, which add to the beauty of the surroundings and to the the pleasure of long descents on spring snow. The fantastic beauty and wildlife of the region are protected and you can experience it by going into the park on touring skis. Or try touring over the mountains into the neighboring resort villages, Switzerland, or Italy.

Have questions, want to know more?