Ski touring in Chamonix

What is ski touring?

Ski touring is a winter sport where special skis and bindings are used, allowing skiing both uphill and downhill on mountains. One hikes up to the mountain peaks using climbing skins attached to the underside of the skis or by climbing with the skis on the backpack. It is a more challenging and physically demanding sport compared to regular downhill skiing, as it involves carrying one’s own weight and ski equipment up the mountains.

At first glance, it may not seem very appealing, as why would one hike up the mountains when you can take a ski lift? However, ski touring has become increasingly popular in recent years, and there are good reasons for it:

Firstly, there is a growing interest in experiencing nature in a more active way, and ski touring provides an opportunity to escape the crowds at ski resorts and experience the mountains in a more authentic manner. Secondly, there is an increased demand for alternative winter sports activities, and ski touring offers a unique option for those who want to try something different from regular downhill skiing. Thirdly, there have been advancements in equipment, making ski touring trips easier and safer, thus making it more accessible to people without prior ski touring experience. Lastly, it is a great way to get in shape as it requires good physical fitness and conditioning to hike up to the peaks and descend again.

In summary, ski touring is a unique and exciting way to enjoy winter and nature, and it’s easy to understand why it has become so popular.

What equipment do you need for ski touring?

If you’re planning to go on ski touring trips, there is specific equipment you should invest in:

Ski touring skis: These skis are designed to be lightweight and easy to climb uphill with, yet still stable enough for downhill skiing.
Touring bindings: These bindings are specially designed for ski touring, allowing the skis to move freely uphill but automatically locking when skiing downhill.
Ski clothing and gear: It’s important to have warm and waterproof clothing as temperatures can drop significantly at higher altitudes. Good footwear is also essential to keep your feet warm and dry.

Backpack: You’ll need a backpack with space for food, drinks, extra clothing, and other equipment.

Avalanche transceiver, probe, and shovel: If you’re going ski touring, it’s crucial to have avalanche equipment with you to assist in locating yourself or others in case of an avalanche.

Crampons: Also known as “steigeisen,” crampons are important if you’ll be ascending steep icy slopes or crossing glaciers.

GPS device or map and compass: Having a GPS device or a map and compass can help navigate in the mountains.

First aid kit: It’s always a good idea to have a first aid kit with you to manage minor injuries or accidents that may occur.

It’s important to have the right equipment and be prepared for the conditions you may encounter on a ski touring trip.

How far do you typically go in a day?

Depending on the composition of the group, we aim to make day trips covering a vertical ascent of 500 to 1000 meters.

Do you need to be in good shape?

It’s difficult to say exactly what level of fitness is required for ski touring.

Certainly, it does require some effort to ascend a mountain, so being in reasonable physical shape is important. It is very similar to hiking and trekking, so if you have experience with mountain hiking, you have a good idea of what it entails.

We always recommend training in advance before going on ski touring trips. This can involve conditioning and strength training through cardio exercises and weightlifting, or going on hikes with a backpack to physically prepare for the trip.

How skilled do you need to be for ski touring?

In addition to physical fitness, many guests ask about the technical skills required for ski touring.

Ski touring requires a certain level of technical ability and experience as it involves both climbing uphill with skis and skiing downhill. It’s important to have a good understanding of basic skiing techniques such as balance, control, and safety to handle the challenges that may arise on a ski touring trip. So, ski touring requires a similar level of technical skill as off-piste skiing.

It’s also important to have a good understanding of safety procedures, know your own physical fitness and abilities, and be familiar with the area you plan to visit.

Why ski touring in Chamonix?

Chamonix in France is one of the most popular destinations for ski touring due to several factors:

Firstly, the area is surrounded by impressive mountains, including Mont Blanc, which is the highest mountain in Europe. This allows for tours in alpine settings and offers incredibly beautiful views.

Secondly, the snow reliability is incredibly high because many of the surrounding mountain peaks are around 4,000 meters high, and there are numerous glaciers. So, even when many places report poor snow conditions, you can still find good snow around Chamonix.

Thirdly, there is a wide range of different tours to choose from, ranging from easy trips to more challenging ones that require experience and technical skill.

Fourthly, there is a network of experienced mountain guides who can assist with planning and leading tours and provide advice and guidance on safety and technique.

Fifthly, the area offers excellent facilities, including ski lifts, huts, restaurants, and hotels, making it easy to plan and carry out a trip.

Overall, Chamonix is a fantastic place for ski touring, combining impressive mountains, a varied selection of tours, experienced guides, and good facilities.

Ski Touring with DBP Adventures

We offer both fixed and flexible ski touring trips to Chamonix.

A fixed trip is a tour with predetermined dates that is open to everyone as long as there are available spots. Here, you will meet other like-minded ski enthusiasts who, just like you, are passionate about the mountains, nature, and backcountry skiing. Examples of such tours include “Ski Touring in Chamonix“.

A flexible trip is for those who want a private guide and a customized tour based on their needs. You can decide when you want to go and for how long. It requires a minimum of 5-6 people to maintain the price. It’s also possible to do it with fewer people, but the price per person will increase. An example of such a tour is “Offpiste in Chamonix.”

What to expect from a day of ski touring in Chamonix?

It’s challenging to plan a ski touring trip in detail months in advance because weather and snow conditions are crucial for determining the best places to go. Therefore, the details of our tours are planned by our experienced mountain guides shortly before the trip when we have knowledge of the weather forecast and know how the snow is in different areas. Guests’ physical and technical levels are also taken into consideration to ensure that everyone has a great experience.

A typical day of ski touring in Chamonix

A typical day on our ski touring trip in Chamonix may vary depending on the route and weather, but here’s an example of what a typical day could look like:

Morning meeting: You meet up with the mountain guide. The day’s plans and route will be discussed, and equipment will be checked.

Climbing up the mountain: The tour starts by hiking up the mountain with skis on. It can take a few hours or the whole day, depending on the route and the mountain’s elevation.

Breaks: Take breaks along the way to rest, eat, and drink. It’s important to stay hydrated and eat regularly to maintain energy levels.

Skiing down: Now, the real fun begins. When you reach the summit, it’s time to ski down and enjoy every turn that you’ve worked hard for 🙂

Conclusion: After a great descent, you return to Chamonix, where you can relax and enjoy a well-deserved drink or dinner.

What about lift passes?

On some days, we take a lift up into the terrain to gain some altitude 🙂 and then proceed further into the mountains from there. For example, there are many tours that start from the top of the Flégère lift, where we hike up over the various mountain slopes in the Aiguille Rouge area. Similarly, there are many fantastic tours where we start by taking the Grands Montets lift and then traverse over the Argentiere Glacier.

It could also be that the weather and conditions allow for a trip to Verbier. By utilizing the lift system in Le Tour, it is possible to visit Verbier on a ski touring day trip from Chamonix.

When we are ski touring, we rarely know in advance how many days we will need lift passes because it depends on the weather and snow conditions. Therefore, we typically buy them on a day-to-day basis. Lift passes can be purchased directly at the lifts and can be topped up online. In Chamonix, there isn’t much saving by buying 3, 4, 5, or 7-day lift passes instead of buying them day by day.

Mountain Hut Accommodation

On our ski touring trip in Chamonix, we always try to include one night in a mountain hut/refuge, weather permitting. In the Chamonix area, there is a vast network of mountain huts that can be visited, providing a unique and authentic experience in the mountains. The refuges are usually situated at higher elevations in the mountains and are designed to offer protection from the weather and provide overnight accommodation for hikers and ski tourers. Most refuges have basic facilities such as sleeping areas, toilets, and kitchens. The ones we use are typically serviced, meaning you will receive meals and accommodation, usually requiring you to bring a sleeping bag liner.

Diary

Returning to the ski touring trip that I have just returned from, I will share my diary to provide you with a specific example of a ski touring trip.

Arrival Day

We arrived late in the evening because it was most convenient to take a direct flight from Copenhagen to Geneva (2 hours). Upon arrival in Geneva, we were greeted by our driver with a smiling “Bienvenue et bonne nuit,” and we were immediately on our way to Chamonix in pouring rain. The journey from Geneva to Chamonix takes only 1 hour, but nevertheless, we went from rain to the most beautiful snowfall.

First Day on Skis

After a hearty breakfast, we met with our mountain guide who briefed us on the day’s conditions, and a plan was quickly established. It had been snowing all night and continued to do so, resulting in plenty of powder snow, but visibility was not great. Therefore, we chose to spend the day in the Grands Montets area, where we took the lift to the top and then applied climbing skins to our skis to venture away from the tracked snow – this is why ski touring is so fantastic! You really don’t have to go far to find delicious untouched powder snow… We ended up spending the entire day in the area, taking short ski touring trips, indulging in line after line of the most exquisite untouched powder snow.

We ascended approximately 500 meters in altitude.

Second Day on Skis

We woke up to another morning with a fresh layer of snow, but now with blue skies and good visibility. So breakfast was consumed in twilight, and we met our mountain guide early. After briefing us on the day’s conditions, it was quickly decided that we should venture further into the mountains today, and the guide recommended going up Glacier de Rognons and then skiing down the backside of Grands Montets and continuing down to the Argentiere Glacier.

We went approx. 700 meters altitude

Third day skiing

It was time to spend the night in the Refuge de Loriaz mountain hut, so the bag was packed before we went to bed and it was another day with an early breakfast. We met our mountain guide and took the train to Le Buet further up in the Vallorcine Valley. From there we put on our skis and started the journey in approx. 700 meters up to our mountain cabin. We arrived after a few hours and quickly repacked our bags and had some lunch before we were back on the skis. We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the Loriaz slopes and were treated to another day of very good snow.

The evening in the cabin was spent having fun and talking about safe travel on glaciers, including a small exercise in crevasse rescue.

We went approx. 1200 meters altitude

Fourth day on skis

We wake up to the most wonderful sunrise

It has snowed again, and there is another 20-30 cm of fresh snow, so it won’t be long before everyone has had breakfast and is ready to go out on the mountain. We revisit some of the routes we went the day before, because there is again the possibility of first tracks. We are back at the Loriaz cabin by lunchtime, very tired and hungry, but with big smiles.

Mountain food was served in the best style and large amounts of cheese and Tartiflette were consumed. The afternoon is spent seeing a bit more of the area before the journey descends the mountain through forest and deep snow

We went approx. 900 meters altitude

That was all, in the end everyone was very tired and completely filled with fantastic experiences and on the trip back to Chamonix there is already talk about where the next trip should go.