English Ski Touring Course (Snowboard), 2 Days, Andermatt, Switzerland

English Ski Touring Course, Andermatt, Switzerland

This is a ski touring course for both skiers and snowboarders to develop skills and knowledge while enjoying ski tours. We’ll spend 2 days ski touring in Andermatt, Switzerland.

Your English-speaking mountain guide will work with you and the small group to plan ski tours each day. Adjusting the plans on the go as needed, together with you. This allows you to enjoy the great ski touring in this area while learning all of the essential elements of ski or snowboard touring.

You don’t require any previous experience with ski tours, as long as you are confident at skiing on the piste, we will help you to be confident and safe ski touring. This will open up great possibilities and great freedom to plan and enjoy skiing without the crowds and expensive day tickets.

Tour Details

Contents

• Track setting/safe behavior during ascent/descent
• Ski techniques for ascent and descent
• Introduction to tour planning
• Interpreting dangers using avalanche forecasts and applying this information on a planned tour
• Use of emergency equipment (avalanche transceiver, avalanche shovel, avalanche probe, and avalanche airbag backpack)

Aim

Depending on your personal fitness levels, you will be able to take part in easy to moderate guided courses and tours e.g. a basic ski touring course, free touring in Andermatt

Technique

Beginner

Piste: confident on skis
Powder snow: no experience necessary
Terrain: relatively steep, open terrain

For snowboarders: confident traversing (frontside/backside)
Ability to ride flat areas using a sliding technique (ski poles)

Condition

Beginner-intermediate

Duration from 2 to 4 hours, up to approx. 700 vertical meters, approx. 250 vertical meters per hour.

Small group

3-8 participants per English-speaking mountain guide

Meeting place

9.15 a.m. Andermatt (train arrival 9.06 a.m. Andermatt)

Departure

Approx. 4 p.m. from point of departure

Accommodation

Andermatt Alpine Appartments, Bärengasse 1, CH-6490 Andermatt

Radisson Blu Hotel Reussen, Bärengasse 1, CH-6490 Andermatt

EQUIPMENT

Rental equipment

Our mountain guide will bring the ordered rental equipment to the meeting place. The following equipment can be rented:

• Barryvox (Avalanche Transceiver)
• Avalanche Probe
• Avalanche Shovel
• Avalanche-Airbag-Backpack
• Ski touring equipment (skis, binding, skins, ski crampons, poles)
• Ski touring boots
• MSR Snowshoes (for Snowboarders)
• Eiger Extreme Hardshell Jacket

Technical equipment

• Barryvox (Avalanche Transceiver)
• Avalanche Probe
• Avalanche Shovel
• Touring backpack or avalanche airbag backpack (approx. 30 l with ski carrier)
• Ski touring equipment (skis, bindings, skins, ski crampons)
• Alpine ski boots or touring ski boots
• Alternative to ski touring equipment: Splitboard with skins or snowboard and snowshoes including snowboard boots/ Telemark ski and Boots
• (telescopinc) ski poles
• Ski helmet (optional)

Clothing

• Ski jacket and ski pants (Gore-Tex or similar material)
• Soft shell and/or fleece jacket
• Short/long functional underwear
• Beanie and headband
• 2 pairs of gloves (1 thin pair, 1 warm, windproof, and waterproof pair)
• Functional socks and spare socks

Overnight

• Clothes and shoes for the evening (for wearing in the accommodation and in the village)
• Own toiletries

Food

• Breakfast and dinner at the apartment/hotel
• You need to bring your own hot drinks and lunch or you can buy them in the village
• Snacks (e.g. energy bars, dried fruit, dried meat)

Other

• Sunglasses and ski goggles
• Sun cream and lip cream (SPF 30 or higher)
• Camera and binoculars (optional)
• half-fare travelcard (if you have one)
• Thermos flask made from break-proof material
• Small medicinal supplies for personal requirements