English Ski Touring Course (Snowboard), 3 Days, Andermatt, Switzerland

English Ski Touring Course, Andermatt, Switzerland

This is a ski touring course in English for both skiers and snowboarders to develop skills and knowledge while enjoying ski tours. We’ll spend 3 days ski touring on the Furka Pass 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

You will be able to plan simple ski tours independently and carry these out in favorable conditions. Depending on your personal fitness level, you will be able to take part in simple to moderate ski tours, e.g. an advanced ski touring course or an alpine ski tour for beginners, etc.

Technique

Beginner

Piste: confident on skis; Powder snow: no experience necessary; Terrain: moderately steep, open terrain; Alpine technique: you don’t need to have ski touring experience

For snowboarders: confident traversing (toe-side/heel-side), ability to ride flat areas using a sliding technique (ski poles)

Condition

Beginner-intermediate

Duration from 4 to 6 hours, up to approx.1,000 vertical meters, approx. 250 vertical meters per hour.

Small group

3-8 participants per mountain guide

Meeting place

9.30 a.m. Andermatt (train arrival at 9.21 a.m.)

Departure

Approx. 4 p.m. from point of departure

Accommodation

Hotel Tiefenbach, Furkapass

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)
Technical equipment
Barryvox (Avalanche Transceiver)
Avalanche Probe
Avalanche Shovel
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
(telescopic) Ski poles
Ski helmet

Clothing

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

Overnight cottage

Own toiletries, earplugs if required
Clothes and shoes to wear in the hut (Minimum)

Food

Breakfast and dinner at the hut
Tea and lunch must be brought or can be bought at the hut
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
Headlamp or flashlight with new batteries
Small medicinal supplies for personal requirements