Day 1

Le Tour. We met last night to sort equipment and get to know each other. This area at the end of the Chamonix valley offers a variety of terrain to allow you to find your ski legs, on-piste at first, before making our first turns outside the marked runs. Avalanche training starts straight away with transceiver searches.

Day 2

Les Grands Montets is ideal for our second day with big open slopes at many different angles. Avalanche awareness training continues and you will start to be able to predict the effects of wind and sun on the snow and how they change the skiing experience. We could also ski down onto the Argentiere glacier as an intro to safe glacier travel.

Day 3

The Aiguille du Midi. gives access to the Vallee Blanche, one of the most famous off-piste runs in the world. 17km and 2700m of descent under the shadow of Mont Blanc and its neighbouring 4000m peaks.

Day 4

Les Contamines is ideal for looking at the use of skins attached to the underside of skis, to allow access to areas where the lifts don't go. For a little bit of effort we can find areas denied to the less adventurous and our rewards are untracked snow and solitude.

Day 5

Crochue/Berard (Aiguilles Rouges). Lets put it all together with a longer trip using lifts to gain some height, skins on for 1/2 hour, carrying skis over a steep section, then skiing down a remote valley. Skins on again for another 1/2hr then a long descent to finish at a cafe/bar, and a well deserved drink. A short journey brings us back to Chamonix via the mountain railway.

Day 1

Le Tour. We will have met the evening before to sort out equipment and to get to know each other. So its straight out to discover your ski legs again and to learn or reacquaint everyone with avalanche procedures and the use of transceivers, shovels and probes.

Day 2 

Les Grands Montets. This is often where people mean when they talk of skiing Chamonix. A massive area and a chance to get to grips with skiing in complicated glacial terrain.

Day 3 

Brevent/Flegere. These two sunny and interlinked areas face the Mont Blanc range. The many combs and roll overs give ever changing snow conditions to test your technique.

Day 4

Les Contamines. This resort is just out of the main valley and offers varied off-piste from big open slopes to tight tree skiing and the possibility of a short climb on 'skins' to access less frequented slopes.

Day 5 

Aiguille du Midi. This lift gives us access to the world famous 'Vallee Blanche'. With at least seven different variants, the difficulty and steepness can be tailored to each group.

Day 6 

An optional day where, if enough people want to, we can heli-ski from either Italy or Switzerland. (This would involve a supplement.)

Day 1

Col du Dards. We met the night before so equipment and skis are sorted, so we get out pretty sharpish. A few runs off the Flegere lift system will remind out of practice legs what to do. The route past the refuge at Lac Blanc gives stunning views across the valley to the Mont Blanc massif. The ski down is long and interesting but not too difficult.

Day 2

Col du Toule, Toule Glacier and the Italian Vallee Blanche. This day has everything. A ride on the Aiguille du Midi telepherique to 3800m and a cruise down the classic Vallee Blanche to the junction with it's Italian counter part. One and a half hours of skinning gets us to the Col de Toule and a classic descent in powder or spring snow to a fine restaurant above Courmayeur. Back up on the lift system then a descent of the Combe de la Vierge brings us onto the Mer de Glace which leads down to Chamonix.

Day 3

Col du Passon. From the top of Les Grands Montets telepherique one gets a fantastic ski on to the Argentiere glacier. Directly across from the line of descent is the Col du Passon. We must climb on skins for two hours, then its skis off and on to backpacks to climb up a steep and narrow couloir. At the top a low angle glacier leads to steeper slopes and great skiing down to the valley resort of Le Tour.

Day 4

Col des Autannes. This trip starts in the resort of Le Tour at the end of the Chamonix valley and  crosses over the Swiss frontier. The approach after leaving the chair lifts is relatively short, but steep, and we may need to wear our crampons to reach the col. Perfect slopes at just the right angle lead to the Swiss village of Trient where we wait in the cafe for the taxi which will take us home.

Day 5

Col de Beugeant. This classic trip is in the Aiguille Rouge and is accessed off the index lift at Flegere. A gradually steepening skin, then a few zig zags, leads to what looks like an impossible rock wall. On closer inspection a ramp line leads up through the cliff and a rope from above makes the scramble which follows exciting but safe. The slopes on the  other side give sustained skiing and hold powder for a long time due to there northerly aspect. The secluded valley of La Berard leads to the hamlet of Le Buet and a welcoming bar. Return is by the railway which has a station 30 seconds from the bar.