backcountry Archives - FreeFlo Ski Instruction

#1 Ski Touring Route This Winter 2020/21- Rocher De La Davie, Tignes area, 3159M

Posted on February 21, 2021February 22, 2021 by Jocelyn Cockle

With no ski lifts open this winter in France due to Covid 19 the only way to make some turns is earning them and ski touring uphill. The ski touring route to Rocher De La Davie is not only a beautiful touring route of wilderness and sheer beauty. But it is also a special route for me.

Rarely I get the chance to climb over 3000m. It must have been a couple of years ago before my leg was broken that I ski toured up such a height. Then lockdown with Covid stopped everything. So being up here on La Rocher De La Davie 3159m last weekend meant a lot to me. It was my first big vertical tour in a long time. Determination and grit are the reasons why I got here!!

If you put your mind to something you can achieve it!!! So I wanted to share this journey with you because whatever goal you have you can do it! You can succeed even if the journey is hard, difficult and will take a long time. This blog is the proof!

ski touring summit rocher de la davie — On the Summit Rocher De La Davie 3159M

This route is such a beautiful and stunning route with breathtaking views all around. It is a route where timing is everything. If you tour up in the springtime then make sure you leave early to reduce avalanche risk as lot of the faces are west and southerly aspects.

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Directions: You start by parking your car on the side of the road below the village. Then you walk up to the village and tour up follow the signs Orsiere village. Continue through the forest and before you get to Orsiere the forest will start to thin out and go east onto a wide and open face of Plan Du Geniviere. Work your way up until it starts to get steep then contour round to ridgeline and up to spot height 2819m. Then descend and a slight climb to the weather station. Once at the weather station contour round and the summit is in view in the background.

The view at summit de la davie — View at the summit of La Davie

Route: Le Villaret Des Brevieres to Rocher De La Davie
Off Piste skiing between: 1832m -3159m E/SE/S/W
Max Gradient: 38 degrees
Uphill: With good fitness 4.5 to 5 hours
Total Return Route time: 5.5/6hrs
Skiers Level: Intermediate/Advanced off piste
Ski Touring Level: Intermediate/Advanced
Start: From the road below the village Villaret Des Brevieres
Finish: Villaret Des Brevieres
Map needed: 3532ET

Powder Skiing Of La Rocher De La Davies, Tignes area

COMING SOON: If you want to get into ski touring and you don’t know how. Or if you have done ski touring a few times and you want to learn more then consider purchasing the Ski Touring Kickstarter digital course. Save time and money by making the right decisions and learn at your own pace. It is a lifetime course that you can always refer back to. For more info please email [email protected]

Part 1: Ski touring Col Des Fours, Val D’Isere

Posted on February 4, 2020November 24, 2020 by Jocelyn Cockle

Part 1: Ski Touring the Col Des Fours in Val D’Isere

Ski touring the Col Des Fours in Val D’Isere is part 1 of my top five classic ski tours in the Tarentaise Valley in the Northern French Alps. It is also part one of the series Best Ski Touring Routes on my Freefloski youtube channel

Its a low intermediate ski tour with only a 480m of ascent. For your efforts, you are rewarded with amazing views and over 1000m of vertical off-piste descent into the Vallon Des Fours. It is a great introductory tour for skiers who have some experience in ski touring already. But it is a tour where your timing is everything! You need to make sure that you have big enough weather window and that you time the last traverse to perfection.

Route: Fornet, Val D’Isere- Col Des Fours- Fornet, Val D’Isere
Off-Piste skiing: 2976m -1915m W/NW/N
Max Ski Gradient: 38 degrees
Uphill: 480m 1.5 to 2hrs
Total Route time from Fornet: 5-6hrs
Skiers Level: Intermediate off-piste skier
Ski Touring Level: Low Intermediate
Start: Fornet cable car
Finish: Fornet cable car
Lift pass needed: Val D’Isere
Map needed: 3633ET

Depending on your size of the group and the speed of the group this tour in the winter you can actually start in Tignes and ski over to Fornet and ski back depending on your size of the group and the speed of the group. In springtime when the snowpack is warming I would advise you to start in Fornet in Val D’Isere so you aren’t depending on a ski lift home.

You start on the Col D’Iseran and ski down southwest to Pont de la Neige. At the bridge, you will find a flat area so you can transition to uphill skiing. From there you climb 480m to the col. If you are careful with your line you don’t need to be able to do a kick turn. The last two hundred metres of the tour is the most difficult and its when the timing is everything. It’s a 200m traverse which is slightly exposed and often icy. As the pitch above the traverse is southeast facing it has the sun on it early and the snowpack warms and often releases some slides.

After you reach the col you have endless options of skiing different lines to the Refuge Des Fours. Choosing your ski down after the refuge becomes a little bit more tricky as you are in more complication terrain. Depending on snow conditions you can then decide to keep left or right of the river des fours back and then back to the Manchet chairlift.

For more ski touring tips see blog: 5 Ski and Snowboard Touring Technique Tips

‘Ski tour in comfort and performance; I choose nothing but the best and highly recommend the backcountry selection from Floâ Sports,’ Jocelyn Cockle (Floss) Director of Freefloski

FREEFLO specializes in progressive on and off-piste ski instruction, backcountry ski touring and women-specific ski courses. We offer personal British ski instruction for skiers of all abilities. Our primary objective is helping competent skiers to improve their technique on and off-piste and in the backcountry. Our intuitive coach approach will help you to progress, have fun and enjoy the full freedom of the mountains in a safe and confident manner.

Freefloski Featured in the Ultimate List of Best Ski Schools in France

Posted on December 4, 2019 by Jocelyn Cockle

Ridestore Magazine Press Realease, 29th November 2019.
Jocelyn Cockle (Floss) of Freefloski in Tignes has been featured as one of the best ski schools in Tignes by Ridestore Magazine. Ridestore complied a mega ulitmate list of the best ski schools in France for the 2019/20 season, after all, the countdown is on to many of us ski and snowboard lovers, hitting the slopes! The team at Ridestore thought it was time someone put together a list of all the ski schools in the best and busiest resorts in France to make life a little easier for those that are frantically googling.

This list was created to try and take a little bit of stress out of selecting the right ski school for you. It doesn’t matter wether you are a first time skier, an intermediate looking to get rid of bad habits or a season rider who loved to learn the latest tricks and tips, its vital to find the right fit for you. Brits have been supporting French ski schools both big and small, always looking for the right tutiton that offers value for money and quality and experienced instructors; Just like Floss!

This ultimate list of the best schools rewards the schools who put their best foot (or ski boot) forward at all times to ensure first time and novice skiers and snowboarders, well riders of all levels have a fantastic experience on and off the slopes. The right ski school experience can make or break a trip after all and our annual (or if your lucky, bi-annual) ski trip is sacred and maxuimising your time is essential.

” Searching for a ski school, particularly in France where there are so many in each resort, can be a little stressful, only adding to the to-do-list further when booking a mountain adventure. Then if you want to advance your skills, in off-piste, touring or more specific niches, finding the right fit ski scholl wise, can be a challenge. Therefore, Freefloski was an outstanding candidiate for such specialised training in Tignes and was rightfully included in our ultimate list. I will have to message Floss when I am next in Tignes! “ stated Angelica Skykes from Ridgestore Magazine.

“There are lots of things to consider when booking a ski holiday, and choosing the right ski school is one that always proves challenging. Therefore, with this list we wanted to make the booking process taht bit easier, so you cna get on with the planning the rest of your trip” continued Angelica Sykes

Jocelyn Cockle, Director of Freefloski stated ” Its a competitive landscape in Tignes for ski schools, with plenty of instructors and schools offering the service but Ridestore Magazine gave us a honourable mention as providing something unique. We are able to give our clients the best possible touring and backcounty ski experience with passion at the forefront. Ensuring a relaxed and easygoing enviornment in which to your skills, push your spirits nad techique to the next level.”

FREEFLO Ski Touring Ski Courses in Tignes, Val D'Isere and St Foy — FREEFLO Ski Touring Ski Courses in Tignes, Val D’Isere and St Foy

To read the full entry about Freeflo Ski School, please visit Ridestore Magazine.

Ski Touring Decision Making-Tignes 20th Nov 2019

Posted on November 24, 2019 by Jocelyn Cockle

The Preparation:
Always a good day ski touring in the mountains takes some sort of preparation. The night before I checked three weather forecasts one included my favourite snow-forecast.com. I decided that the conditions for ski touring were good for two days. In the morning I reaccessed the forecast. I packed my bag with enough food and equipment that gave me optionality, as I wasn’t certain how long we would be touring for. The plan of attack was to start touring up a piste called Palafour from Tignes Le Lac. The slope is south-east facing and we could stay warm in the sun. We would then decide where to go on route. We had no other concrete plans to arrive at a summit or to achieve a particular route.

On Route:
I decided to break trail off-piste as there were workers on the piste half way up. Once we arrived at Chardonnet Bowl, we could really start seeing the mountain and reading the signs. Routes in Chardonnet bowl had been skied and two skiers were skiing down and not making it look easy. The wind affected certain summits and cols. There was one group of 6 or 7 skiers or splitboarders going up a route called Grapillion Des Merles. The snowpack looked thin, the snow was uneven, there were sasturgi and plumes of snow. The group still decided to go up even if the route wasn’t inviting?

We decided to continue upon the piste to the snow park on Grattalu after discussing what we saw and how we felt. Our aim was to ski tour gentle and it was our second ski tour of the season. Two other ski tourers were happy to chat and to share some of their knowledge. They had told us that their friends had ski toured up Grapillion a few days ago and they found that the snow was dangerous, thin with lots of rocks. That news reinforced the decision that we made earlier not to follow the group. They also told us that they saw avalanche activity on west facing slopes and to be aware of the weak layers in the snowpack. We thanked them for their news and headed to the Col Du Palet taking on board what we knew and what we could see.

Knowing the routes into the col and knowing what I knew about the terrain, I decided to keep low and take a new flat touring line into the col to avoid rocks. Above we could see a man skiing on the ridgeline struggling with the lack of snow. So we kept our eyes on him and made sure we weren’t underneath him.

Reading the mountain for the ski down:
Once we arrived at the Col Du Palet we could read the mountain and the evidence of where was the best powder route down. We looked on to the back of Chardonnet bowl and notice a slab avalanche on the west face on route to diamond couloir. At lower altitude the fresh snow had been cross loaded to north-east slopes and gullies. With this info and what we could see, we then decided to handrail clockwise to a north-east gullie and enjoyed making fresh powder turns on a gentle slope.

Ski Touring out:
Enjoying the fresh powder by ourselves, we soon arrived at lake Grattalu. I had noticed that the lake hadn’t been frozen so it was best to stop before continuing any further. We then choose the easiest and most efficient route to get back to the col. Once we reached the col, temperatures had risen and we were tired. To be on the safe side of caution, as I was coming back from a ski collision. We decided to take our own skinning track back onto the piste and headed home. Another great day in the mountains. We were very happy with our decisions, we found the best snow, was safe and had a great day skiing powder with no one around.

I will be delivering mountain respect workshops throughout the winter. If you are interested please get in touch: www.freefloski.com

Happy Skiing 🙂

5 Ski and Snowboard Touring Technique Tips

Posted on October 26, 2019 by Jocelyn Cockle

5 Ski and Snowboard Touring Technique Tips, courtesy off FREEFLO SKI

The volume of riders heading into the backcountry have dramatically increased over the last decade. Today a large number of riders are heading for the backcountry in search for fresh tracks and the ultimate adventure. Many of them are inexperienced when it is comes to skinning uphill. To boost your touring skills here are 5 Ski and Snowboard Touring Techniques from us Freeflo ski who are based in the French Alps.

Katie, Pat, Naomi and Kerry exploring the backcountry of Tignes on the FREEFLO Womens Touring Course

by Jocelyn Cockle (Floss)

Ski touring in the backcountry is my biggest and favourite winter sport and passion with or without clients. I just love being in the wilderness away from the hustle and bustle of the ski resort or everyday stresses and life. Moving efficiently uphill and safely in the mountains is a highly mastered skill set which is often overlooked. Here are 5 uphill tips to improve your uphill performance.

Manage your clothing
It is important to control your temperature through your clothing if you want to be efficient. Depending on the weather, length, and type of tour I will take off clothing layers at the very start. Keep to thin and breathable layers. Designed for adventure I highly recommend high performance base layers from Floã sports. If you know it will be windy at the top I will keep a windproof layer close to hand around my waist or on top of my rucksack. It is important to keep to a consistent pace that you are not sweating and can hold for a long period of time.
Keep your head up and stay alert
Keeping your head up keeps your upper body upright. Having your body upright keeps you looking ahead and more efficient. Looking and taking the correct uphill track will save time and energy.
Line
You save more energy and time if you use an existing gentle uphill track only if it takes you to the same destination through safe terrain.
Keep your skis or board on the snow
One of the most common mistakes that skiers and snowboarders make is that they lift their feet whilst moving forwards. Keeping your feet on the snow and slide your equipment on the surface takes less energy and is a faster technique.

Pat and Kerry skinning out of refuge de Palet, Tignes on the FREEFLO Womens Touring Course 2019
Position in the Line
As a rule the first person in the group in an existing uphill track or making a new uphill track will exert more energy when compared to the last person in the group. I am constantly assessing individuals energy and will change the order of the group when ski touring.

Most importantly be safe and enjoy the mountains

How to book a night in Refuge Turia, Les Arcs

Posted on September 9, 2019 by Jocelyn Cockle

Getaway from the hustle and bustle of a ski resort or your nine to five job in the city and visit Refuge Turia. Be overwhelmed with the epic mountain views that surround you. Find yourself relaxing with the peace and tranquillity of the mountains.

**Refuge Turia, picture taken from the moraines of Lac Riondaz**

In a dormitory room the refuge can accommodate up to a maximum of nineteen people per night. The refuge is looked after by a guardian from June to September. Prices start from €17.50 to €55 euros full board. The good news is that the refuge is open all year round with or without a guardian. Payment for your stay is taken in cash. When the refuge is not guarded you can pay for your stay into an honesty box called the Tronc.

When to go?
The best time to visit refuge Turia and to explore the surroundings is to avoid french and UK holidays. A good tip is to phone up the refuge and ask how many people have reserved the night you want to go. Once you have decided when to go and have booked by telephone then the next step is to plan your route depending on your fitness and ability.

**An eco loo with a view!!! Mount Blanc 4810m in the background**

How to Book?
To book your overnight stay visit Refuge Turia website. If you are looking for a winter adventure Freefloski can ski and guide you there or teach you skills for you to get there. To start your adventure send an email and get in touch with Freefloski.

For summer guiding to the refuge and around get in contact with Delphine Julliard

Behind the scenes of the Refuge De Leisse: Ski Touring and Skiing Off Piste Tignes and Val D’Isere

Posted on September 9, 2019 by iwood.web

The Refuge De Leisse is behind the Grand Motte glacier in Tignes and can be accessed by many different routes. After my second season of ski teaching and guiding in the Espace Killy I am still amazed as to what this area has to offer. There are so many good off piste and ski touring routes beyond your dreams. I know instructors and people that have lived in Tignes and Val D’Isere for years and they have never seen the places that I have been too, the places that I have fallen in love with and places that I am still discovering. I get so excited when I have spare time which I spend hiking, touring and skiing these routes.

Beyond the pistes of Tignes and Val D’Isere holds the wilderness and natural beauty of the Vanoise National Park. In the parks in France and around the world there are mountain refuges. The best way to describe a refuge is that they are very similar to lodges. Many of these refuges are on hiking or ski touring routes so you can actually travel refuge to refuge, hut to hut. A lot of refuges are not manned for the main part of the winter and they are left as a winter room where you can stay for shelter. End of March to mid May dependant on snow and conditions these refuges are open and offer food and accommodation. The guardian of the refuge often ski tours in the winter or hikes in the summer into them which can take hours and sometimes days, just to start work. Each refuge is self suffcient as there are no supermarkets or corner shops nearby, the water supply is often a mountain stream which is diverted to the refuge. The water from the trough of the Refuge De La Leisse is the best I have ever drunk. Most food and supples are heli dropped once every couple of weeks. Most refuges are ran by solar power and the light switches are on a timer, you also don’t have internet access or any phone signal.

**IGN Map showing the route to refuge de Leisse, Tignes**

The easier route is skiing off piste from the Genepy piste around the back of the Leisse chairlift and then over the frozen marshlands. If you wanted to embark a more difficult route you can drop into 35 Glacier couloir and get to the refuge. You also can also arrive to the refuge by the Col De Sana, Refuge De La Femma, Col De Vanoise, the list is endless. Celine Terryn is the guardian of the refuge de Leisse. She will welcome you with open arms and make sure that your stay is as comfortable as she can.

Celine can tell you many good stories, ‘ One day I was ski touring alone to the refuge and the weather came in. I ended up touring in circles as I couldn’t see anything. It took me hours to get to the refuge as the only ski tracks I could follow was mine and they were going in circles.’ I asked her what happens when the weather gets really bad. She replied ‘This season the weather has been very up and down, when the winds get very strong I often stay in a room which is underground.’ The word brave entered my head. Like most of us doing seasonal work we have many strings to our bow and have many passions. Celine is a chartered physiotherapist when she isn’t working at the refuge and she surfs when she can. She is living the dream.

For more information visit the website of the refuge de Leisse.

Weather: How to read mountain weather for a ski touring or mountain adventure

Posted on March 13, 2019 by Jocelyn Cockle

Nowhere are we more vulnerable to the weather than on a mountain top or when we are traveling in the mountains.

Reading mountain weather is a vital skill to ensure that you take the safest route in the mountains. I have taught skiing and lead groups in the mountains in summer and winter for over eighteen years. With my knowledge and experience here are some valid tips and some of my insights to weather.

Before you plan your adventure:
Before planning a trip or adventure read two or three weather forecasts the night before. Work out if all weather forecasts are telling you the same story. You can also look at weather charts to assess low and high-pressure fronts and where they have come from. Reassess the forecasts in the morning to see if there have been any changes. One of the forecasts that I use is snow-forecast. I can access a nine-day forecast which allows me to see what the weather is doing further away. This is a good tool to have and helps when planning a two or three-day ski touring expedition.

Assess before you start your ski or mountain adventure:
Assess the weather where you are. These are the questions that you need to be asking yourself. What altitude are you at? Is there any wind? What is the visibility? Are there any clouds in the sky? What is the temperature? Is the weather matching to the forecasts that you have seen? In most ski resorts there will be an information center where you can find out the forecast. Also at some ski lifts the weather and temperature are displayed. On my PEPS inclinometer, I have a temperature gauge so I can read the temperature throughout my journey. This also helps with the decision making in avalanche terrain.

Blue skies and no weather fronts in vision on the horizon

Assess on the route:
This is where most people go wrong and get into danger whether it’s in an avalanche or they get caught in bad weather. NEVER have tunnel vision and solely focus on one goal, one summit or one route. You have to be flexible and adapt your journey to the weather you have and predict the weather that is coming. Assess the conditions where you are and ask yourself similar questions. What altitude are you at? Has the wind increased or decreased? What is the visibility? Is the weather changing for better or for the worst? What is the temperature doing? On average the temperature cools down one degree for every 100 meters that you climb. Is that happening? What are your exits? What is your plan B if the weather comes in?

In the French alps you can get weather forecasts in the mountain refuges if they are open. Some satellite phones and trackers allow you to receive forecasts whilst you are traveling. Check on the GTC website for which trackers or satellite phones to carry on your backcountry adventure.

For weather prediction get to know different cloud types and what they predict. For example, cirrus clouds are high altitude clouds which indicate a change in fronts. Get to know the altitude and what direction mountain peaks are around you. Is there any snow wind drift coming off the summits which indicate high altitude winds?

Cirrus clouds which indicate a change of weather

Read more blogs and follow our adventures on Facebook and Instagram

In the winter I run mountain respect workshops if you would like more info drop me an email at [email protected]

Ski Touring Col De I’Iseran to Col de I’Ouille Noire, Val D’Isere, France

Posted on December 28, 2018 by Jocelyn Cockle

Ski Touring Col De I’Iseran to Col de I’Ouille Noire, Val D’Isere:
This is a simple ski touring route that you can build your skills and confidence on. It is good physical training at high altitude as you start going uphill at 2700m to 3200m.

Ski Touring up to Col de Ouille Noire, Val D’Isere

Route: Col De I’Iseran to Col de I’Ouille Noire 3229m, Val D’Isere, France
Off-Piste skiing between 2700m -3229m W/NW
Max Gradient: 36 degrees
Uphill: 2.5-3hours
Total Route time from Fornet lift: 4-5hrs
Total Return Route time from Tignes:3.5/4hrs
Skiers Level: Intermediate
Ski Touring Level: Beginner/some touring experience
Start: 9 am Fornet Cable Car, Midpoint back at Col De I’Iseran 12.50pm
Finish: 2 pm at Fornet Cable Car
Lift pass needed: Val D’Isere
Map needed: 3633ET

Why did I choose this ski touring route?
The snow conditions this winter are different compared to last winter. The snowfalls have been far and few between and have brought warm temperatures and high winds. At the beginning of December, it rained up to 2900m and last Monday it rained up to 2400m which affected our snowpack.

Knowing the history of the snowpack in the ski area that you want to ski in is crucial to making the right decisions and finding the good snow. I knew that the area of the Fornet and the Col De I’Iseran had more snow than any other area in the Tarentaise Valley. Looking at the weather forecast the night before and reassessing in the morning, I made the decision to ski tour Col De I’Iseran to Col de I’Ouille Noire in Val D’Isere. I could keep at high altitude and find the good snow in the gullies. It is a smaller route on simple terrain with navigation points that I could use if the weather got worst. The temperatures in the day would stay warm and consistent which meant that the summits and ridges wouldn’t be too icy. I was really happy with my decision and with good route finding, we managed to find some good snow and reach the Col de I’Ouille Noire.

Improve your mountain skills and get in touch with FREEFLO.
Follow our adventures on Instagram, Facebook, and Blog.

FREEFLO specializes in progressive on and off-piste ski instruction, backcountry ski touring and women-specific ski courses. We offer personal British ski instruction for skiers of all abilities. Our primary objective is helping competent skiers to improve their technique on and off-piste and in the backcountry. Our intuitive coach approach will help you to progress, have fun and enjoy the full freedom of the mountains in a safe and confident manner.

Val D’Isere re-opens 3rd June 2018 for spring skiing

Posted on May 21, 2018 by Jocelyn Cockle

Winter 2017/18 still continues….spring skiing and ski touring in Val D’Isere and Tignes

This winter the snowfall across the French Alps has been phenomenal. Locals of Tignes have said that it has been the best winter for snowfall in twenty years. Out of the my twenty winter seasons it has been one of my biggest snowfall seasons by far. With all the snow Val D’Isère has announced that it will re-open some winter lifts for spring skiing on 3rd June 2018. This will be the first time in 82 years that some of the winter pistes above the resort will re-open in summer. The pistes are planning to re open for summer skiing between 7am-12pm. The lifts that plan to be open is the Furnival and the Marmottes chairlift in Val D’Isere.

The lifts have now closed in Tignes and there still is enough snow to ski tour up to the glacier from Val Claret. All refuge huts are open till the middle to end of May. The guardian of the refuge du Palet believes that there will still be enough snow on the ground till June.

Last Thursday 17th I ski toured 5.5km up and around the Col Des Ves in Tignes with Clare and Dave and skied off piste back into Val Claret in Tignes. I was still amazed at how deep the snowpack was and the snow was still in great condition for May.

**17th May Ski touring around the Col De Ves Tignes**

FREEFLO SKI specialises in on and off piste ski instruction, ski touring and ski courses in the Tarentaise Valley. See more at www.freefloski.com.

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Category: backcountry