BASI British International Ski Teacher L4 ISTD // Mountain Leader MTA
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Off Piste and Ski Touring Tignes: Montee La Tourne

Ski Touring montee la Tourne is a very accessible and a short ski touring route if you haven’t got a high level of fitness or a long time to complete. This tour also allows some great off piste skiing in the backcountry of Tignes. Towards the end of the tour when you head to the col is where you can see some exciting off steep piste skiing routes in the North facing Couloirs of La Tourne. However, this ski tour is quite a technical route as there is a 100m steep pitch where you need to be able to kick turn on which is 32-37 degrees.

This tour is one of the many ski tours that starts near the Refuge Du Palet which allows you to do some good off piste skiing as well as touring. Its a backcountry paradise where you can get away from the hustle and bustle of the ski resort and be in the peaceful backcountry where you often don’t see anyone.

Route: Itinerary route Montee La Tourne
Difficulty: Blue/Red
Gradient: 26-37 degrees
Uphill: 60mins
Total Route time: 2.5 to 3hrs
Skiers Level: Intermediate off piste
Lift: Col Du Palet
Lift pass needed: Tignes
Map needed: 3353T

Different to any ski school FREEFLO offers intutive British Personal Ski Coaching in the snow-sure resorts of Tignes, Val D’Isere and La Grave. We specialise in all mountain and off piste skiing, plus backcountry ski touring and women specific ski courses. Fun and passionate we are highly experienced and fully qualified to work in France. With FREEFLO the quality of your experience, and safety are our priorities. With passion we help people to improve, have fun and to enjoy the freedom of the mountains. For further information please drop an email to: [email protected]

jamesg134.sg-host.com
www.freefloski.com

Looking forward to next winter in Tignes 2014/15

[youtube=http://youtu.be/QdKQ0zBLHzE]

With the drop in temperature and the nights getting shorter I can’t stop feeling that next winter is not too far away. Thoughts come into my mind as I have time to reflect.  I ponder on ideas of how I can improve on last winters ski teaching and guiding in the Espace Killy! How can I improve on my ski lessons? Which courses to run? Popup chalets?This video is just a few of my fond memories of ski teaching in Tignes,Val D’Isere and Sainte Foy last season 2013/14 and the ski lessons that I had with some great people .

Different to any ski school FREEFLO offers intutive British Personal Ski Coaching in the snow-sure resorts of Tignes, Val D’Isere and La Grave. We specialise in all mountain and off piste skiing, plus backcountry ski touring and women specific ski courses. Fun and passionate we are highly experienced and fully qualified to work in France. With FREEFLO the quality of your experience, and safety are our priorities. With passion we help people to improve, have fun and to enjoy the freedom of the mountains. For further information please drop an email to: [email protected]

jamesg134.sg-host.com
www.freefloski.com

‘What is a marmot?’

Marmot                        marmot on his back legs

The Alpine Marmot- It wasn’t until the end of the season sharing a chairlift with some kids going up to the Tranquil ski area in Tignes was when I was asked a question about marmots that I realised how little I knew about them.

Marmots are large squirrels in the genus of Marmota, of which there are 15 species. Marmots mostly live in mountainous areas, such as the Alps and the northern Rockies. The groundhog of North America is a lowland marmot.

Marmots typically live in burrows often within rockpiles, particularly in the case of the yellow-bellied marmot), and hibernate there through the winter. Most marmots are highly social and use loud whistles to communicate with one another, especially when alarmed.

Marmots mainly eat greens and many types of grasses, berries, lichens, mosses, roots, and flowers.

The etymology of the term “marmot” is uncertain. It may have arisen from the Gallo-Romance prefix marm-, meaning to mumble or murmur. Another possible origin is post-classical Latin, mus montanus, meaning “mountain mouse”.

Beginning in 2010, Alaska celebrates February 2 as “Marmot Day”, a holiday intended to observe the prevalence of marmots in that state and take the place of Groundhog Day.

During the summer, marmots gain weight in order to prepare for hibernation. They usually hibernate all winter and may lose as much as half their body weight by February. 

Russian Marmot A Russian Marmot.