FREEFLO is offering a unique 5 half-day Essential Ski Touring Skills Course in Tignes and Val D’Isere, France. Created and designed for intermediate skiers who have skied off-piste with little or no ski touring experience, and who would like to explore the mountains one step beyond the pistes. Be led and guided whilst learning essential skills needed in the backcountry, building on your existing skills and confidence.  

Escape from the crowds and enjoy the peace, tranquillity and beauty of the backcountry whilst having fun and learning how to be safe when skiing in the mountains.

Date: March 20th-24th March 2023
Course Fee: €537.00 (Max group size 6)
Duration: 5x Half Days
Location: Tignes, Espace Killy, France 

Package includes

• €485 Ski Touring Kickstarter Digital Online Course 

• Free Membership in the Ski Motivation Hub 

• 5 half days of British backcountry ski coaching with Floss 

• Avalanche and transceiver workshop

• Photos & film of your week

What the course fee doesn’t include:
– Insurance
– Lift pass
– Lunch and snacks
– Equipment
– Guides lunch and expenses

What will you learn?
– Essential ski touring techniques
– Snow awareness, avalanche training
– Route selection
– Making better decisions in avalanche terrain
– How to improve your off-piste skiing
– How to use your ski touring equipment

What level of fitness do you need?
Level 1 fitness is needed for this course. You need to be able to ski all day with short stops for food and drink. You can ski off-piste all day and back-to-back days. You can ski tour uphill for a maximum of 2 hours at altitude. 

What level of ski ability do you need? 
Level 4/5-You must be able to ski red and black pisted runs with no problem and you can deal with some different snow conditions. You have confidence ability in skiing off-piste terrain and are able to link turns and control your speed using different radius turns up to 35 degrees. You are happy to ski in an open simple off-piste terrain.

What level of ski touring do you need?
This course is perfect if you have no or little ski touring experience. The pace is relaxed and a great introduction to touring. The maximum you will tour per day will be up to 500M.

Meet the Coach: 

FREEFLO
Floss Cockle is a BASI British International Ski Teacher L4 ISTD which is the highest teaching qualification available to a British coach anywhere in the world and she has the French Carte de Professional which allows her to work in France. With her great passion for teaching and being in the mountains, she has a wealth of experience and has coached skiing for twenty-five years plus. One of her biggest achievements is climbing and skiing the highest mountain in the Alps Mont Blanc 4810M. 

Floss is a videographer and has her own youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/c/FreeFloFloss. She is also the creator of ski touring kickstarter which is an online ski touring course that teaches you how to get prepare successfully to save money and time to get into ski touring.

Floss is also a Summer Mountain Leader and guides people in the UK Mountains. In the mountains is where you will find her skiing, climbing, running, biking, leading people, hiking etc:  

Visit Floss’s website: www.freefloski.com 

Insurance:
Getting specialist travel insurance that covers cancellation, medical and mountain rescue is highly recommended. FREEFLO will not be liable for injuries or accidents on the mountain. Ensure that your insurance covers your skiing off piste beyond the ski boundary with a guide or an instructor. Buying a Carte de Neige with your lift pass in the resort or online is recommended as it will cover any mountain rescue without payment. 

You can purchase the carte de neige in the resort with your lift pass for around €3 euros a day or you can purchase it online to beat the queues for a year at http://www2.ffs.fr/carteneige.

Kit list:

Skis:
Ideally an all-mountain ski with a ski touring binding that is 85-95cm underfoot. The length of the ski shouldn’t be too long (as it makes kick turns harder) and the ski tips of the skis should be between your chin and your eyes when standing.

Touring Bindings:
There are three types of bindings on the market:
1) Diamir Fritschi:
2) Marker Tour
3) Pin Bindings
Pin bindings and boots are lighter and easier to use for kick turn and going uphill but they do compromise ski performance going downhill. We do recommend that you rent or have the lightest equipment possible for the backcountry course. Diamir and Marker bindings (where you use a regular downhill ski boot with walk mode) are heavier and don’t have the ankle flex for touring uphill, however, the ski performance downhill is better. 

Skins:
Ideally, skins should be a mixture of mohair and nylon and must have a nose and tail clip. The skins should cover the whole ski and be only 2mm free from the edges.  Skins should be hung to dry after use but not over extreme heat after use.

Boots:
If you haven’t got your own ski touring boots you can rent them or use your downhill boots if they have a walk mode. Ski touring boots are highly recommended as they are light and have a ski touring mode.

Poles:
Telescopic ski poles with a powder basket is essential.

Clothing:
Spring Touring:
Wear thin light breathable layers with a Gore-tex shell
Ski Trousers should have a zip on the outside of the leg for ventilation
Light synthetic mid-layer for the summit or a lightweight down-layer.
A neck buff is always essential for ski touring in Spring and in Winter.

Winter Touring:
In addition to the above add warm breathable layers and a down mid-layer jacket.

Gloves:
Inner liners and light but warm and waterproof gloves.
Accessories:
Suncream 50+, buff, googles with good and bad weather lenses, sunglasses, light beanie, headband (optional), cap to protect you from the sun, camera, go pro, cash, insurance cards, credit card, charged telephone, spare batteries for transceiver, battery charging pack, duck tape, penknife.  Helmet is optional.
First Aid Kit:
Ensure that you have a small first aid kit which includes; paracetamol, ibuprofen, plasters, bandages, compeed etc, so you can deal with first aid if you have to. Purchasing a blizzard blanket is recommended www.blizzardblanket.com
Avalanche Equipment:
A transceiver with three antennae and multiple search victim modes is recommended, a 2m probe or longer and a steel shovel.
Water bottle, flask and snacks, packed lunch: For day tours please make sure you have a minimum of 1litre of water and a packed lunch. Nuts, dried fruit, energy bars and energy drinks for slow release energy instead just chocolate (but chocolate is always nice too!) Jelly babies for the coaches.
Backpack:
35-45 litre backpack ideally a top loader which sits comfortably on your back.
Map, Compass, GPS: (optional but good to have)
A silva expedition compass and maps are optional but very good to have, especially if you want to improve your navigation skills. (Maps: Carte de Randonnee 3633T and 3532T for Val D’Isere, Tignes and St Foy. You can purchase the maps at the Tabac in Tignes.Lift Pass: Please purchase an Espace Killy lift pass or a Forfait Rando pass at the STGM lift office in Le Lac or Val Claret on or before the first day of the course ahead of the introduction meeting. The lift pass office opens at 8.30am.

Rough Itinerary:
This is an example of a 5 half-day backcountry adventure itinerary. An average day will be 9am – 12 pm. The itinerary is likely to change due to individual and group goals and the weather.

Day 1: Introduction meeting. Introduction to the use of avalanche equipment, ski touring equipment and techniques on lower pisted slopes. Warm up to find our ski legs on the piste with a technical focus on balance and other fundamental elements.
Day 2: Dependant on weather conditions 200-300m ascent ski tour. Practice on ski touring techniques, packing your ski touring bag and technical focus on off-piste skiing.
Day 3: Technical focus on route selection, weather and decision-making in avalanche terrain.
Day 4: Technical focus on ski touring a longer route and leadership skills. 
Day 5: Ski touring and back to the resort for coffee and debriefing. 

Please let us know if you are interested in this course and if you know of anyone else that would be please email Floss at [email protected]. I am happy to answer any questions that you may have. 

I will look forward to skiing with you and coaching you on the skills.

Floss 

Please connect with me on:  

FREEFLOSKI

[email protected] 
www.freefloski.com

Ski Touring Kickstarter Online Course: Save Money and Time
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Adventure Coaching: Book Free Call 

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