FREEFLO is joining up together with ALL AT SKI to offer a unique 5 full-day Essential Ski Touring Skills Course based in Sainte Foy in France, 19th-26th March 2023. The package included 7x nights Half Board Accommodation.
Created and designed for intermediate skiers who have off-piste experience with little or no ski touring experience.
Discover hidden gems skiing in different locations in the Tarentaise Valley and get away from the hustle and bustle of a ski resort. You will be coached whilst learning essential skills needed in the backcountry, building on your existing skills and confidence. Every day you will be driven to different resorts to ski on the best snow.
Date: March 19th-26th March 2023
Full Package: €1697 (per person)
Duration: €1697 (per person) based on two sharing. Single supplement may be possible on request
Location: Based in the Auberge St Foy
Package includes
-€485 Ski Touring Kickstarter Digital Online Course
-Free Membership in the Ski Motivation Hub
-5 Full Days of British backcountry ski coaching with British ISTD Teacher and Mountain Leader Floss.
-Avalanche and transceiver workshop
-7x Nights Accommodation and Breakfast, 6x Three Course Evening Meals
-6 days of bus transfers between resorts
-Transfers from Geneve at selected times only.
What the package doesn’t include:
– Insurance
– Lift pass
– Lunch and snacks
– Equipment
– Flights
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 2/3hours 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 900M which will be around 3 hours in duration.
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. 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. One of her biggest achievements is climbing and skiing the highest mountain in the Alps Mont Blanc 4810M as well as skiing the volcanoes of Patagonia.
Floss is a videographer and has her own youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/c/FreeFloFloss. Due to these digital times, 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 get into ski touring.
Floss is also a Summer Mountain Leader and guides people in the UK Mountains. In the summer she is an adventure coach who helps people to reach their goals and dreams whether it is running a 10k to climbing famous peaks. If you are interested in online coaching book a free discovery call.
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 are 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 1 litre 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:
The aim of the week is to ski in different locations every day. You can purchase a lift pass daily in the resort we are skiing in or we highly recommend everyone to get A La Carte ski pass which will save you time and money.
Rough Itinerary:
This is an example of a 5 half-day backcountry adventure itinerary. An average day will be 9 am – 4 pm. The itinerary is likely to change depending on the group, energy levels and the weather.
Sunday: Arrive
Monday: Introduction meeting. Introduction to the use of avalanche equipment, ski touring equipment and techniques on lower slopes. Warm up to find our ski legs on the piste with a technical focus on balance and other fundamental elements. The ski area will be local in St Foy.
Tuesday: Dependant on weather conditions 200-400m ascent ski tour. Practice ski touring techniques, packing your ski touring bag and technical focus on off-piste skiing. The choice of resorts will be Les Arcs, Tignes or Val D`Isere.
Wednesday: Technical focus on route selection, weather and decision-making in avalanche terrain. Touring up to 600m. Depending on where the best conditions are skiing in Les Arcs, Val or Tignes.
Thursday: Technical focus on ski touring a longer route and leadership skills with a ski tour in a different resort. Depending on where the best conditions are skiing in Les Arcs, Val or Tignes.
Friday: Revision on techniques and skills. Tour and debrief.
Saturday: Free Ski Day – Ste Foy
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]. Save money and refer a friend to ask for more details.
I am happy to answer any questions that you may have with regard to skiing and levels.
For all accommodation enquires, bookings and payments please email: [email protected]
Website please visit: allatski.com
I will look forward to skiing with you and coaching you into the wonderful world of ski touring.
Floss
Please connect with me on:
FREEFLOSKI
[email protected]
www.freefloski.com
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