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Ski Touring with Mountainfeet
 "2007's course ran with a full compliment in perfect conditions which allowed us to have two days at high level above Chamonix. The overnight stay was at the Requin Hut above the Mer de Glace and some fantastic powder skiing was had (and worked for!!!) The skiing was sublime, the accomodation excellent and the calibre of our group was impressive. Roll on the 2008 course which is already fully booked!!!"
Si Taylor, course organiser
How do fancy moving your skiing on a notch? Are you getting fed up with crowded pistes and the feeling you're not really seeing the mountains in their true and exquisite form? Are you ready to learn new techniques, develop better fitness and to ski deeper, unpisted snow miles from anywhere?
Of course you are... ...now read on!
 Ski touring involves going places on skis you wouldn't normally be able to access on typical ski equipment. It's essentially hiking on skis but with the thrill of downhilling thrown in! You use a ski and hinged binding combination that allows you to 'walk' uphill courtesy of a grippy ski 'skin' that is temporarily attached to the bottom of the ski and prevents the ski from sliding backwards. At the top of the climb, the skins are removed, bindings are locked into 'downhill mode' and you ski the descent in the normal alpine style. Repeating this process can take a knowledgeable skier deep into terrain that seldom sees a ski track and gives an unbelievable sense of freedom. With the right conditions and guidance, a multi-day trip traversing a large mountainous area can be experienced using some of the many high level mountain huts and refuges that exist in the Alps and other ranges. The classic ski touring trip is the Chamonix to Zermatt Haute Route which Si has completed and is happy to chat about.
 With the growing popularity of ski touring, the equipment available has never been better or more exciting and the trend is now to make skis, boots and bindings that while being light enough for long ascents, have massive performance in all snow conditions for an exciting ski down! Clothing should be no problem as the best thing for ski touring is mountaineering style clothing based on layering for warmth and versatility. So instead of a thick padded ski jacket, bring your lightweight GoreTex shell and some thermal base and mid layers. See Si's article on ski wear and equipment by clicking here.
 Now the serious bit; off piste ski touring and off piste skiing in general without expert knowledge and specialist equipment can be EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. That said, it shouldn't stop us learning in relative safety should it? So in conjunction with our good friends at The Last Resort in Saint Jean de Sixt near La Clusaz in the French Alps we have for the last three years offered a weeks 'Introduction to Ski Touring' based at their fabulous and comfortable chalet learning the fundamental skills needed for future trips from the excellent Yann Quenet of Aravis Challenge who was the Head Coach of the British Olympic Ski Team at Nagano in 1998. This means our clients are in very good hands and Yann's English is even better than Si's!
**THIS YEARS COURSE IS NOW FULL PLEASE CONTACT US TO REGISTER INTEREST FOR 2009**
Course details
 This years course will be run over five days from the 8th March 2008. Cost is £300 per person and this includes hire of all equipment including avalanche transceivers, shovels, probes and backpacks. Accomodation runs for one week, meaning you have at least one full free skiing day to get your legs ready for the course (two further half days are possible depending on flight times to and from the UK).
Accomodation 8th - 15th March 2008
Six nights accomodation (seven for non course members) in the superbly appointed Last Resort Chalet in St Jean de Sixt will cost around £490 per person and include half board with fabulous cuisine and airport transfer. Mountainfeet clients who accompany ski touring course members can have the option of on piste ski leading for three of their six days of skiing. Si at the shop will shortly have details of flights and can arrange a free pickup and transfer to Liverpool Airport direct from your home if you live within 10 miles or so of our shop. Flight costs should work out at just over £100 return.*
*Prices as at 30th September 2007
Course requirements
For the introductory course you need to be reasonably fit and be able to cope with modest off piste slopes. A lot of ski tourers are not particularly expert alpine skiers so we're not looking for great style, it's more important to be steady and to act on the guides instructions without hesitation. For those wishing to book on the higher level trip then we would expect a decent level of off piste experience, a level head and above average fitness. Speak to Si at the shop for further details as he is an experienced freerider and ski tourer. Mountainfeet/Paul Braithwaites will run a couple of meetings locally in Saddleworth for prospective course members to have a chat in more detail about the itinary and to look at some fun exercises to get everyone up to speed for their holiday.
All hardware necessary for touring will be provided, including the all important but hopefully never to be used avalanche transceivers. If you have particulary difficult feet to fit then please let us know well in advance – we may ask you to use your own downhill boots for the course. As stated earlier, lightweight, breathable mountaineering style clothing should be worn with options to take off or put on layers as needed.
Give it a go...!!!
The introductory course is a great way to start ski touring and comprises 3 half days and 2 full days touring, together with an overnight stay in a mountain refuge. And if you want to give ski touring a try but your accompanying friends or family just want to ski, that's no problem as you will still have plenty of time for downhill skiing with them and every evening in Ali and Allen's fantastic catered chalet except the refuge night.*
*Refuge night dependant on weather and conditions! Last years refuge was the Requin Hut above Chamonix. Previous years courses have also used huts local to La Clusaz.
The Aravis range of mountains is one of the best ski touring regions in France with routes for all levels from beginner to expert and is a great venue after the course for pursuing more randonee or piste adventures on skis.
 Si from the shop will be assisting with the course where necessary but if anyone not wishing to join the course is interested in regular skiing in La Clusaz and Grand Bornand then he will be happy to lead them on-piste for three days around the area free of charge. Si is a qualified Alpine ski instructor and has worked in La Clusaz in years gone by. Let him know and he will arrange you accommodation at the Chalet if there is room available. This would mean that anyone who DIDN'T want to do the ski touring course could have a great week and still socialise with the ski tourers and shop staff in the evening! The skiing in La Clusaz and Grand Bornand is very varied and all levels of skier will find plenty to keep them happy. There are also other activities available at this time of year such as Via Ferrata and Karting down in Thones.
For more details, either ring the shop or Al and Ali direct on 0800 652 3977. Alternatively, go to the Last Resort website.
We stock various Alpine Touring hardware and software and are able to source more if required for our customers. This is a market that although small, is growing as more and more ski enthusiasts look for challenges away from the crowded resorts and pistes. We can offer specialist service and advice to those getting into the sport and spend the time needed to acquire the best gear. We also stock a range of shop tested clothing and equipment and are happy to discuss our experiences with each product.
 We want to encourage and support those who wish to embrace ski touring and mountaineering whilst pointing out the risks and danger that are present and require high levels of experience to deal with. We will be providing the some of the resources necessary to progress in the sport through articles, courses and experienced specialist service in the shop. This is a new venture for us and we will be thankful for your support while we build up our stock levels and expertise. Si now only uses skis that have Fritschi Diamir Freeride bindings which, although expensive, provide the best of both worlds for downhill skiing and ascending away from the lifts. A great day is to be had using a combination of resort uplift and some walking or skinning to get to untracked snow requiring effort that many can't be bothered put in. Just check conditions carefully and when applicable, use a qualified guide...
Branded kit we're selling includes the following:
- Rossignol Bandit series skis - the most versatile skis we know of!
- Movement freeride and touring skis
- Black Diamond touring equipment
- Fritschi ski bindings
- Scarpa ski tour boots
- Garmont ski tour boots
- Leki poles
- Back Country Access safety and tour gear
- Ortovox avalanche transceivers, probes and shovels
- Colltex skins
- Patagonia ski touring apparel
- Odlo base layer clothing
- Grivel ice axes and crampons
- Osprey ski touring and freeride back packs
- Lowe Alpine ski mountaineering packs
- Sidas Conformable custom footbeds
- Superfeet trim to fit footbeds
And remember we offer a full workshop service including ski repairs, waxing and edging, binding mounting, boot customising and trimming skins to fit.
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