Ski mountaineering - ski touring course: Fundamentals

Ski mountaineering (ski touring) is an activity, a "lifestyle" that embodies :
- discovery - adventure - responsibility - contemplation - authenticity - freedom.

Ski mountaineering (ski touring) allows you to :
- away from the crowds of ski resorts and lift queues,
- make your own tracks,
- discover immaculate immensities,
- enjoy a powder descent.

Like mountaineering, ski touring is a traditional physical activity characterized by :
- a shared culture,
- an art made up of knowledge (knowledge of the high mountains, the practice and the associated values),
- know-how (mastery of alpine skiing, climbing and belaying, use of equipment: touring skis, sealskins, knives, avalanche transceivers, ropes, ice axes and crampons).

Its "responsible" practice requires the indispensable acquisition of knowledge about :
- the natural environment,
- climatic conditions,
- appreciation of natural events: avalanches.

To help you discover this activity or make the most of your next outing, the mountain guides and ESF of the Bessans Bonneval-sur-Arc area, which has the "Terre d'Alpinisme" label, are offering several 2-day courses:

Course: Discovery Initiation
- Day 1 - Fundamentals :
Essential equipment for responsible mountaineering.
How to put on your sealskins and knives, and how to remove them before the descent.
Theoretical presentation of the avalanche beacon.
Progression up and down virgin snow.
Conversion techniques.
Safety equipment training.
Aperitif dinner - Film on ski mountaineering / ski touring.
- Day 2: My first hike :
An outing with a positive vertical drop (400 to 700 meters) to put the basics into practice.
Presentation of the "Cristal" approach or supervised vigilance to help you make the right decisions.

Course: Advanced
- Day 1: Review of fundamentals:
Presentation of the "Cristal" approach or supervised vigilance to make the right decisions.
DVA search review.
Technical review of "ascent" and "descent" on a short half-day outing.
Aperitif dinner - Film on ski mountaineering / ski touring
- Day 2: My first outing of the 2024 - 2025 season
An outing with a vertical drop of over 700 meters on one of the summits around Bessans and Bonneval-sur-Arc.

Course: Towards Autonomy
- Day 1: Review of fundamentals
Presentation of the "Cristal" approach or supervised vigilance for making the right decisions.
Revision of DVA search.
Revision of roping and crevasse rescue techniques.
Ascent and descent of a steep slope.
Aperitif dinner - Film on ski mountaineering / ski touring.
- Day 2: My first outing of the 2024 - 2025 season
An outing with a vertical drop of over 1200 meters on one of the summits around Bessans and Bonneval-sur-Arc.