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Ski touring Autonomy & Safety course Level 1
Duration:
3 days
Price from: 685€
Fitness:
Infobulle physique
Physical Level 1: For individuals who engage in occasional physical activity, positive elevation gain up to 300m.
Physical Level 2: For individuals who engage in regular physical activity, positive elevation gain up to 600m.
Physical Level 3: For individuals who engage in regular endurance activities, positive elevation gain up to 900m or ascents to altitudes above 3500m.
Physical Level 4: For individuals who engage in regular endurance activities, positive elevation gain up to 1300m or ascents to altitudes above 4000m.
Physical Level 5: For individuals who engage in intensive endurance activities, positive elevation gain exceeding 1300m.
Technique:
Infobulle technique
Technical Level 1: For occasional off-piste skiers who want to discover ski touring along the edge of pistes.
Technical Level 2: For regular off-piste skiers, capable of skiing in all snow conditions on wide, gentle slopes, and who want to discover ski touring.
Technical Level 3: For occasional ski tourers (2 to 5 recent outings), capable of skiing in all snow conditions on wide, gentle slopes.
Technical Level 4: For regular ski tourers (5 to 10 recent outings), capable of skiing in all snow conditions on varied slopes with some technical sections, mastering kick turns, and possessing basic knowledge of using crampons and an ice axe.
Technical Level 5: For experienced ski tourers (more than 10 recent outings), capable of skiing in all snow conditions on varied and exposed slopes with technical sections, mastering kick turns and the use of crampons and an ice axe.
General information
Our "Autonomy & Safety in Ski Touring" program is designed to teach you how to manage avalanche risk and progressively become more independent when ski touring in the mountains. With small groups of 3 to 4 participants per guide, we provide personalized coaching and a program tailored to your needs. The progression combines theoretical knowledge with practical exercises in the field, as close as possible to real mountain conditions.
Level 1 Course Objective: Understand Avalanche Risk
Our Autonomy & Safety Level 1 course is the first step in this program. It provides you with the essential foundations for understanding and assessing avalanche risk when ski touring. It is intended for participants who have already completed basic avalanche rescue training (avalanche beacon, shovel, probe) or have equivalent skills. If you haven’t yet, we recommend our Avalanche Rescue Day course, perfect for building or refreshing these essential skills before tackling risk management. The course takes place through daily outings in various areas of the Chamonix Valley.
⚠️ English-speaking sessions: January 23-25 and February 20-22. All remaining sessions are in French
➤ Level 1 Course Content
- Understand snow fundamentals and its evolution
- Identify risk factors: weather, topography, human factors
- Recognize typical avalanche situations
- Read the Avalanche Risk Forecast (ARF)
- Introduction to winter map reading: contour lines, slope angles, apps
- Observe and analyze on-site conditions
- Use simple tools for overall risk management and decision-making
- Lead structured and effective briefings
Group booking
The group option brings together participants who may not know each other. It is ideal for those looking for the friendly atmosphere of a group and an attractive price.
Group dates
See the group booking module below
2026 group price
685€ per person based on a minimum of 3 participants
Registration possible from age 18
✅ This price includes
- IFMGA English-speaking mountain guide
- Lift access as per programme
❌ This price does not include
- Accommodation in the valley during the course
- Picnic lunches and daily snacks
- Transport to the meeting points
- Personal technical equipment
Private booking
The private option allows you to ski with a group of your choice, accompanied by a mountain guide. More flexible, it allows you to choose your departure date according to availability and adapt the programme to your level, expectations and objectives.
2026 private prices
2 people: 1215€ per person
3 people: 860€ per person
4 people: 685€ per person
✅ This price includes
- IFMGA English-speaking mountain guide
- Lift access as per programme
❌ This price does not include
- Accommodation in the valley during the course
- Picnic lunches and daily snacks
- Transport to the meeting points
- Personal technical equipment
Further information
In this section, you will find all the practical information about this activity. To prepare for your trip, refer to the guides’ tips, where our guides share their expertise and recommendations.
Meeting point
Meet at 8.30am on the first day at the Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix, 190 place de l’Église, Chamonix.
Technical level
Suitable for skiers who are confident skiing off-piste in all snow conditions and have previous ski touring experience. Wide slopes with occasional narrow sections and inclines of up to 35°.
Fitness level
For participants who engage in regular physical activity. Up to 600 m of ascent.
Prerequisites
Previous avalanche rescue training (transceiver - shovel - probe) or proficiency in these techniques is required.
Group size
3 to 4 participants per guide. Small groups allow for more personalised guidance and a programme adapted to the group.
Registration possible from age 18
Accommodation
No accommodation included.
⚠️ Formalities
Mountain sports insurance with repatriation cover is mandatory. We strongly recommend cancellation cover. Insurance can be purchased when you register.
Valid ID is mandatory.
Documents available for download
Equipment
We recommend that you take particular care when choosing your equipment, as it contributes greatly to the quality of your experience. In general, it is better to wear several thin layers rather than one thick garment.
Equipment
- A pair of ski touring skis and boots
- A pair of skins and ski crampons adapted to your skis
- A pair of ski poles with large baskets
- A backpack
- A safety kit: avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe in working order
Clothing
- Clothing suitable for ski touring
- Warm clothing for static phases during the exercises
Accessories
- Sunglasses
- Ski goggles
- Sunscreen
- Energy bars
- A water bottle of at least 1 L
Our Rental Partners
You can rent your equipment at preferential rates from our partner rental shops: Millet, Sanglard Sports, Ravanel & Co & Concept Pro Shop
Our Equipment Partners
Millet, Dynastar, Julbo, Grivel & Monnet
Itinerary
Day 1
Ski tour in one of the areas of the Chamonix Valley
On the agenda: theoretical fundamentals of snow (crystals, metamorphism...), typical avalanche situations, and field condition observations.
Day 2
Ski tour in one of the areas of the Chamonix Valley
On the agenda: identifying risk factors, introduction to winter map reading, avalanche forecast interpretation, and field condition observations.
Day 3
Ski tour in one of the areas of the Chamonix Valley
On the agenda: pre-tour briefing, use of basic risk management and decision-making tools, and field condition observations.
Booking
Book your activity
Calculate your carbon footprint
Discover the carbon emissions of this activity and add your trip to the meeting point.
CO2 emitted per person for the activity: 9 kg. Learn out more about the footprint calculation of this activity
CO2 emitted per person for the activity: 9 kg. Learn out more about the footprint calculation of this activity
CO2 emitted per person for this activity & journey(s) = 0 kgIn order to limit global warming to +2°C by 2100, the COP-21 agreement stipulates that each human should emit no more than 2t of CO2 per year. According to the French Ministry of Ecology, today European citizens emit an average of 11t per year, and American citizens emit an average of 21t annually., or 0.9€The price for a ton of CO2 is currently 100€ in the European Union to offset.
Find out more about our zero impact strategy.
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