Follow us
Steep skiing Basics course
Duration:
3 days
Price from: 830€
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
Introduction to steep skiing
Thanks to the expertise of our steep skiing team, composed of exceptional riders, we support you from your first steps to the legendary lines of the Mont Blanc massif. Our steep skiing basics and steep skiing advanced courses allow you to progress step by step towards the routes of your dreams. Steep skiing, or ski mountaineering, is a discipline in its own right that requires solid skiing and mountaineering skills. This introductory course is designed for ski tourers and backcountry skiers who want to develop the skills needed to progress safely into steeper terrain. Over three days, you will benefit from structured training and personalized advice.
🎯 Course objectives
- Avalanche risk management: basic assessment of conditions and use of avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe
- Mastery of the fundamentals of jump turns
- Basic mountaineering techniques applied to skiing: crampons and ice axe
- Basic rope techniques: belaying
Group booking
The group option allows you to join this course on fixed dates, share the experience with other participants and benefit from an attractive price.
Dates for group bookings
Find all available dates in the drop-down list below
Price 2026 for group bookings
830€ per person, based on a minimum of 3 participants
✅ This price includes
- Mountain guide services
- Ski lifts mentioned in the programme
- Safety equipment if required (avalanche transceiver, shovel, probe and harness)
❌ This price does not include
- Accommodation in the valley
- Picnic lunches
- Transport to the meeting point
- Personal technical equipment
Private booking
The private option allows you to create your own group and tailor the course to your needs. You can choose your departure date depending on our availability, and the programme can be adjusted to suit your expectations.
Dates for private bookings
Depending on availability
Guiding policy for private bookings
Groups of 2 to 4 people per mountain guide
Prices 2026 for private bookings
2 people: 1355€ per person
3 people: 1000€ per person
4 people: 820€ per person
✅ This price includes
- Mountain guide services
- Ski lifts mentioned in the programme
- Safety equipment if required (avalanche transceiver, shovel, probe and harness)
❌ This price does not include
- Accommodation in the valley
- Picnic lunches
- Transport to the meeting point
- Personal technical equipment
Further information
Find all the information about this activity in this section. To prepare for your course, please read our guides’ tips, which provide useful advice and recommendations.
Meeting point
8:00 am at the Flégère gondola in Les Praz de Chamonix. To help reduce traffic in the valley, we recommend using public transport (bus or train)
Technical level
Good ski touring skills in all snow conditions required. Slopes up to 40° (technical difficulty: 3.3)
Fitness level
Up to 700 m of ascent per day. 4 to 6 hours of physical activity per day. You will carry a backpack with mountaineering equipment (crampons and ice axe) and may need to carry your skis
Itinerary
Steep skiing requires constant adaptation to mountain and snow conditions. The itinerary is therefore provided as a guideline and may be modified by your guide. In all cases, the final itinerary will be chosen to meet the objectives of the course
Guiding policy
Groups of 3 to 4 participants per mountain guide. Our guiding ratios are specific to the Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix and help ensure groups are as well matched as possible
Accommodation
No accommodation is included during the course. Preferential rates are available with our hotel partners in Chamonix
⚠️ Formalities
Mountain sports insurance including assistance and repatriation cover is mandatory. If you are not already insured, you can purchase repatriation and cancellation insurance when booking. A valid ID is also required
Documents available for download
Equipment
We recommend paying particular attention to your equipment, as it contributes greatly to the success of your course. Weight is an important consideration, so aim for the right balance between weight and comfort.
Equipment
- A 35 L backpack with attachments for carrying skis and an ice axe
- Ski touring skis and boots, available to rent
- Climbing skins and ski crampons compatible with your skis, available to rent
- A pair of ski poles with large baskets, available to rent
- A pair of steel crampons and a lightweight ice axe, available to rent
- A ski helmet
- An avalanche safety pack: harness, avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe (provided by your guide under your responsibility)
Clothing
- A warm hat
- A sun hat or cap
- A neck warmer such as a Buff
- A long-sleeved base layer
- A fleece
- A waterproof hooded jacket such as Gore-Tex, available to rent
- A lightweight down jacket
- Thermal leggings
- Trousers suitable for ski touring, available to rent
- A pair of ski socks
- A pair of lightweight gloves
- A pair of warm ski gloves or mittens
- Spare clothing as required
Accessories
- Category 4 sunglasses
- Ski goggles
- A headlamp with spare batteries
- A water bottle of at least 1.5 L
- An insulated bottle
- A small personal first-aid kit including sunscreen, lip balm, blister treatment, headache medication and toilet paper
- A waterproof pouch containing your ID and some euros
Our Rental Partners
You can rent your equipment at preferential rates from our partner shops: Millet (excluding crampons, ice axes and helmets), Sanglard Sports, Ravanel & Co & Concept Pro Shop
Our Equipment Partners
Millet, Dynastar, Julbo, Grivel & Monnet
Itinerary
Day 1
Ski Technique - On-Piste | Off-Piste
The first day focuses on perfecting your skiing technique, both on-piste and off-piste, in the Flégère - Brévent area. The primary goal is to make your skiing more secure, enabling you to approach the fundamentals of steep skiing with greater ease. In the afternoon, a DVA (avalanche rescue) workshop will help you learn or consolidate your skills in managing avalanche rescue situations.
Day 2
Fundamentals of Steep Skiing - Off-Piste
This day is dedicated to learning the basics of turn on steep slope. Specific exercises will be conducted on training slopes before you venture into your first couloirs, using a rope for counter-anchoring. Examples of couloirs include the Couloirs du Brévent and Aiguille Pourrie.
Day 3
Outing in the Aiguilles Rouges Massif - Ski Touring
On the final day, you will have the opportunity to apply the skills acquired during the previous days. You will embark on a ski tour in the Aiguilles Rouges Massif, including a descent with a steep skiing profile. Examples of outings include the Col du Belvédère and Pointe Alphonse Favre.
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: 42 kg. Learn out more about the footprint calculation of this activity
CO2 emitted per person for the activity: 42 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 4.2€The price for a ton of CO2 is currently 100€ in the European Union to offset.
Find out more about our zero impact strategy.
x