Available trips
| Sat 19th Mar 11
- Sat 26th Mar 11 |
8 Days |
| Guide TBC | £ 995 |
| Book Now | |
Skill: ***
Our intermediate level off-piste adventure courses are for people with between 2 and 5 weeks off-piste skiing, capable of
skiing 10 - 15 continuous turns off-piste. You can ski down most slopes but lack confidence on steeper pitches and in tricky
conditions.
These weeks will be led by Mountain Guides and so the focus will be on off-piste guiding and mountain awareness with some general coaching and instruction.
Stamina: ***
For the off-piste adventure courses you need to have good physical fitness in order to enjoy full days on the hill, you need to be able to ski all day for 6 consecutive days. On these courses you will mostly use the lift systems to gain altitude but you can expect some ski touring/walking/climbing in order to access some runs. Skiing will be done at a reasonably strong pace where you would be expected to ski pitches of 10 - 15 turns without stopping.
Andermatt is a charming 800 year old Swiss village in the Gotthard Massif. It is renowned for its excellent snow record thanks to its geographical location. It is also renowned for its superb off-piste and the main mountain, the Gemstock has been likened to the Grand Montets in Argentiere, but with the distinct advantage that the off-piste here in Andermatt is rarely crowded.
Itinerary
5 full days off-piste guiding plus 1 'freeskiing' day when no guiding is provided.
The principal aims of this week are:
- To provide first class guiding from professional, friendly Mountain Guides to
improve off piste skiing technique.
- To give practical mountain awareness training on the hazards and risks associated
with skiing off-piste particularly for avalanches.
- To provide the opportunity to ski the best off piste in the Monterosa ski region.
The week is intended to be fun with lots of thrilling skiing but always directed with maximum attention to your safety and
the safety of others.
Itineraries vary depending on the composition of the group and the weather and snow conditions.
Ski area
Andermatt village is at 1450m. The top of the Gemsstock is at almost 3000m. This mountain has been likened to
Argentiere's Grand Montets and its here that some of the best off-piste runs can be found in the bowls and gulleys of the
Felsental, Unteralp and Guspi valleys and all accessed from the top of the lift station. Away from the Gemsstock there are a
number of other separate skiing areas all accessible on the same lift pass including Winterhorn and the villages of Sedrun,
Disentis and Oberalp. Because Andermatt receives a lot of snow and the slopes are quite steep, the area is prone to
avalanches.
Additional Information
Dates and Duration
Trip duration is 7 days. This includes 6 full-days skiing, of which 5 are guided.
Other dates available for private groups on request from mid-December until end April
Prices
The price includes: all guide fees and expenses, 7 nights half-board hotel accommodation (twin rooms)
The price does not include: lift pass, lunches, beverages, personal insurance, equipment hire, travel to/from Andermatt
Single room occupancy may incur additional charges.
Group Size
The minimum number is 4. The maximum is 12 with 2 guides.
Accommodation and meals
You will stay in one of Andermatt's many hotels on half-board basis (twin-rooms). Our preferred hotel is the Hotel Sonne.
All rooms are ensuite. The hotel is a traditional Swiss hotel, family run with friendly staff. The hotel restaurant serves
continental breakfast and a 2 or 3 course evening meal. Portions are plentiful!
What our clients say about our off piste clinics in Andermatt
"We had a great trip to Andermatt. It was our first time with a guide and Olly was brilliant; we are novices off piste
but Olly got us all skiing off piste fairly competently and pushed us a bit further each day. I think our skiing over the 3
days improved a lot and its definitely something I want to do again next year. Olly was an excellent guide/tutor.
Andermatt lived up to all my expectations. Its a traditional unspoilt mountain village which hasn't been over
commercialized and has probably remained unchanged for many years. Its quiet but some of the bars get busy over the weekends
and have a good atmosphere. The hotel we stayed in was excellent; family-run with friendly staff and good food. Its also well
located in the middle of the village, between the two lift stations."
Equipment
For a comprehensive kit list
click here A copy of this kit list will also be sent to
you at the time of booking.
Alpine touring equipment is recommended on all our Off-Piste Adventure courses as in most resorts some of the best
off-piste runs can only be accessed after some climbing/walking. Confused about what skis, boots and binding combination to
bring with you, then read our
Ski Equipment page to find out more.
All skiers will need to carry a small day sack (recommended size 20 - 25 litres) containing their safety gear and any
personal items e.g. camera, water bottle, favourite hill-snack!
Everyone is expected to ski at all times with the three essential items of avalanche safety equipment; transceiver,
shovel and probe.
If you ski off-piste regularly we recommend you purchase your own set. We use and recommend the DTS Tracker and these are
available to purchase through our recommended on-line retailer
FACEWEST.
Click here for details.
Alternatively the guides do usually have a number of sets available for hire.
Insurance
It is a condition of booking that you are insured for off-piste skiing covering personal accident, rescue and third party
risks. You are strongly advised also to take out cover against cancellation and curtailment.
If you are looking to purchase insurance for your trip we recommend
SNOWCARD. They specialise in travel insurance for adventure sports particularly skiing
and snowboarding. Their rates for both single trip and annual policies are very competitive.
For details on their policies and to get a quote
CLICK HERE or contact our office
for further details.