Group Adventures/
Skills Clinics
Lyngen Alps, Norway (photo: Unsplash)
Come travel with me to exciting destinations in the Alps this winter. I have several itineraries to choose from for 2025/2026. Whether it be couloir skiing and/or multi-day ski touring in La Grave, France, amidst the incredible wide open (and uncrowded) terrain of the Ecrins mountains, the infinitely aesthetic couloirs of the Dolomites in the Sella Ronda, the incomparable Marinelli couloir below Monte Rosa (the longest in Europe), or lift-accessed single day tours off the backside of Mont Fort in beautiful Verbier (a few valleys over from Chamonix), there is something for everyone. Itineraries are of course weather/snow condition dependent, but all come with solid contingency plans. Requirements are relatively minimal, and excitement is guaranteed! All you need is a reasonably high level of fitness, some off-piste and steep skiing (and/or climbing) experience, and lots of enthusiasm. Participation is limited and itineraries are not offered every year, so get in while you can. To ensure safe guide-to-client ratios, companion (or tail) guides may be employed on some courses/tours. Itineraries are subject to change and will be tailored according to conditions and to the baseline skill level/experience of all participants on each course. If you have a group of capable skiers and/or climbers who wish to travel together exclusively, call or email me to discuss. If you need to brush up on your mountaineering skills, sign up for one my clinics (below). Clinics and travel adventures offer good value and are a great way to explore new terrain, learn valuable skills and meet like-minded people.
・Group Adventures/Clinics・
(2025/26)
*Notes: itineraries are rated on a combined scale of 1-5 for degree of difficulty, exposure, and physical demands, with a score of 5 indicating the most challenging. For full size/full color renditions of images below, click on outside corners of each photo. Successful completion of either the Winter Alpine Skills Clinic or the Ski Mountaineering Course gives you automatic qualification for the Dolomites and La Grave ski trips (subject to an assessment of your steep skiing abilities). Skip to specific itinerary, or just scroll down:
NEW
• Winter Alpine Skills Clinic •
in Chamonix, France
An alpine skills course set in late November or early December (TBD), which is often snowy and far quieter than the busy mid and late winter months in Chamonix valley. The focus here is on learning essential alpine skills BEFORE the spring and summer alpine climbing season gets going in earnest. Some skills that we will practice: short-roping and running/terrain belays; anchor building in the alpine; rappelling and down climbing; rope management; roping up for glacier travel; hazard recognition and risk management; avalanche awareness, avoidance and rescue scenarios; crevasse rescue; and more, all in a stunning, high elevation glacial environment. Some moderate conditioning, climbing, and off-piste skiing experience is required. Bring your Smartphone/camera and take notes! We will cover lots of ground!
Proposed Itinerary:
Day 1: Rope Systems; Rope Management; Common Alpine Knots (and their best applications); Alpine Anchors; Rappel Techniques
Day 2: Glacier Travel; Crevasse Rescue and Basic Self Rescue Techniques; proper (i.e.: effective) Ice Axe Use: Anchoring and Self-Arrest Techniques; Transitions and Swapping Leads; Avalanche Hazard awareness and mitigation; recognition, awareness, and mitigation of other Common Alpine Hazards.
Day 3: Apply the above skills on an easy alpine objective, including boot cramponing, uphill travel techniques, belaying the leader and the second (using direct, harness, and body belays), terrain belays and basic short-roping techniques for low angle ridges, multi-pitch rappels, emergency shelter, and self rescue. Apres session and tour recap.
DURATION:
3 Days
LOCATION:
Chamonix, France
DATES:
TBD (Late November/Early December)
COST:
From €1250pp (lodging/transfers not included)
DIFFICULTY:
2/5
MAXIMUM PARTICIPANTS:
4 (min: 4)
NEW
• Ski Mountaineering Course •
in Chamonix, France
An intensive five day course covering the fundamentals of ski mountaineering. This course is designed for experienced off-piste skiers and splitboarders who are looking to progress as a mountaineer and gain the skills necessary to explore steeper, more complex, and more remote terrain. Some of the lessons in this course will overlap with those taught in my Winter Alpine Skills Clinic, but this curriculum will focus on what is arguably the most exciting aspect of mountain travel, the downhill part! Ski mountaineering requires a wide skill set, utilizing techniques endemic to alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, alpine climbing, wilderness navigation, and avalanche and weather forecasting. While you don’t have to be an expert in every mountain discipline (except maybe downhill skiing!), you have to be fairly proficient in all of them to move about safely in the backcountry. Avalanche danger is a problem that is particularly acute for the ski mountaineer. In this course we will discuss both mitigation and rescue techniques, but also how to avoid avalanche terrain altogether. Of course while no amount of instruction or experience can eliminate all the objective hazards that exist in the alpine, this course will go a long way towards helping you identify those hazards and employ methods to mitigate them, so you can focus on the fun stuff. A fairly high level of fitness and previous touring experience is mandatory. Some technical skills preferred, but not required. A more detailed course syllabus can be found here.
General Course Outline:
• Introduction
• Gear Considerations
• Avalanche Safety & Rescue Techniques
• Backcountry Travel: Navigation
• Backcountry Travel: Movement Skills
• Steep Skiing and Riding Techniques
• Knots (For Ski Mountaineers)
• Rope Systems
• Alpine Anchors
• Rappelling and Downclimbing
• Other Techniques
DURATION:
5 Days
LOCATION:
Chamonix, France
DATES:
Dec 13-17 (only two spots remaining!)
Jan 24-28
Feb 2-6
Feb 21-25
COST:
From €1800pp (lodging, transfers, tips not included; less than 3 participants: €2200pp)
DIFFICULTY:
3/5
MAXIMUM PARTICIPANTS:
4 (min: 2)
• La Grave •
One Lift. No Boundaries. Pure Magic.
Experience the raw, unspoilt beauty of La Grave and Les Ecrins National Park, France. One of the last of the world’s greatest places.
Dates: Jan 26-30, 2026*
*From advanced level skiers to serious experts! Difficulty: 3-5/5
• The Italian Dolomites •
Couloirs of the
Sella Group
Ski some of the most aesthetic lines in the world, with minimal uphill effort, in one of the the most beautiful alpine zones on earth.
Dates: Feb 23-28, 2026*
*High level skiers to experts only!
Difficulty: 3-4/5
• Monte Rosa •
& the Marinelli Couloir
Ski/ride Europe’s longest couloir, on the border of Switzerland and Italy, in the shadow of the Matterhorn, one of the most iconic peaks in the world.
Dates: April/May, 2026 TBD*
*For highly experienced/expert level skiers and returning clients only!
Difficulty: 5/5
• Alpine Climbing Progression Seminar •
in Chamonix, France
COURSE OBJECTIVES: Improve climbing technique on more difficult, sustained and exposed routes in high elevation alpine terrain; introduction of advanced techniques in movement, terrain-based protection, and rope management; preparation for future high level and/or multi-day projects within Chamonix valley and beyond
DURATION: 5 Days
ITINERARY: Day 1: Ground School. Days 2/3/4: onsite instruction/climbing on easy and moderate terrain with follow up discussions each afternoon; Day 5: an attempt of a major alpine objective on the final day of the course (subject to change according to weather/conditions), possibly including an overnight hut stay on the evening prior.
LOCATION: Chamonix, France
DATES: TBD, Summer, 2026
COST: From €2850pp
DIFFICULTY: 3-5/5
PREREQUISITES: A high level of fitness/stamina; previous rock (minimum proficiency: 4b Lead, rock—outdoor); familiarity with multi-pitch belay systems in an alpine environment; some previous (including guided) alpine ascents
MAXIMUM PARTICIPANTS: 4 (min: 2)
Remote mini expedition in the Adamants, British Columbia, Canada (photo: Tom Grant)
