Ski touring introductory course

Ski touring introductory course 1 Day

If you dream of leaving the crowds behind and exploring the backcountry, then our ski touring course is for you!

Ski touring provides a fantastic way of exploring the backcountry and enjoying some superb ski journeys and adventures away from the resorts. You are able to mix the fun of off-piste skiing whilst making a journey through the magical & remote environment of the mountaineer. For those with some off-piste ski experience and moderate fitness level this introductory one day course provides the inspiration & information to add a whole new dimension to enjoying their ski journeys. You will learn how to climb with skins and kick-turn efficiently, how to avoid avalanche terrain and use essential avalanche safety equipment, plus many more important ski touring skills. This is the ideal course to kick off your ski touring career, or as preparation for a classic ski tour such as Mount Kazbeg.

While conducting a medium sized ski tour, your guide will demonstrate how to dress properly so that you can remain comfortable for an entire day while going through radical changes in physical output and exposure to the winter mountain environment. We keep the total tour length and vertical gain down to around 350-400 meters to leave lots of time for questions and practice. During the course you will become familiar with each type of alpine touring binding, boot, and ski, and be shown the different functions of each item. We will also cover basic avalanche procedures, making quick and easy transitions between skinning and skiing, and discuss common pitfalls faced by all groups of backcountry skiers. At its core, this is a course about efficiency - how to build skills to maximize your energy while backcountry skiing so that you too can grab some untracked powder days or even weeks after the resorts are skied out.

Skills Covered - Intro to Alpine Touring:

Basic avalanche beacon skills
Use of shovel and probe
Backcountry ski equipment
Dressing for uphill skiing
Dressing for downhill skiing
Use of alpine touring bindings
Use of climbing skins
Making kick turns
Transition to downhill skiing from skinning
Transition to uphill from downhill skiing
Maintaining adequate hydration and nutrition
Common pitfalls of groups skiing together
When to travel together and when to spread out
What to do if an avalanche occurs

Location: Gudauri Ski Resort, Betania, Bakuriani (other locations available on request)

COURSE AVAILABILITY: DECEMBER – APRIL ON REQUEST

Price per Person:

$250 Private Lesson

$200 Semi-Private (2 Persons)

$150 Group Lesson (3+ Persons)

Required Touring and Avalanche Safety Equipment:

Touring skis or splitboard*
Climbing skins*
Boots compatible with touring or splitboard bindings*
Telescopic ski poles*
Avalanche transceiver*
Shovel*
Probe*
Cell Phone
Water (minimum 1 L)
Food/Snacks
Sunscreen & lip balm
Backpack to carry these goods (approximately 25-35 L capacity)

Required Clothing (No Cotton!):

Thermal base layer top (synthetic or wool)
Thermal base layer bottom (synthetic or wool)
Thermal ski socks (synthetic or wool)
Mid layer top (fleece or wool)
Insulating layer top (down or synthetic pile jacket)
Waterproof-breathable jacket
Waterproof-breathable trousers
Warm gloves or mittens*
Medium weight gloves
Warm Hat (fleece or wool)
Buff or balaclava
Goggles*
Sunglasses

Recommend additional equipment:

Thermos with hot drink
Pocket flask with warming drink
Helmet*

If you do not already own touring gear or avalanche safety equipment please notify us in advance and we will make arrangements to outfit you properly. All items marked with an asterisk (*) can be rented or purchased from our shops in Gudauri or Tbilisi. Price indicated is for training only. Clients are responsible for the costs of their own equipment, lift passes, food/drink, lodging, transportation, and incidentals.