Club Tours 2022
The situation regarding COVID-19 remains very unclear, particularly in relation to international travel and local restrictions. Tours and meets may have to be cancelled or substantially rearranged at short notice. Before deciding on whether to apply for a particular tour or meet, please assess your own tolerance to the COVID-19 risks involved and be aware of what your insurance does and doesn’t cover. When on a tour or meet, please follow local guidance.
| No | Dates | Title | Organiser | Grade | Status | Tour Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 - 7 Jan | Chamonix Season Starter | E2 S2-3 M1-2 | Available | Off-Piste and Day Tours. 5 days of guided skiing taking advantage of the best the Chamonix valley can offer. | |
| 2 | 8 - 15 Jan | Off-piste skiing, Grimentz | E2 S2-4 M1 | Full | Develop your off-piste skills and mountain awareness. A combination of ski coaching and guided day tours with Tom Saxlund (BASI 4) and Graham Frost (IFMGA guide). 6 full days tuition. | |
| 3 | 10-15 Jan | Val Claree | E1 S2 M1 | The Val Claree is ideal for early season touring with comfortable huts and attainable summits. The valley lends itself to flexible days with ascents up to 900m, ideal for those looking for a low stress tour. | ||
| 4 | 15-22 Jan | Les Contamines Off-piste Skills | E1 S3-4 M1 | Available | Skills training in the mornings with long, off-piste runs in the afternoon. Open to both Alpine & Telemark skiers | |
| 5 | 17 - 21 Jan | Chamonix Off-piste training | Alison Thacker BASI / Co-ordinator Julie Jones |
E1 S1-2 (6 places) and S3 (6 places) M1. The remaining place is in the S1 - S2 group. | Full | Accessibly priced course, based on the well-established "Ski Performance for Mountaineers". Contact Co-ordinator for more details. |
| 6 | 22-29 Jan | Val Mustair, Switzerland | E2/3 S2/3 M2 | 2 Places Left | Day touring based in Sta Maria in the remote Val Mustair in Grisons. The aim will be to make ascents of the peaks along the valley using public transport to get about. There is a small ski area for bad weather days. | |
| 7 | 23-29 Jan | Day tours in the Aosta Valley | E2 S3/4 M2 | 2 Places Left | Day tours from a comfortable valley base in the Aosta valley. There are plenty of options in this region and it is a popular destination for tourers. | |
| 8 | 23 - 28 Jan | Sarntaler Alps | Tania Noakes IFMGA |
E2 M1 S2 | Available | One training day followed by four days of high-winter touring through the beautiful, non-glacial Sarntaler Alps. This gem is suitable for mellow tourers looking for somewhere new and anyone looking to build and expand their skills. |
| 9 | 25 - 28 Jan | Gressoney - Orestes hut | Chris Miles Co-ordinator |
E1 S3-5 M1-3 | Available | This Club Meet is based at the Orestes Hutte in Italy’s Gressoney Valley close to the Monte Rosa ski area. It provides an opportunity for members to ski together with no fixed programme from a very comfortable hut. |
| 10 | 27 - 28 Jan | Skiing and Snow Safety course | E1 S2-3 M1 | 2 Places Left | Skiing and Snow Safety, looking for the best snow and gaining confidence with technique. | |
| 11 | 28 Jan - 3 Feb | Argentiere Club Meet (Hotel Couronne) | Co-ordinators Graham Dudley and Jack Scriven |
E1-3 S2-5 M1-3 | Available | The sixth year (hopefully!) of this popular club meet for independent tourers based at the Hotel de La Couronne in Argentiere. This is an opportunity for members to get together and agree their own objectives in comfortable surroundings. There is no formal plan for this meet. |
| 12 | 29 Jan - 4 Feb | Leaders' Week | Rick Marchant IFMGA / Co-ordinator Brian Horn |
E2-3 S2-4 M2-3 | Only available to those on the Potential Tour Leaders Programme | |
| 13 | 29 - 30 Jan | Skiing and Navigation course | E1 S2 M1 | Available | Skiing and Navigation; how to get to the right place on snow and on ski. | |
| 14 | 31 Jan - 1 Feb | Skiing and Glacier Travel course | E1 S2 M1-2 | Available | Skiing and Glacier Travel; crevasse avoidance and what to do if someone falls in. | |
| 15 | 4 - 11 Feb | Training Week for Club Leaders | Hannah Burrows-Smith IFMGA / Co-ordinator Graham Dudley |
E2-3 S2-4 M2-3 | 1 Place Left | The purpose of this training week, being run in the Val d'Ayas of the Italian Aoste, is an initiative to provide existing Club Leaders with a top-up of their training in backcountry ski environments. This week is being provided by the ESC and is only available to existing ESC Club Leaders |
| 16 | 5 - 20 Feb | Gavarnie, French Pyrenees | E3 S3 M3 | Available | Day tours from a valley base mixed with short hut-to-hut tours into Spain and the Neouvielle region. | |
| 17 | 5 - 12 Feb | Day touring in Grimentz | Stuart Johnston and Sonia Panchen (jointly led) |
E2 S3-4 M1-2 | 2 Places Left | A return of the popular Grimentz day tours week, exploring the many options in the Val d’Anniviers. We will be based in a valley hotel, and touring with some lift assistance in the Grimentz, Zinal, San Luc and Chandolin areas, depending on weather, conditions and inclination. |
| 18 | 5 - 12 Feb | Day touring in the Austrian Alps | E3 S3/4 M2 | 2 Places Left | A valley based week in the Vorarlberg region of the Austrian Alps . Possible peaks for day touring include Hirschberg, Kanisfluh, Klipperen, Lug, Tolbermannskopf and others. Typical ascents will be 1200-1500m | |
| 19 | 16/02/21 - 1/03/21 | Day Tours in Greece and Albania | Coodinator: Nick Donohue Guide: Lyuben Grancharov https://bulguides.com/
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E2 S3 M3 | 2 Places Left | Day tours using a local guide. The Olympus mountains and the Pindus range in Greece, before moving to the Gramos range, Albania. Sightseeing on transfer days. |
| 20 | 19 Feb - 6 Mar | Club Training Expedition, Georgia | E4 S3/4 M2/3 | An expedtion to little known mountains in Georgia with the aim of training potential leaders of club expeditions | ||
| 21 | 19 - 26 Feb | Winter Room Summits Week | E3 S2-3 M2 | Full | Starting from a hotel base in Arolla and spending 2-3 nights in winter rooms. The mix of the week can include attempts on some 4000m peaks around Saas Fee and be quite an adventure! | |
| 22 | 20 - 27 Feb | North Macedonia Road Trip: Off-piste & Day Tours | E1-2 S3-4 M1 | Available | Balkan powder skiing with lift or snowcat-served touring. Untracked snow, few other skiers and interesting culture. Open to Alpine and Telemark skiers. | |
| 23 | 26 Feb - 5 Mar | Haute Maurienne - Steep off-piste coaching & adventures | S4-5 E2-3 M1 | Available | A week of steep off-piste coaching and adventures, based in Termignon in the Haute Maurienne valley. | |
| 24 | 26 Feb - 6 Mar | Exploring the Pitztal | E3 S3 M3 | Available | Day touring from Imst and the Taschachhaus. This is a tour for those looking for quieter routes in a high alpine landscape requiring a bit more independence. Lots peaks and ridges to choose from including the Tirol’s highest, Wildspitze. | |
| 25 | 26 Feb - 6 Mar | British Columbia, Kitmatt Range | E2 S2 M2 or E3 S3 M2 | Available | The plan is for a ski traverse between 4 pre-positioned camps that will enable us to travel with lighter packs. | |
| 26 | 26 Feb - 8 Mar | Exploring the Haute Maurienne Vanoise | E3 S3 M3 | Available | The plan is to use the winter rooms of the Refuge du Carro and the Refuge des Evettes to explore the surrounding area. | |
| 27 | 5 - 12 Mar | Queyras | Rick Marchant IFMGA / Co-ordinator Gordon Wooster |
E2 S2-3 M1 | Available | A second go at the Queyras, meeting and finishing in Guillestre. Day tours above St Veran with overnight stays at the Blanche and Col d'Agnel refuges. |
| 28 | 5 - 20 Mar | Benasque, Spanish Pyrenees | E3 S3 M2 | Available | Day tours and some overnight hut trips making the most of a flexible approach to weather and conditions. | |
| 29 | 5 - 12 Mar | Day Tours from Arolla | E2/3 S2 M2 | Full | Day tours from a traditional location in the heart of the Swiss Alps, for fit tourers who enjoy uphill as well as down. Most days will involve ascent of at least 1000m. | |
| 30 | 5 - 12 Mar | Beaufortain | E2 S3 M2 | Full | Day tours from a comfortable hotel or apartment in Beaufort or Arèches. Touring in non-glaciated terrain which has mostly escaped downhill skiing development. A liking for cheese based cuisine is essential! | |
| 31 | 12 - 19 Mar | Dolomites - Lavarella Day Tours | E2 S3 M2 | Full | An unguided trip to the Dolomites, based on the Rifugio Lavarella. A wide range of day tours, up to about 1000m, are possible from the hut. The beer is very local as the Lavarella has the highest microbrewery in the Alps! | |
| 32 | 12 - 19 Mar | Off-piste skiing, Grimentz | E2 S2-4 M1 | Available | Develop your off-piste skills and mountain awareness. A combination of ski coaching and guided day tours with Tom Saxlund (BASI 4) and Graham Frost (IFMGA guide). 6 full days tuition. | |
| 33 | 12 - 18 Mar | Western Oberland Haute Route | E2 S3 M2 | 2 Places Left | Traversing the Alpine range between the villages of Les Diablerets and Kandersteg. This is a delightfully scenic hut to hut tour offering fantastic ski descents. | |
| 34 | 12 - 20 Mar | Albula Alps traverse | E2-3 S3 M2-3 | 2 Places Left | This is a six-day hut-to-hut tour from the Julier Pass, via the Jenatsch Hütte, Bergün, the Es-cha, Kesch and Grialetsch Hütten, to Zernez. We might climb Piz Kesch en route. | |
| 35 | 12 - 19 March 2022 | The Jeremy Whitehead Tour - Stuben am Arlberg: day tours and off-piste skiing | E1 S2-3 M2 | 1 Place Left | Day tours and off-piste skiing around this extensive and delightful area, using local trains and uplift for access from a valley base. Open to Alpine and Telemark skiers. | |
| 36 | 12 - 19 Mar | Briancon day-tours | E2 S3 M2 | Available | A week of valley based day-touring based in or around Briancon, with the possibility of a couple of hut nights depending on circumstances and the feeling of the team. | |
| 37 | 12 - 19 Mar | Day touring in the Haute Maurienne and Mont Thabor | S4 E2 M3 | Available | Valley-based day touring from self-catering apartments. | |
| 38 | 14 - 18 Mar | Young Members introduction to touring | E1 S2 M1 | 1 Place Left | An introduction to touring for the younger members of the club, with two days spent honing techniques from a valley base followed by a three day mini-tour to a mountain hut. Preference will be given to applications from members in the under-30 category! | |
| 39 | 19 - 26 Mar | Arolla, Slightly Steeper Week | E3 S4 M2 | Full | Plenty of challenging skiing in the Val d'Herens accessed by lift from one of three areas. Exciting day tours in the Arolla region, with ascents of at least and 1000m and descents of around 40 degrees or more! | |
| 40 | 19 - 26 Mar | Val Ferret to Val d'Entremont | E2/3 S2/3 M2 | Available | A progressive tour from Val Ferret to Val d’Entremont, or put another way, from the South end of the Mont Blanc tunnel to the North end of the St Barnard tunnel. Using one winter room and huts including the wonderful Grand St Bernard Hospice. | |
| 41 | 25 Mar - 1 Apr | Northern Norway Island Explorer | Brian Horn and coordinator Dave Smith |
E3 S3-4 M2 | Full | Day tours off the beaten track in Arctic Norway. Daily ascents in the range of 900-1400m, self-catering or fully catered, with some motorboat transport for access. |
| 42 | 26 Mar - 2 Apr | Jotunheimen Haute Route | E3 S3 M2 | Full | A traverse of the Jotunheimen region in Norway, making use of the hut network with both wardened and self-service huts with some spare days for bad weather and/or ascent of summits. | |
| 43 | 26 Mar - 2 Apr | Introduction to Alpine Ski Touring , Arolla | E2-3 S2-3 M1 | Available | This week is for people who would like to ski off the beaten track and venture deeper into Alpine country, or for those with some ski touring experience who would like to re-fresh their skills. All necessary skills and techniques for safe alpine and glacier ski touring are covered. | |
| 44 | 26 Mar - 2 Apr | Val D'Isere (East of) | E2 S2 M2 | Available | Starting and finishing in Bourg St Maurice, two nights will be spent at the Refuge Prariond and then a further two or three nights at the Refuge du Carro with numerous peak bagging possibilities. | |
| 45 | 26 Mar - 2 Apr | Traverse of the Haute Tarentaise Frontier ridge | E2-3 S3 M3 | Available | The tour follows the frontier ridge from hut to hut, with potentially peaks en-route. The return to France is via the Testa del Rutor, and descends the classic Glacier de l'Invernet to the Refuge du Ruitor. Participants will be expected to travel to Bourg by rail, or equivalent low carbon travel | |
| 46 | 27 Mar - 2 Apr | Reschenpass / South Tirol - Hotel-based day ski touring. | E2 S3 M1 | Available | Hotel based day tours involving ascents of 3 to 4 hours a day and based out of an excellent family run hotel in Reschen/South Tirol. Taxis and ski buses will be used. | |
| 47 | 27 Mar - 2 Apr | Saas 4000er's | E3 S3 M2 | 1 Place Left | A circular high level ski tour, from Saas Fee, climbing the 4000m peaks of the Allalinhorn, Strahlhorn and Alphubel. This is a demanding high altitude ski tour with a big glacier experience. | |
| 48 | 27 Mar - 1 Apr | Senja, Norway | E2 S3 M1 | Available | This island is a few hours south of Tromso. It offers great options for coastal Arctic ski touring, wild scenery and northern lights if you’re lucky! Self catered accommodation to keep costs reasonable. | |
| 49 | 28 Mar - 6 Apr | Gildeskal, Norway | E2 S3 M2 | Available | The base will be a self-catering chalet at Saltstraumen.The Norwegian language guidebook lists about 50 tours within a half hour drive. This is a less frequented area than Lyngen for example. | |
| 50 | 2 - 9 Apr | Ortler | E2/3 S3 M2 | Available | Day tours from the Branca and Pizzini huts in this dramatic area. | |
| 51 | 2 - 9 Apr | Introduction to touring hut-to-hut, Gran Paradiso | E2-3 S3 M2 | Available | Starting and finishing in the Aosta valley, two nights are spent in the Val di Rhemes then on to the Chiavasso hut and finally an ascent of the Gran Paradiso. A mix of hut-to-hut touring and day tours along the way. | |
| 52 | 3 - 8 Apr | Val d'Anniviers Hut to Hut | E2 S3 M2 | Available | A high-level hut-to-hut tour that travels amongst the spectacular scenery of rocky peaks and glaciers that surround the Val d'Anniviers. | |
| 53 | 3 - 8 Apr | Eastern Oberland Haute Route | E3 S4 M3 | 2 Places Left | A high-level traverse, in a very remote part of the eastern Bernese Oberland. Starting at the Jungfraujoch and finishing at Rosenlaui with one unwardened hut. The traverse to the Gaulihutte is technical and requires a 40m abseil. The ski to Rosenlaui is one of the finest in the Alps. | |
| 54 | 3 - 10 Apr | Romsdalen | E2 S3 M2 | 1 Place Left | Day tours in Romsdalen from a base in Isfjorden. The mountains in this region are said to be 'alpine and majestic' and there is plenty of variety either remote or accessible, gentle or steep. | |
| 55 | 3 - 9 Apr | Iceland - Hut to Hut | E2-3 S3 M2 | Full | A fun filled 7 day trip in the Troll Peninsula exploring some great ski terrain around local huts, involving a mix of a travel and skiing. There are many great ski lines in some stunning mountains. | |
| 56 | 7 -11 Apr | Relaxed Silvretta | E1-2 S2 M1 | Available | This tour is for Eagles looking for a relaxed approach. For those needing a rest or a shorter day, we have consecutive nights in some of the most comfortable huts in the Alps! Note - this is a midweek start. | |
| 57 | 9 - 16 Apr | Bernese Oberland, hut-to-hut | E3-4 S3 M2 | Available | Starting in Fiesch then visiting the Konkordia, Finsteraarhorn, Monchjoch and Hollandia huts. Objectives include the Wyssnollen, Grosses Wannenhorn, Trugberg, Louwihorn and Abeni Flue. A beautiful ski down the Lotschental rounds the tour off. | |
| 58 | 9 - 16 Apr | Northern Norway (Tromso to Alta) | E2 S3 M2 | Available | Day tours in the remote northwestern fjords of Norway. Based on the classic and comfortable 168 foot sailing ship Rembrandt van Rijn starting in Tromsø and finishing in Alta. | |
| 59 | 16 - 23 Apr | Haute Maurienne, Glaciers and Steeps | E3 S3 M2 | Available | Ascents of some of the finest peaks and descents of some of the steeper slopes in this stunning area between the Vanoise and Gran Paradiso. | |
| 60 | 24 - 29 Apr | Vanoise hut-to-hut | E2 S3 M1 | Available | A demanding hut to hut tour in this beautiful national park. We will need good visibility and stable snow to complete the itinerary in full. Come with a flexible attitude! Note - this is a midweek start. |