Ski Touring Course in the Alps: Beginner to Advanced, Progression, Autonomy & Avalanche Safety
Join a ski touring course led by a state-certified mountain professional: skill-building, progression, avalanche safety training, and nights in mountain huts in the best-snow-covered ranges of the French Alps (Beaufortain, Mont-Blanc, Giffre, Maurienne).
Specialists in ski touring courses for all levels with hut stays, we offer day trips, 3-day weekends, and 2- to 5-day trips. Our goal: to have fun safely and progress efficiently, from the beginner ski touring course to the autonomy & avalanche safety course, including formats for advanced and expert skiers.
Which ski touring course is right for you?
Beginner ski touring course
First time out, want to build up your basics, or just tour at an easy pace? This beginner ski touring course takes place at the Refuge de Presset in the Beaufortain — an ideal, snow-sure setting to get started. You'll learn the fundamental ski touring techniques and how to pace your effort.
See the Beginner course program
Advanced & Expert course
Already skiing and looking to progress? Tougher routes, bigger vertical gain, refined transitions and route-finding. Technical work on both the ascent and the descent, with a focus on efficiency and terrain reading.
See the Advanced & Expert course program
Autonomy & Avalanche Safety course
For those working toward independence on their own outings: avalanche risk-reduction methods, decision-making, and group management. You'll take an active part in on-the-ground analysis and decision-making.
See the Autonomy & Avalanche Safety course program
Ski touring course formats
Day trip
A local discovery day: brush up on the fundamentals, test your gear and technique. Perfect as a first taste before a weekend or a longer trip.
3-day weekend with hut stays
A 3-day mountain immersion with 2 nights in a hut: real mountain atmosphere, progressive learning, and time to consolidate your skills.
Our best-seller: Beginner course at the Refuge de Presset →
2- to 5-day trips with hut stays
Multi-day touring through wilder terrain — ideal for accelerating your progression and gaining independence across varied ground.
How to assess your ski touring level
1. To assess your ski touring level and choose a course with hut stays that matches your expectations, you need to honestly estimate 2 key factors: your physical fitness and your technical skiing level.
2. If you're torn between two levels, or don't quite recognize yourself in those on offer: let us know when you contact us! It's possible that a level matches your fitness but not quite your technical ability, or the other way round. We aim to keep our courses at a consistent level and can advise you by comparing your profile with those of participants already registered.
Levels for courses with hut stays
Level 1 - Beginner
Level 2 - Intermediate
Level 3 - Advanced
Level 4 - Expert
Ski touring courses with mountain hut stays
Discover the excitement and simplicity of spending one or more nights at altitude in a mountain hut with your guide. While most classic ski touring summits and routes can be done in a day, others are too demanding for the vast majority of skiers to complete in a single day. Staying overnight in a hut opens up routes and summits that would otherwise be out of reach for less experienced ski tourers. It's not just about splitting up the climb — it's also an experience in itself for anyone who loves that winter mountain atmosphere. Spending the night at a hut can even be the point of the trip: reaching it under your own steam and skiing back down is a great experience in its own right, with no need to go any higher.
Which huts for a ski touring course?
Not all huts are staffed in winter — depending on their location and access conditions, wardens are only able to welcome guests on set dates. Outside these windows, it's still possible to stay in a hut with limited access to the building, in which case you'll need to bring your own food and water, among other things. Depending on the period you're interested in and your tolerance for "roughing it," we'll recommend the hut that best suits your expectations: a staffed hut with full half-board, an unstaffed hut where you'll need to bring food to cook, or a shelter/cabin as a stopover on a demanding route.
Staffed huts in winter
Staffed huts also welcome ski tourers in winter. On the menu: overnight stay, evening meal, breakfast, and a packed lunch for the next day.
Our Ski Touring Huts
Refuge de Presset
Beaufortain – Savoie
Refuge des Prés
Les Contamines – Haute-Savoie
Refuge des Aiguilles d'Arves
Valloire – Savoie
Refuge du Lac de Gers
Flaine – Haute-Savoie
Ski touring course map
We run trips across the French Alps, in Savoie & Haute-Savoie, with a selection of huts and routes designed for learning, progression, and pure skiing enjoyment: Beaufortain, Giffre, Mont-Blanc, and Maurienne.
Dates, prices & booking
Check the calendar for ski touring courses with hut stays.
Course prices
Hut prices
* Price per person, per night = Overnight stay + Evening meal + Breakfast + Packed lunch
Half-board hut rates are given here for guidance only; the final rate is the one set by the hut itself.
Useful & legal information for each course
Required level Good physical fitness is required for this activity. A solid skiing level is essential: you must be able to consistently control your speed and line, and be used to skiing off-piste in variable, sometimes deep snow.
Mandatory insurance Personal liability insurance is essential to take part in our trips. You must also have Assistance, Repatriation, Search & Rescue insurance. Check with your insurer that you are specifically covered for this activity: personal accident insurance.
Optional insurance Cancellation insurance is strongly recommended in case you need to cancel your trip after booking. If you're bringing your own gear, we also recommend equipment insurance in case of damage, loss, or theft.
Administrative requirements A valid national ID card or passport.
FAQ — Ski Touring Course
Is hut half-board included in the price?
No, half-board at the hut(s) during a course with hut stays is not included in the price.
Do I need to book my own hut nights?
No, you don't need to book your hut nights yourself — we take care of this for you to secure availability.
When and how do I pay for my hut nights?
You'll settle the hut bill on-site on the last evening. Please bring cash or a cheque, as card payments aren't always accepted.
What level do I need for a beginner ski touring course?
Good physical fitness is required to take part in a beginner course. You need to be comfortable skiing on all types of piste, able to ski off-piste in variable, sometimes deep snow, and able to consistently control your speed and line.
What's the best time of year for a course?
From January to March depending on the range and snow cover, and up to April at higher altitudes.
Do I need to bring my own equipment?
Safety equipment (transceiver, shovel, probe) is loaned free of charge if you don't have your own. However, you'll need to bring your own ski touring gear (skis, boots, skins, poles, and crampons) or rent it — we don't offer equipment rental ourselves.
What should I pack for a course?
We send you a full kit list (clothing, hut essentials, etc.) for each course when you book.
Do you offer weekends with hut stays?
Yes, it's our flagship format. See Hut stays → and Refuge de Presset →
What about splitboarding?
Are you a snowboarder? We offer a dedicated program with pros who specialize in splitboard touring. See Splitboard course →
