Types of ski tour trip

Many people like to camp or travel from hut to hut. But if you are looking for sofa or a bar at the end of the day, fear not, there are options for you. In fact the best way to ease into the sport is often to take a traditional holiday and employ a local guide for a lesson or short day tour. Here you will be sure to learn all the touring techniques and the guide will take you on a route you will never forget! Remember that everyone in this sport is looking to share the sensations of touring with you.

If you want to stay overnight in the mountains lots of companies provide the responsible way to do so with hut to hut travel. Whether it is for one or multiple nights, these true circular tours are often the best ways to appreciate the vast scale of the mountains, passing over saddles into yet more bowls. Finally, there is the epic tour that takes you on one of the great routes, for example the Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt. The French army did this in a day and a night, but you might like to take the standard 7 days!

Check out our growing range of ski touring holidays, or try these accommodations which are very well set up for ski touring in Europe.

Planning a ski tour

Good prior planning is essential. A tour can be planned weeks ahead, but the final details cannot be done until the night before. When weather and conditions start to become clear, you must always be ready to cancel  or amend your plans, even on the morning itself. The last hours of weather can change the route security significantly. You should be very experienced in mountain travel, avalanche safety and navigation before you consider ski touring without a qualified guide.

Budgeting for ski touring 

Like any specialist adventure sport, the kit does cost something to amass. That said, with the growing popularity of this sport, the options to rent are increasing. Ask the local ski schools and guide houses for help in this area, and you will always pick up extra snippets of info, you might even get invited along on a tour: ski tourers love nothing more than showing you a new aspect of the mountains.

Inevitably, the cost of a holiday varies on the accommodation you choose. Many like a flexible, take-it-as-it-comes approach, but pre-booking aspects of a trip can help avoid disappointment and/or uncertainty, time-wasting and unnecessary hassle when you get there, leaving you free to concentrate on having a good time. In credit conscious times, all-inclusive holidays are also great for planning and budgeting, but make sure that as well as what is included; you know what is not included in your bookings.

Whatever your approach, no-one like nasty surprises, so don't forget to factor in visas, taxes, national park entrance fees, airline luggage restrictions, insurance, health care and immunisations, local currency, access to ATM and credit card usage, travel costs and any other specific needs you may have.