Ski touring is backcountry skiing which involves travelling through mountain landscape in winter on skis under human power
rather than through the use of ski lifts. Ski touring requires advanced skiing skills, supreme cardiovascular fitness, mental
toughness and a good understanding of mountain craft and the hazards associated with remote mountain travel. In return ski
touring gives access to wild, isolated mountain terrain and ski tourers can discover a remote and pristine landscape that is
rarely experienced by resort-based skiers.
The principal mountain ranges in Europe – including the Alps, Dolomites, Pyrenees and Apennine Alps - are fantastic arenas for
ski touring with very varied terrain including extreme elevation gain, easy and unconfined access and a network of manned huts
providing food, heat and shelter therefore eliminating the need to carry large heavy packs.
The main ski touring season in the Alps runs from March until May although in some ranges the season can start earlier.
Depending on weather and ground conditions ski tourers can enjoy fantastic skiing on powder or corn (spring) snow as well as more
challenging skiing on windblown hardpack, crust and ice!
Mountain Tracks has an excellent selection of guided, multi-day ski tours ranging from Introduction to Ski Touring weekends, 3
& 4 day hut-based tours to demanding week long ski mountaineering tours in steep mountain terrain. From the Julian Alps in the
East to the Mont Blanc massif and the Aravis in the west, our programme really does have something for everyone from the classic:
Haute Route, Bernese Oberland; the remote: Abruzzo Alps, Queyras Traverse; the refined Silvretta Alps, Imperial Haute Route and the
challenging Bernina Alps, Elbrus and Ski Mont Blanc.
New for 2011: Enchanting day tours around the Gauli hut in the Bernese Oberland, The Imperial High Level Route in
the Swiss Valais and the ‘Valpelline Revealed!’ in the Italian Alps.
Olly's Kit Corner!
One of the most important aspects of ski touring is understanding the kit! If you're torn betwen the Marker Dukes and
Fritschi Freerides or between the Garmont Endorphins and Scarpa Spirit 4s, then check out
Olly Allen's 2-part guide to Ski
Touring Equipment!
We look forward to welcoming you on one of our tours!
Around the Benevolo Hut 3 day (Beginner)
Available Dates: 31st March 2011 - 4th April 2011
Prices: From £ 549
Enjoy 3 days of relaxed ski touring close to the Benevolo hut. This is a great choice for your first multi-day ski tour.
You'll get a fantastic flavour of what it is to ski away from resorts, enjoy the social aspects of hut life and get a taste of
the remoteness of the mountains.
Haute Route 3 day (Advanced)
Available Dates: 24th March 2011 - 17th April 2011
Prices: From £ 549
This is a short 3-day version of the most famous ski tour in the Alps - the high alpine traverse between Chamonix and Zermatt. We start in Verbier and enjoy 3 great days hut-to-hut touring through fabulous mountain scenery.
Bernese Oberland - 4 day Tour (Intermediate)
Available Dates: 5th April 2011 - 1st May 2011
Prices: From £ 659
The Bernese Oberland in Switzerland offers some fantastic ski touring amid truly breathtaking scenery. On this short, 4-day tour - a cut-down version of our week-long trip - you'll enjoy excellent hut-to-hut touring.
Romania Ski Touring (Intermediate)
Available Dates: 24th February 2011 - 4th March 2011
Prices: From £ 1295
This is a fantastic ski touring week in the Bucegi and Fagaras Mountains in the heart of the Carpathian range in Romania.
Dolomites Circuit (Intermediate)
Available Dates: 5th March 2011 - 26th March 2011
Prices: From £ 925
One of the most interesting and memorable tours through the dramatic Dolomite mountains. A wonderful week of ski touring
amidst truly spectacular limestone scenery.
Abruzzo Alps Circuit (Intermediate)
Available Dates: 12th March 2011 - 19th March 2011
Prices: From £ 995
Abruzzo is a remote corner of Italy, just 150km east of Rome. The Apennine range runs through the region and with peaks up
to 2900m there is excellent ski touring in this untouched part of Italy.
Valpelline Revealed! (Intermediate)
Available Dates: 19th March 2011 - 26th March 2011
Prices: From £ 925
The Valpelline valley in Northern Italy is a real gem of the Alps and little known as a ski touring destination although the
region has a wide variety of stellar touring intermediate-level itineraries.
Enchanting day tours from the Gaulihut (Intermediate)
Available Dates: 2nd April 2011 - 8th April 2011
Prices: From £ 825
A new tour for 2011. The Gaulihut is an ideal base for very accessible but remote ski touring with lots of interesting ski ascents and descents. These are long touring days with up to 5-6 hours of climbing but the glacial terrain is never very steep.
Julian Alps, Slovenia (Intermediate)
Available Dates: 5th March 2011 - 12th March 2011
Prices: From £ 895
If you have never been to the Slovenian Alps and you're a keen ski mountaineer in search of somewhere new and exciting, then
the extreme eastern Alps could be just the thing you're looking for.
Imperial Haute Route (Intermediate)
Available Dates: 16th April 2011 - 22nd April 2011
Prices: From £ 825
A new tour for 2011. The Imperial crown is the grand name given to the range of 4000m peaks that encircle the Val d’Anniviers. including the Weisshorn, Zinalrothorn and Dent Blanche. This is a stunning ski tour that receives very little traffic compared to other more renowned ‘Haute Routes’.
Bernese Oberland (Intermediate)
Available Dates: 9th April 2011 - 7th May 2011
Prices: From £ 925
The Bernese Oberland in Switzerland offers some fantastic ski touring amid truly breathtaking scenery. One of our most
popular ski tours and rightly so!
Silvretta Alps Traverse (Intermediate)
Available Dates: 26th February 2011 - 26th March 2011
Prices: From £ 925
The Silvretta Alps consists of 70, 3000m peaks along the Austrian/Swiss border and the area is ideal for a week of
intermediate level ski touring.
Wild Western Oberland HLR (Intermediate)
Available Dates: 12th March 2011 - 19th March 2011
Prices: From £ 925
The 'Wild' High Level Route starts in Canton Vaud and crosses through Berne and Valais. This quieter corner of Western
Switzerland often has excellent conditions when higher areas have bad weather and wind affected snow.
Tour de Soleil (Intermediate)
Available Dates: 26th March 2011 - 2nd April 2011
Prices: From £ 925
The Tour de Soleil is a classic hut-to-hut ski tour that follows an old smugglers trail in a remote but charming corner of the Swiss Alps.
Bernese Oberland 4000ers (Advanced)
Available Dates: 7th May 2011 - 14th May 2011
Prices: From £ 1095
A new tour for 2011. This tour is a variation on our very popular hut-to-hut tour in this region and is aimed at advanced
ski tourers who want to tackle some of the more accessible peaks.
Haute Route Ski Tour (Advanced)
Available Dates: 12th March 2011 - 8th May 2011
Prices: From £ 995
This is the most famous ski tour in the Alps - a legendary hut-to-hut high alpine traverse linking two of the best-known
alpine centres, Chamonix and Zermatt.
Couscous & Couloirs in Morocco (Advanced)
Available Dates: 12th February 2011 - 19th February 2011
Prices: From £ 995
A beautiful journey of discovery through the heart of the High Atlas mountains in winter ascending high peaks, enjoying some
steep ski descents and experiencing remote Berber villages with their renowned hospitality.
Gran Paradiso Circuit (Advanced)
Available Dates: 9th April 2011 - 16th April 2011
Prices: From £ 995
The Gran Paradiso at 4061m is the highest mountain entirely within Italy and sits in one of the most idyllic National Parks
in the Alps. On this tour we undertake a circumnavigation of the massif culminating with an ascent of the Gran Paradiso.
Vanoise Traverse (Advanced)
Available Dates: 2nd April 2011 - 9th April 2011
Prices: From £ 925
The Vanoise National Park is the Alps' largest park and probably one of the wildest and most beautiful. To the skier and
mountaineer it's a remote paradise ringed by internationally renowned resorts such as the Espace Killy and the Trois Vallees.
Piz Bernina Tour (Advanced)
Available Dates: 23rd April 2011 - 30th April 2011
Prices: From £ 1095
Piz Bernina is the crown jewel overlooking the Engardine Valley and after Mont Blanc has the most independent elevation in the alps (from valley to summit). Despite the proximity to St Moritz, the area is one of the more isolated and quieter areas of the Eastern Alps. This tour takes in some spectacular glaciated scenery and has some big days out at altitude.
Ski Mont Blanc (Advanced)
Available Dates: 16th April 2011 - 14th May 2011
Prices: From £ 1395
A brilliant week's ski touring topped off with the ski ascent - and descent - of Mont Blanc, the highest point in Western
Europe.
Elbrus, Russia (Advanced)
Available Dates: 6th May 2011 - 15th May 2011
Prices: From £ 2495
This is a 10-day ski expedition into the heart of the mighty Caucasus Range. Nestled between the Caspian and the Black Sea,
it's a seriously wild place!
Ski Argentina 2010
Available Dates: 7th September 2010 - 19th September 2010
Prices: From £ 2395
Experience fantastic backcountry skiing in the heart of the Patagonian Lake District. Stunning landscapes, superb powder snow, rustic mountain huts and empty slopes all combine to deliver a truly wonderful summer skiing adventure.