Ski Touring in the French Alps
Ski touring combines off-piste skiing with mountaineering allowing you to escape the crowds and enjoy some of the best backcountry terrain in the French Alps.
The best Ski Touring in the French Alps
The French Alps is renowned for its easily accessible yet wild and extensive ski touring terrain. New equipment makes the possibility of accessing pristine powder fields a reality for most skiers and ski touring has become a hugely popular winter activity. Strike out from Chamonix and access the Haute Route, possibly the most famous ski tour in the world. Less than 2 hours drive from Chamonix and you’re in the Vanoise National Park in the Tarantaise Valley, which is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful areas of wilderness in Europe and a ski touring paradise. Head further south and explore less frequented terrain in the stunningly remote Queyras Regional Park.
Hut-To-Hut Ski Touring
A superb network of mountain huts or refuges makes multi-day hut-to-hut ski touring expeditions straightforward to organise. The standard of the accommodation in the refuges is generally basic but comfortable with rooms arranged dormitory style. Bunk-beds are equipped with bedding, so you don’t need to carry a sleeping bag. Food tends to be on a set menu basis consisting of a hearty three course evening meal and cereals and bread and jam for breakfast. Often there is no running water, so you have to buy bottled water to drink and wash with. You can usually buy tea, coffee, wine, beer, soft drinks and snacks. You can expect a good atmosphere, and weather permitting, to wake up to a stunning view!
Ski Touring Gear
In the Alps, backcountry skiers favour freeride skis, such as Dynastar Cham’s or K2 Pinnacle’s, with touring bindings and skins. Snowboarders will either use a splitboard, or snowshoes and carry their board. Ski touring climbing skins come in either nylon or mohair, or a mixture of the two. Nylon provides more grip, and mohair gives more glide. If it’s your first time it’s safer to err on the side of more grip – you might be slightly slower, but you’ll still get there. More extreme routes require crampons and some ropework. Your guide will provide you with an avalanche rescue kit, including transceiver, probe and shovel. You’ll also need a technical backcountry backpack with ski/snowboard carrying capacity. Good ones are the Osprey Kode or Patagonia Snow Drifter.
One thing’s for sure, equipment failure can have serious consequences, so you’ll need to have a firm grasp of how to use your ski touring gear before you strike out into the backcountry. As always, the advice is, take a guide. You’ll be safer and you’ll have a lot more fun.
Book a Ski Touring Trip
Our Ski Touring partners offer affordable day & multi-day packages designed for skiers and splitboarders looking to explore the best backcountry in the Alps.
Val-d'Isère, France
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Ski Touring in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc
All the routes in the Mont Blanc range require you to be a solid off-piste skier and have a decent level of fitness. Saying that, the climbs are generally quite short with plenty of bang for your buck.
© Chamonix Aventure
Mont Blanc to Mont Rose Ski Tour
Huge glaciers, couloirs, steeps, forest runs, massive vertical drop and stunning views of the mountains throughout. This 5-day ski tour takes you from Chamonix to Gressoney in Italy’s Aosta Valley. You’ll spend 3 days in the Mont Blanc range, skiing the Aiguille du Midi, Grand Montets, Courmayeur, and Balme, and 2 days in Mont Rose skiing Gressoney and Alagna. If that’s not enough, there’s the possibility to bolt on a day’s heli-skiing in Italy or Switzerland.
Duration: 5 Days. Level: Intermediate. Price: From 1195 € per person
Contact: Chamonix Aventure | +33 (0)9 77 76 13 62.
Ski Touring in the Vanoise National Park
© TopSki
Tour of the Vanoise
The Vanoise range offers a spectacular backdrop for ski touring. This relatively easy 4-day itinerary heads out from Val d’Isère and takes in the south face of the La Grande Casse and La Grande Motte. If you’re feeling fit you can take on the 3330 m Méan Martin summit. Stay overnight in mountain refuges or local gites with their cosy wood fires.
Duration: 4 Days. Level: Beginner/Intermediate.
Contact: TopSki | France +33 (0)7 82 85 88 89, UK +44(0)7968 732 115
© TopSki
Ski Touring the Tarentaise and Aosta Valleys
The area between France and Italy between the Tarentaise and the Val d’Aosta is spectacular for ski touring. This moderately challenging 5-day itinerary heads out from the Fornet in Val d’Isère and takes in the Grande Aiguille Rouge (3227m) and the Pointe de la Galise (3343m), and over the border to the beautiful italian valleys of Val de Rhemes and Valgrisenche. Stay overnight in French and Italian mountain refuges with their warm hospitality and rugged “ambiance”.
Duration: 5 Days. Level: Intermediate.
Contact: TopSki | France +33 (0)7 82 85 88 89, UK +44(0)7968 732 115
© Roman Boed
Tarentaise and Piemonte Ski Safari
This moderately challenging 5-day itinerary heads south from the Fornet in Val d’Isère and takes in the beautiful Levanna Glacier and the spectacular Albarron, passing the authentic villages of the Vallée de la Maurienne and over the border to Piemonte. Stay overnight in French and Italian mountain refuges with their warm hospitality and rugged “ambiance”.
You can finish this trip with a memorable helicopter flight from Bonneval back to Val d’Isère.
Duration: 5 Days. Level: Intermediate.
Contact: TopSki | France +33 (0)7 82 85 88 89, UK +44(0)7968 732 115
Ski Touring in Queyras Regional Park
The high-altitude terrain, early season snow and diversity of the slopes means that ski tourers can carve fresh lines from the season’s first snowfall in November right through to spring. The Queyras is crisscrossed with more than 250 ski touring itineraries and whether you’re planning a hut-to-hut, a grand traverse or a short two-day loop, the dense network of refuges and gîtes makes logistics straightforward.
Base yourself in one of the ancient mountain villages in the Queyras, which steeped in tradition provide a welcome change from the purpose built ski resorts of the northern French Alps. The park itself is a protected environment known for its larch trees, wild flowers and wildlife, including chamois and golden eagles.
© adventurebase.com
Ski Touring in the Remote Queyras
If you’re looking for a remote multi-day trip with high altitude skinning and great off-piste descents each day, then this ski touring itinerary from Adventure Base is for you. Starting in the picturesque mountain village Guillestre, you spend the first day warming up the legs and practicing your ski touring technique. The route includes high altitude traversing between cols and skinning up some of the regions major peaks such as the Tete de Longet (3146 m). Your efforts are rewarded with long and floaty descents on untracked powder.
Duration: 6 Days. Level: Intermediate. Season: mid-Feb – mid-May
Contact: Adventure Base | +33 (0)4 80 80 60 99.
Please leave a comment below if you need specific advice for your Ski Touring trip to the French Alps, or if you have any recommendations to help us improve this guide. Happy holidays!
