Ski Touring

Ski touring is a whole new way to enjoy the mountains on skis. Using bindings with a releasable heel and skins attached to our skis, we can ski in terrain which would otherwise only be accessible by helicopter. Naturally there’s effort required, but the rewards are stunning – the pleasure of moving steadily uphill, the satisfaction of the arrival at a summit and above all the making of fresh tracks in a wild mountain environment.

As with all things in the mountains, there’s a progression: from short “side country” tours with as little as half an hour’s skinning, through day tours and moving on to multi day hut to hut tours such as the world famous High Level Route from Chamonix to Zermatt. Outside of the Alps, you can take touring further afield to venues like Kashmir in India and Kamchatka in Russia on ski expeditions.

If you’re looking for a gentle introduction to touring, many Guides run “ski safaris”, using a combination of ski lifts, helicopters, taxis and skinning to complete a journey through the mountains, also known as “touring without tears”! At the other end of the scale, ski mountaineering combines ski touring with alpinism to access some of the wildest skiing on the planet.

British Mountain Guides run a full programme of tours throughout the winter in all the major alpine areas, and many Guides run expeditions too. Click on the search facility to the right to find the right tour Guide for you.