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Formation Snowshoes Safety Autonomy
Duration:
3 days
Price from: 410€
Difficulty:
Level 1: You have never practiced.
Level 2: You have some initial experience.
Level 3: You practice occasionally.
Level 4: You practice regularly.
Level 5: You have a sustained practice.
General information
Hiking in winter requires experience, knowledge and mastery of good techniques in order to progress with maximum safety and pleasure.
With extensive experience in organizing, supervising and training hikes and raids in refuges or bivouacs, the Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix offers you training rich in fundamental themes in order to acquire or improve your skills to move towards the autonomy necessary to travel the mountains with serenity and enthusiasm. An exciting transfer of skills!
PROGRAM The hiking locations are not predefined: we will have private transport at our disposal in order to go to the sites most suited to the themes to be covered.
THEMES: Prepare your hike: select the appropriate equipment. Pack your bag. Choose the hiking location according to the conditions…
Mapping: master map reading to imagine and prepare your itinerary
Orientation: use the map, compass and altimeter to orient yourself on the ground. Mastering GPS or smartphone mapping applications to make progress in bad weather...
Nivology: understanding the snowpack and its evolution depending on the weather, temperature, wind, slope orientation, etc.
Safety: becoming efficient with the use of the Avalanche Victim Detector (DVA, shovel, probe). Knowing how to place a handrail to secure a passage. How to trigger a rescue. Building a makeshift shelter.
Mountain environment: the mid-mountains are a complex and exciting world. To better marvel at it and protect it, it is necessary to understand it. Discover the adaptation strategies of wildlife. Integrate the notion of wildlife disturbance in order to take it into account when choosing your route.
Decision-making: Gain experience on the right decisions to make during practical work in various situations. Adopt the right attitudes for leading a group.
Tips and "secrets" of mountain professionals: Discover the tips and operating methods of mountain professionals.
Miscellaneous: through discussions and sharing, we will address various topics and answer your questions.
The program is given for information purposes only. Your guide may modify it depending on the level of the group and the conditions of the mountain.
Group booking
Group session associates several people who don’t know each other. It allows for a planned program to benefit from an attractive price on fixed dates. This formula is ideal for people looking for the friendliness of a group.
Dates : See below for the group booking module
Price 2025 : 410€ per person based on minimum of 4 participants
This price includes :
- organisation and mountain Leader guiding service
- picnic lunches
- snowshoe, pole, avalanche transceiver (DVA), shovel and probe rental
This price does not include :
- accommodation in Chamonix
- travel to the meeting point
- drinks and personal expense (souvenirs…)
- repatriation insurance (mandatory)
- anything not mentioned in « included in the package
Private booking
Private booking is the historical relationship that binds a guide to his/her client. It allows you to be alone, or in a constituted group, with your guide that meets your specific needs. It is undoubtedly the ideal formula to realize your projects because it guarantees you a maximum of comfort. You are free to choose your departure date (depending on the availability of the huts) and the itinerary can be adjusted, according to your specific expectations.
Prices 2025:
1 person : 1960€ par person
2 people : 1020€ par person
3 people : 705€ par person
4 people : 550€ par person
5 people : 455€ par person
6 people : 395€ par person
7 people : 350€ par person
8 people : 315€ par person
This price includes :
- organisation and mountain Leader guiding service
- picnic lunches
- snowshoe, pole, avalanche transceiver (DVA), shovel and probe rental
This price does not include :
- accommodation in Chamonix
- travel to the meeting point
- drinks and personal expense (souvenirs…)
- repatriation insurance (mandatory)
- anything not mentioned in « included in the package
Further information
Find in this in this section, all the information about this activity. For any further information please contact our advisors (contact details above).
Meeting point : Meet at 9:00 am at the Compagnie des guides offices on the morning of the first day.
Ability level : 3/5 - Moderate difficulty. Good condition and physical preparation are desired. 500 m to 700 m of elevation gain on average and 5 to 6 hours of walking. The terrain may have some steep passages requiring good technical ease. Hiking experience is desired Children minimum 12 years old accompanied by a parent
Guiding policy : each mountain leader can guides a group from 4 to 8 people. The Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix's guiding policy guarantees a high level experience. Children minimum 12 years old accompanied by a parent
Accomodation : Before & after the trip: We have some hotel partners in Chamonix with special prices for our customers
Documentation : Participants must have an insurance with repatriation cover. Cancellation insurance is highly recommended. You can take out insurance offering both of these types of cover when you sign up
Preparing for the trip : one week before the trip, the mountain guide will be in contact to answer any questions you may have
Documents available for download
Equipment
We recommend you to pay particular attention to the choice of your equipment. It contributes greatly to the success of your stay. Weight is decisive: you always have to evaluate the ratio weight/comfort, to find the best compromise. In a general way, it is better to pile up several light coats rather than wear one big clothing.
Hiking boots
- Boots for snowshoeing should be warm and waterproof. They should also provide high ankle support. New boots should be worn a couple of times before.
- If your feet tend to get blisters easily, you can apply baby talc on dry feet in the morning before wearing your socks.
Back-pack
- Minimum size 35 L (a back-pack with extra room is better than too small).
- Once everything is packed, make sure there is enough room to fit your picnic lunch.
- Although backpack covers are very convenient in bad weather, we recommend using a very large plastic bag as a pack-liner to protect your personal belongings from getting wet.
Clothing
Underwear : avoid using cotton. Compared to technical synthetic material, it is heavier and it dries slowly. Wool is also getting popular amongst sportswear brands. Synthetic and wool are warmer ; they dry fast, and allow you to pack light.
Daily needs
- 1 synthetic long-sleeve shirt,
- 1 light polar fleece,
- 1 pair of Goretex pants,
- 1 long synthetic underwear to wear under your trousers,
- 1 a pair of wool socks,
- 1 Goretex jacket,
What you need for the entire trip
- Down jacket or warm polar fleece,
- long underwear
- changes of clothes: (T-shirt, underwear and socks) prefer synthetic to cotton,
- gaiters (recommended if your Goretex pants don’t have a boot-skirt).
Accessories
Daily needs
- 1 pair of fleece gloves, 1 pair of mittens, 1 pair of silk gloves,
- 1 warm hat, a scarf or neck warmer,
- 1 water bottle (1.5 quart, to 2 quarts minimum) isothermal if possible,
- 1 pocket knife + 1 « spork »,
- Cap or sun-hat and sunglasses (category # 3 minimum), sunscreen (face and lips),
- a camera and a pair of binoculars (optional).
What you need for the entire trip
- Pocket light or head lamp,
- Individual first aid kit *, * Elastoplast (stretchable strapping tape), band-aids, second skin, medicine for common aches and pains (diarrhea, headaches, sore throat…). Don’t forget to bring personal prescription treatment if you have one. Mountain leaders also carry a complete first aid kit.
- Ultra-light shower kit (feel free to customize …) + synthetic « dry fast » towel,
- ID card or passport + spare change for personal expenses + paper tissues and toilet paper,
Our Rental Partners : You can rent your equipment with our rental shops partners and benefit from special price Millet, Sanglard Sports, Ravanel & Co & Concept Pro Shop
Our Equipment Partners : Millet, Dynastar, Julbo, Grivel & Monnet
Booking
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Calculate your carbon footprint
Discover the carbon emissions of this activity and add your trip to the meeting point.
CO2 emitted per person for the activity: 41 kg. Learn out more about the footprint calculation of this activity
CO2 emitted per person for the activity: 41 kg. Learn out more about the footprint calculation of this activity
CO2 emitted per person for this activity & journey(s) = 0 kgIn order to limit global warming to +2°C by 2100, the COP-21 agreement stipulates that each human should emit no more than 2t of CO2 per year. According to the French Ministry of Ecology, today European citizens emit an average of 11t per year, and American citizens emit an average of 21t annually., or 4.1€The price for a ton of CO2 is currently 100€ in the European Union to offset.
Find out more about our zero impact strategy.
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