Advanced skiers who wish to keep improving their skiing skills, explore off piste terrain and take on variable snow conditions.

The course is for skiers who have a pre-requisite level of already being confident on black slopes.

Courses are delivered in Les Portes du Soleil and Chamonix.

Avoriaz courses will meet at either Spot Café at the top of Prodains Gondola or Salle Hors Sac in Les Lindarets.

Chamonix Courses will most likely be delivered in the Flégère ski area, meeting at the cafe at the top of the first gondola.

Meeting points  will be confirmed on your booking invoice, as well as in the whatsapp group chat before your course begins. 

for Avoriaz courses, you will need a full area PDS lift pass.  

The pre-learning you can do online in your own time on any screen you like. 

- You must have a minimum ski level of being able to ski black runs in controlled parallel turns.

- You must also be physically fit enough to complete full days (6hrs skiing) in potentially challenging terrain.

As long as everyone in the group has the two above pre-requisites then we will have a great team and be able to ski loads of exciting terrain.

You can scroll to the bottom of this page to see videos of past clients demonstrating the level required for this course. 

You may also benefit from watching my video which describes the skills needed at each ski level - this courses is best suited for strong level 4s, level 5 & level 6.

If you would like to discuss your level with me before making a booking please email [email protected]

The course is 50% ski tuition & guiding and 50% avalanche safety training.

Pre- learning: A mixture of video tutorials, practical tasks and quizzes are organised into 10 core lessons. In total, it takes around 6 hours to complete the course, but it is common to repeat and refer back to it throughout the season.

Practical: 4 x full days in the mountains starting in Avoriaz and exploring Les portes du Soleil 

The full days will be on skiing equipment with a Portes du Soleil lift pass. We will meet at a cafe to review the conditions and avalanche forecast before heading out for mornings of skiing & afternoons of avalanche training, approximately 2.5 - 3hr sessions of each with a 45 minute lunch break in between.

The Skiing

Tuition and guiding, on & off piste, with video feedback. The goal is to explore incredible terrain whilst honing your skills in the process.

Avalanche Safety Training:

Session 1: Companion Rescue Skills in avalanche response

Session 2: Avalanche Terrain - identification & analysis 

Session 3: Field Observation skills - formal and informal tests and tools for monitoring snowpack and red flags. 

Session 4: Companion Rescue follow up session & Practise scenarios

You can also expect a daily review of the Avalanche bulletin to learn how to understand and apply. 

We will practise risk management tools such as trailhead checks and cover group management and safe travel protcols. 

The course content mirrors the content of an American Avalanche Association Level 1 recreational course. If you would like to compare different recreational avalanche courses such as AIARE or AST courses, please see our article on this here.

1. (N.B. check if your course is lift accessed or on ski touring gear)

   You can borrow backpack, transceiver, shovel & probe from me during the course at no extra cost - please request in enquiry form.

   • Skis – approx. 90-100mm underfoot. Downhill orientated bindings preferable to superlight tech pins.
   • Boots – Comfortable. Walk mode recommended for ski touring courses
   • Poles – powder baskets & length adjustable recommended but not compulsory
   • Insurance – you are required to have valid winter sports insurance covering off-piste mountain rescue (including
     helicopter evacuation), emergency medical cover & personal liability protection. Travel insurance is also advised.
   • Lift Pass – Full Portes du Soleil ski pass for the duration of the course. 
   • Water, snacks, hot flask, packed lunch – lunch plans will be reminded in whatsapp before the course.
   • Phone – with mobile data for forecasts etc.
   • Backpack – approx. 25L, with chest and waist straps. Airbags not compulsory. 
   • Transceiver - ideally < 5yrs old or with recent healthcheck
   • Shovel – metal & robust
   • Probe – 270cm +. Metal tipped with interior wire recommended over string (string stretches). Snap lock recommended
   • Skins (ski touring courses only)
   • Ski crampons (not obligatory, ski touring courses only – please ask if any questions)
   • Gloves & spare gloves – Hands get both hot and cold so layering system recommended - I prefer a thin pair of gloves for warmer conditions plus a pair of warm mittens
   • Helmet
   • Goggles
   • Sunglasses – wrap around or with good side protection
   • Sun hat / cap – for ski touring or lunch
   • Sun cream & SPF Lip Balm + neck tube
   • Clothing – Layering system recommended with merino wool baselayers, fleece midlayer, insulated puffy layerand gore tex shell.
   • Emergency warm layer – extra layer in backpack, down insulated is ideal
   • Recommended but not essential: Ski tie, Multi tool (swiss army knife or similar), First aid kit, Repair kit, superlite shelter

Not officially – let me explain.

This course follows the recreational avalanche education pathway. Courses like AIARE Level 1 & 2 (USA) and AST 1 & 2 (Canada) are well-known in North America because they follow a continent-wide curriculum. These frameworks help backcountry users compare their training, but they are not mandatory or professional certifications – they simply show what content was covered.

In Europe, we don’t yet have a unified recreational avalanche training system. That’s why this course mirrors (and in places, goes beyond) the AIARE Level 1 or AST 1 content – giving you the same essential skills and knowledge. You’ll receive a certificate of completion detailing the curriculum, which can be useful for your personal learning record or as a reference for further education.

So no, it’s not affiliated with AIARE or Avalanche Canada – but if you're looking for real-world avalanche education that matches international standards, you're in the right place.

If you would like to read more about international avalanche courses and qualifications, read the blog article I wrote about this here.

To book, please fill in the booking enquiry form so I can collect the necessary information.

I will get back to you via email and, if necessary, suggest a short phone call to discuss your level / experience / goals and answer any questions you may have. 

I will prepare a booking invoice for you to pay to confirm your place. 

For the cancellation policy, You can see the booking terms & conditions page here.

I have put a lot of thought into whether or not to design a 'level 2' version of the ASAT course, which many of you have requested as the natural follow up.

However, There are a few reasons why I have concluded that actually, repeating the same camp is the best option:

• Repetition of the key safety training to ensure clarity of the core info and practising and refreshing the skillset is more valuable than having a shallower understanding of more information.
• I am completely re-making and rebuilding the online theory section of this course this summer and will have a new and uodated version ready for next season.
• The existing curriculum already allows for ongoing progression of skills and knowledge. 
• No two courses are the same and differ in terrain and snow conditions

It's unlikely. During the past three winters I have been running these courses with a mixture of some skiers who have only recently progressed from the intermediate plateau, to others who have decades of skiing experience from a young age.

Unless you are an expert skier who is amazing in bumps, steeps and variable snow, as well as having recent multi-day avalanche training under your belt, you will be able to gain a lot of value from this course. 

You will gain access to the online pre-study course after you make your booking. It takes about 6 hours in total and you can complete this in your own time on any screen you like. It is adviseable to have it refreshed soon before you course starts. 

Please check the course dates section to see if the course is entirely lift accessed or a combination of lift accessed and ski touring. 

If it is entirely lift accessed - you do not need ski touring equipment.

If it is a combination, you will need ski touring skis & bindings, skins and preferably boots with a walk mode. This allows us to do half day or full day ski tours on some of the days in order to explore backcountry terrain away from the ski area.

On the ski-touring courses, you will not need ski touring skis every day. Day 1 is always entirely lift-accessed. So you have the option to hire touring kit for individual days.

The Avalanche training course content is more or less the same whether your course is lift accessed or ski touring.  

Since the emphasis of the course will be on downhill skiing & avalanche training, downhill orientated skis and bindings are preferable to super lightweight skis and pin bindings. Something like a shift binding would be ideal. 

Typically 3 or 4 attendees, with a maximum group size of 6.

Yes, you can borrow equipment for the course free of charge - but please let me know in the booking enquiry form.

Ideally, it is great to bring your own and practise with the equipment you will be using.

If you would like to purchase any BCA equipment (delivery to the UK) I can recommend mountainsports.co.uk - you can use the discount code ALPINETUTORIALS to get a discount.

The success of the course does not depend on fresh snow and blue skies. If conditions are good - we will make the most of them, if conditions are bad, then we focus more on skills acquisition and training so you are well prepared next time the conditions are good. 

After ten seasons working 6 day weeks in Les Portes du Soleil, I have experienced all extremes of weather and snow conditions and we can find decent skiing and training conditions 99% of the time.

One of the good things about the PDS is that it has a nice mix of higher altitude slopes for reliable snow during leaner spells, as well as forested runs to shelter in during the storms.

During poor weather - bad visibility, for example - I often find that this is a great opportunity to work on your skills. After a day honing your posture and balance in a white-out - your technique will feel extra sharp next time the skies are blue!

Dealing with adverse snow and weather conditions is part of the process when it comes to building an advanced off-piste skiing skillset.

If the weather is too extreme and the whole resort is closed (strong winds or lightening, for example) then we can cancel sessions and I would refund them. Group safety is always my top priority and I would never proceed with a session where it is not safe to do so.

But to be completely honest, cancellation and refund is very unlikely - the lift company are almost always able to open some of the more sheltered slopes and lifts so there is something to do more than 99% of the time. 

When the weather is cold - we will aim to stop at a slopeside restaurant for lunch so we can properly warm up, rest and refuel to make the most of a full day on the slopes. Please budget approximately 30 euros per day for this. 

When the weather is warmer, particularly in the spring, we will often bring packed lunches that we can eat while out on the slopes. This will be communicated with you via the whatsapp group chat so you have time to prepare.

Either way, bringing water, snacks and a hot flask is also recommended. 

The course only covers the time on the slopes, as I often have other committments in the evenings. However, whilst some people attend as couples and small groups, it is quite common that people attend the course as a solo traveller. You can of course use the whatsapp group chat to liaise with other members of the group and organise evening meals or après ski drinks. We will normally try and find a location convenient for the whole group to have a drink together at the end of the final session. 

These camps are very popular and have a finite number of spaces available. Because of this, full payment is due upfront in order to reserve your place on the course.