These ski camps are for adult skiers who can confidently ski red runs and are motivated to improve. Last winter I had attendees ranging from 14 to 64 years old and we had some fantastic groups of interesting skiers from all around the world.  

Please see the video about skiing levels via this link. You can also scroll to the bottom of this page to see some example videos of skiers who attended last season, demonstrating the right level for joining this camp.

The intermediate plateau is a classic place where skiers get stuck - being able get down most slopes safely enough, but when the snow conditions get tricky or the red runs turn to black runs - it's not always pretty.

The goal is to help intermediate skiers become advanced. Typically this involves technique sessions on blue and red pistes on day 1, checking, practising and building the fundamentals of strong ski technique. We normally move on to sessions on separation (lateral and/or rotational), steeper slopes, carving, short turns and bumps - although the camps do not follow a strict schedule as I adapt them to the needs of the group and the conditions that we get. We include video feedback throughout, as I find this to be an extremely helpful tool to help skiers improve. 

I put a lot of effort into matching the attendee ability levels as closely as possible as this is important for everyone getting the best of the course, so please read the following carefully. 

1. You must have a minimum ski level of being able to ski difficult red run terrain in comfortable parallel turns.
2. You must also be physically fit enough to complete full days (up to 6hrs skiing) in potentially challenging terrain.

You can watch my video on the ski levels here - these ski camps are designed for level 4s who wish to become level 5s (although level 5s would also benefit from taking this course).

You can also scroll to the bottom of this page to see example videos of prior attendees demonstrating the right level for this camp. 

As long as everyone in the group has the two above pre-requisites then we will be able to cover lots of interesting terrain and explore much of the pds ski area. 

It is still normal that members of the group will have slightly different levels and goals, and there will be opportunities for some to tackle a hard run and others to go around and meet at the bottom, for example, but we do need to ensure everyone has the minimum pre-requisite in order to function well as a team. 

If you would like to discuss your level with me before making a booking please email [email protected] - we often have a phone call together before booking. If you have any videos of your skiing, this is extremely helpful for me to see.

Please make me aware of any old injuries or existing medical issues you may have.

There are many options for where you can stay, but here is some info which you will find useful. 

Staying in Avoriaz or walking distance from the bottom of the Super Morzine Gondola are the best options. 

The meeting point will either be in Les Lindarets or Spot Cafe at the top of Prodains. I can advise exact commutes and timings in the whatsapp group chat nearer the time. 

The ideal location for accommodation is therefore:

1. Anywhere in Avoriaz (it is a pedestrianised resort so no cars/buses - everything is walking, skiing or horse drawn cart!) It is a bit more magical and more like a ski holiday to be up in the snow, ski-out - ski-in to your accommodation - but there may be a bit of a walk from the parking or drop off area to your accommodation at the beginning or end of the week. You might try Hotel Drumonts, Hotel Mil8, SkiWeekends for shared chalets or Booking.com/Airbnb for self catered apartments. L'amara is also an ideal location, especially if you can get a west facing balcony for the sunsets.
2. Somewhere in central morzine within walking distance of the bottom of the Super Morzine Gondola. Commuting via the Super M is a great way to go, especially on the way home as you get beautiful sunsets and have some nice slopeside bars on the way back. 
3. Somewhere in Prodains near the Prodains Gondola. Prodains is a village at the end of a valley below Avoriaz and there are a handful of hotels near the bottom of the Prodains Gondola - for example Hotel Chilly Powder, Hotel Neige et Roc, and Hotel Les Lans. If you stay in Prodains, you can easily walk to the gondola to get up to Avoriaz in the morning, and ski most of the way home. The hotels do evening meals, but your alternative evening options are a bit more limited than if staying in Avoriaz or Morzine. The gondola does stay open until 9pm (even later on weekends) and there are free shuttle buses down to central morzine, although they can be full of drunk people post Apres ski in the evenings and they stop at 7ish. If you have a car then of course this gives you more freedom.
4. Staying in Montriond and using the Montriond bus to Ardent, then Ardent gondola up to Lindarets is also a solid option. 

If you have a car, you can drive to Ardent or Prodains easy peasy, opening up many more options for where you can stay.

You can also use the free shuttle buses to get around Morzine (I do this every day) but they can get pretty busy and sometimes have queues and buses rammed to the brim, so best to avoid if you can help it.

Avoriaz is a ski resort in the centre of Les Portes du Soleil - one of the biggest interconnected ski areas in the world, laying across both France and Switzerland - Geneva airport is a 1.5hr transfer (I recommend Skiidy Gonzalez for shared transfers).

Depending on where the members of the group are staying, we will either meet at the Salle Hors Sac in Les Lindarets or at the Spot Cafe at the top of Prodains Gondola (tbc in the group chat before your course). It is sometimes possible to meet members elsewhere a bit later if you are travelling over from Crosets or Chatel for example.

All members need a full area Portes du Soleil lift pass - there is so much to explore!

We will therefore be able to enjoy varied terrain across multiple valleys, from the amazing runs of the Chatel & Plaine Dranse region to the beautiful panoramas of the Mossettes upper slopes and Les Crosets pistes in the sunshine. 

Attendees can stay in Avoriaz, Morzine, Saint Jean D'aulps, Les Gets, Les Crosets or similar. 

Please let me know where you will be staying and whether you have transportation or need buses & lifts. Check the FAQ 'where should I stay' for more info on ideal locations for accommodation.

In the week prior to the course, I will set up a whatsapp group to handle all meeting points and times and travel logistics with the group. 

1. Lift Pass – Full Portes du Soleil ski pass for the duration of the course. This can be purchased at the lift when you arrive, unless you manage to spot some form of discount for buying online (although this is not normally the case) 
2. Phone - we use whatsapp group chats to handle logistics
3. Skis – approx. 80-95mm wide underfoot is ideal but not mandatory. Expect to ski various types of snow conditions and terrain on the course. Feel free to ask me any questions about your skis via email.
4. Boots – Comfortable & well fitted boots which allow for ankle flex
5. Poles. 
6. Insurance – you are required to have valid winter sports insurance covering on & off-piste mountain rescue (including helicopter evacuation), emergency medical cover & personal liability protection. Travel insurance is also advised. When you buy your lift pass, they offer insurance for about 2-3 euros per day, which I think is worth getting - it covers free rescue from the slopes to the medical centre, which you would otherwise have to pay upfront and chase up with your insurer afterwards. 
7. Gloves & spare gloves – I prefer a thin pair of gloves for warmer conditions plus a pair of warm mittens
8. Helmet
9. Goggles
10. Sunglasses – wrap around or with good side protection
11. Sun cream & SPF Lip Balm
12. Clothing – Layering system recommended (but not mandatory of course!) with merino wool baselayers, fleece
    midlayer, insulated puffy layer and gore-tex shell. I strongly recommend a neck tube to keep your face warm or protected from the sun.
13. Backpack – optional – but I often carry a 20L pack with spare layers, suncream, water etc, especially on cold or bad weather days. If you do choose to bring a pack, make sure it is comfortable, has waist and chest straps and is no larger than 25litres. I have good ski backpacks you can borrow if you need.
14. Money - please budget around 30 euros a day for lunch at a slopeside restaurant and possible coffee stops. 

To book, please fill in the booking enquiry form and let me know a few key bits of information. If necessary, I am happy to have a phone call with you to answer any questions and help ensure if your level is appropriate for the group. 

I will then send you an invoice to make your payment in euros by bank transfer to my french registered business. 

Your booking is finalised when you make payment, and the invoice you receive will detail the key information including the time and location of your meeting point.

For my cancellation policy please see booking terms & conditions here.

Please read the 'what is the pre-requisite level FAQ above'. 

You can also see videos of previous attendees demonstrating the right level at the bottom of this page. 

You can also watch my video on the ski levels - level 4 is ideal for this course. 

Under some circumstaces, strong level 3s who are sporty and have good physical fitness could attend. If you have any video footage of your skiing this is extremely helpful. I often have a phone call with new clients before booking to discuss any of the above.

It is not unusual for stronger skiers to attend and enjoy the course - many attendees have dozens of weeks of experience and decades of skiing under their belt - and benefit from the guiding, the video feedback and the fun group atmosphere.

So even if you are already confident on black runs, don't assume the group is too easy for you as there is still much to benefit from and enjoy.  

However, if you are more interested in skiing harder terrain and exploring off-piste, you may be better suited to my 'Advanced Ski & Avalanche Training' Courses.

Minimum group size 3, maximum group size 7.

In the past, due to cancellations, I have run the course with groups of 2. I realise people make plans well in advance and make travel arrangements especially for the course - so I would not cancel a course last minute. 

Of course we all wish for fresh snow and blue skies - but we certainly do not need it to make the course a success. 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!

Generally, when the conditions are good, we make the most of it, when the conditions are bad, we optimize for skills training and improvement. Dealing with adverse snow and weather conditions is part of the process when it comes to breaking out of the intermediate plateau!

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. 

A good lunch stop, warm up and refuel is key to getting the best of a full day of skiing and is also part of the fun, so please budget approx 30 euros a day to buy lunch at a slopeside restaurant. This way, we can stay as a group and have no limits of where we can go in the Portes du Soleil. This is not mandatory, of course, and you can peel off and rejoin the group if you prefer (pls let me know beforehand if you need to be anywhere in particular). In the spring, when the temperatures are warmer - sometimes we will picnic out on the slopes (this will be pre-arranged in the group chat), but the restaurants are pretty sharp on their anti-picnicing rules. There is one indoor picnic area (Salle Hors Sac in Les Lindarets) but it is often full at lunchtime and we will often be a long way away from it. So best bet is to budget for for a restaurant lunch and we can make the most of our time! 

Normally, we meet at around 9:15-9:30 and then ski for a 2.5-3 hour session in the morning. 

We lunch together at a restaurant somewhere on the slopes (or picnic somewhere sunny in the spring) and then go for a second session in the afternoon approximately 1:30-3:30/4pm.

If you need to finish earlier for any reason - you can peel off when it suits you. Let me know if you have any other questions. 

Please see my booking T&Cs here.

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.