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Based around the historic Grand St Bernard Hospice, this holiday is the perfect stepping stone for those passionate about multi-day ski tours. Perched on the Swiss-Italian border, the mountain provides a great base for off piste touring adventures.
What's Included
What’s included
- Half board for 4 nights (breakfast & dinner)
- 4 days with mountain guides
- Transceiver if required
What’s not included
- Flights
- Transfers
- Lunches
- Ski Passes
- Ski/boot hire
- Backpack, shovel and probe (mandatory)
On Snow Experience
This weekend is ideal for good off piste skiers who are relatively new to ski touring. First there is a warm-up day using a local ski area, where you’ll focus on touring and off piste skiing skills, before returning to the simple valley hotel in the town of Orsires. The remaining three days and two nights will be using the historic hospice located on the Grand St Bernard pass as the mountain base, from where there are plenty of options for day tours and summits with great ski descents.
It is likely during the weekend that you will encounter many types of off piste snow including powder, dense snow and crust, and also variable weather conditions. It will also help that you can work towards executing kick-turns in ascent. Please be aware that you will be required to do some ski touring on this off piste holiday. Where possible the lift system will be used to access off piste terrain, however, in order to access the best off piste conditions you will be required to ski tour at certain points during the trip. This will all be dependent upon conditions and the guides you have on your trip.
Guides
Hannah Burrows-Smith
Hannah is a British Mountain Guide who was born and raised in the Scottish Highlands. She has worked with the Ski Club over the past 12 years.
Hannah shares her time between her home base near the Cairngorms mountains and the western Alps of Switzerland and France and enjoys in particular ski-touring, gully skiing and rock-climbing.
Find out more about this trip ...
We are ATOL and ABTOT protected so you can book with confidence knowing your money is secure.
Our holidays are a great way to meet and ski with other members of a similar ability to you.
Have questions? Call now and talk to our friendly team of holiday experts on 020 8410 2022.
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Prices include
4 nights half board, mountain huts and hotels; twin/shared room, 4 days with mountain guides
Prior to booking, it is essential that guests have the correct ski profile for the holiday. See our profiles here.
Book with confidence - the Ski Club is ABTOT and ATOL protected
The 410km of pistes extend across four valleys and are littered with classic off piste routes
Beginner
Fast lifts- Intermediate
- Resort Activities
Advanced
Aprés- Snow
- Value
Pros and cons
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Amazing resort for experts, superb itineraries
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Huge linked ski area if you want to reach Thyon at the far end
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Sizeable, animated village in a sunny, panoramic setting
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Lively, varied nightlife and some great après ski
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Some areas can get overcrowded and powder gets tracked fast
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The lift system doesn’t link up completely in places
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Some long, hilly walks from accommodation to lifts in places
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Expensive bars and restaurants
Hotel Terminus, Orsieres
Grand St Bernard Monastery, Bourg St Pierre
Spend two nights in the town of Orsieres at the 3* Hotel Terminus on a half board twin share basis. You’ll then spend the two morr nights in the Grand St Bernard Monastery in twin share accommodation, again on a half board basis. Please note that the accommodation, as with the itinerary, is subject to snow and weather conditions at the time. Single rooms may be available upon request during your stay at the hotel in Orsieres. These are subject to our hotel room allowance. If you require a single room, please book early to avoid disappointment. Please note that we will not be able to provide a single room during your two nights at the Grand St Bernard Monastery.
Hotel Terminus, Orsieres
Route de la Gare, Orsières, Switzerland
Phone: +41 27 552 11 00
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Travel Information
Flights and transfers are not included in the package. We would recommend flying into Geneva, but please do not book flights until this holiday has been confirmed to run.
The starting point is 3* Hotel Terminus in the Val de Bagnes. To find out how to get there from Geneva go to the Swiss Rail website. Please feel free to contact the Freshtracks team on 020 8410 2022 for any further information.
Confirmation
Once the holiday has been confirmed, please send your flight details (flight numbers, arrival and departure time) to the Freshtracks Team via email to ku.oc.bulciks@sloh.
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What You Need to Know
If you own your own ski touring equipment, then please bring this with you on your trip. If you do not own your own kit, then this can be rented in Orsieres. However, please be aware of the cost of hiring this equipment in resort.
23/02/2024 – 27/02/2024 : Hannah Burrows Smith
It is a condition of booking that you have valid and adequate snowsports insurance. It is your responsibility to ensure your policy provides cover for all the activities that you participate in during your holiday.
We offer a Ski Club Insurance policy which provides the cover we require for all bookings. This policy can be found here: Ski Club Travel Insurance – Ski Club Of Great Britain
If you decide to purchase insurance elsewhere, it is your responsibility to ensure that your policy provides cover as that of the Ski Club Insurance policy. The policy of insurance should provide cover for personal injury, death, medical and repatriation costs in the countries which you intend to visit, together with cover for loss of baggage and valuables, personal liability, delay, cancellation, curtailment, missed departure and legal expenses. The policy should also include cover against losses caused by the effects or consequences of Covid-19.
Due to the type of holidays that you will be booking with us, we also advise that your policy should include skiing off-piste without a guide. Please note, insurance premiums must be paid at the same time as booking in order for the package holiday or single service cancellation cover to be effective. It is also advised to keep your insurance details with you while you are on your holiday. If you choose to travel without adequate insurance cover, we will not be liable for any losses howsoever arising, in respect of which insurance cover would otherwise have been available.
Passport – Check your passport is in date and valid for travel by checking the entry requirements for your destination country – you can see these here: Foreign travel advice – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
For most European destinations your passport should:
- have a ‘date of issue’ less than 10 years before the date you arrive – if you renewed your passport before 1 October 2018, it may have a date of issue that is more than 10 years ago
- have an ‘expiry date’ at least 3 months after the date you plan to leave the Schengen area
Check your passport meets these requirements before you travel.
NB: Starting in 2025 (Date TBC) travel authorisation will be required to travel withing Europe – find out more here ETIAS (europa.eu)
When venturing off piste, it is compulsory to wear an avalanche transceiver. These can be provided by the Ski Club and should be worn by every person on every all mountain, off piste and touring holiday. Anyone joining these holidays will also be required to bring their own backpack, shovel and probe.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Any Member wishing to ski/snowboard with a Ski Club Group, in any of the resorts where the Ski Club is represented, agrees to do so under the following conditions:
- You appreciate that the Ski Club Rep is a volunteer with no formal qualifications as an instructor or mountain guide.
- You also appreciate that no other member of the group undertakes any obligations to you concerning your safety for which you remain solely responsible.
- You must ensure that your equipment is in good working order before setting off for the day and that you are suitably clothed for the proposed itinerary and all possible weather conditions.
- You must decide whether or not a particular run or route is within your competence.
- You must ensure that you are properly equipped for that day. If you are skiing off piste you must have a shovel, probe and transceiver, and know how to use them. If you are using a Ski Club transceiver, it is your sole responsibility to know how to use it.
- It is your sole responsibility to ensure that you are suitably insured for the activities intended to be undertaken.
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