At the top of the Argentière glacier, the air is alive with glitter as the sun reflects off the virgin snow. It should be too beautiful to feel scared but, after watching the skiers nip across a narrow track over the steep glacier ledge, my heart is a stone in my stomach. Snowboards aren’t slim like skis and they’re not really designed for flat ground or slender tracks.
‘Just follow my path, and pick up a bit of speed,’ said my guide.
Easier said than done when going fast is what other people do and your snowboard has a mind of its own.
Halfway across the track and my board squeaks to a halt. A superfine layer of snow beneath me disappears in one shelf and I’m on my bum (and not for the first time) juddering down sheer rockface.
Backcountry ski touring is not quite as benign or civilised as the name suggests. It’s a whole lot more gruelling, and much more fun. I’ve come to the French resort of Chamonix — renowned for it’s exceptional backcountry runs and rowdy après ski — with skiing, climbing and mountaineering adventure specialists Dream Guides to lose my off-piste L plates and see if I can cut it at the deep end.
The ski touring weekend is aimed at intermediate level skiers and snowboarders who want to get stuck into some gnarly off-road action. But this isn’t a hand holding exercise — more of a lesson in responsible kamikaze.
You can attend this weekend as a group or come alone, and different levels of proficiency are accommodated for, too. I came by myself and was the only girl in a gang of seven. Leading the expeditions were the founders of Dream Guides, Kenton Cool (seriously) and Guy Willet, and it soon became clear that these guides weren’t just any old mountain goats. An expert on the Himalayas and probably a monkey in a former life, Kenton has made seven successful summits of Everest, including leading Sir Ranulph Fiennes to the peak last year. Guy is the ski supremo in the partnership and a qualified doctor. Together they make for quite a formidable team — and they’re a good laugh too.
There was, of course, an element of safety training involved. Two skiers had been killed in avalanches the week before I arrived, and I was keen to learn how to cope should we be caught by one.
We were kitted out in full avalanche gear everyday, with harness, beeper, shovel and probe (so you can make contact with people trapped in the snow). We were also briefed on how to assess snow conditions and spot the telltale signs of avalanche terrain (look out for places where you can see the snow strata so you can get a clear look at the layers, and keep an eye out for cracks and small slab slides that suggest the snow is unstable below). We also practiced using avalanche transceivers effectively with a quick game of beeper hide and seek.
Every day we managed something different, setting off on tailor-made tours of Chamonix classics such as La Tour, Flégère and Les Grands Montets. There was always the option of sneaking off for a swift vin chaud if you needed a break or wanted to ski an easier run, too. I did this on the second day and spent a great afternoon boarding with one-to-one guidance.
A word of caution: if you are on a board be prepared to slog it out on flat ground — lots of the routes involved some serious traversing, which is tricky without poles. I was very kindly pushed and pulled by our tireless guides, but it was tough going, and there were times when I had to work hard to preserve a sense of humour.
After our final day on the slopes, feet up back at the Chalet Maverick, I was delighted to be in one piece — buzzing from adrenalin, new-found camaraderie, and too much patisserie. Sure, I experimented with a series of rather undignified positions, but this off-piste lark is magic. Cruising on creamy powder easily compensates for any strife, and hot chocolate is a most effective paracetamol for bruised bottoms.
I’m happy to report that I successfully avoided any avalanches, but it later transpired (over another mouthful of tarte au citron) that I had come dangerously close to falling into a crevasse. Gulp.
WAY TO GO
British Airways flies to Geneva from Heathrow, Gatwick and London City. Join the Executive Club and earn up to 1,000 BA Miles when you fly Club to Geneva. Find out more at ba.com, where you can also book great-value holidays and Avis car hire.
Adventure Base & Dream Guides work in partnership to offer professional mountain guiding and flexible date accommodation in Chamonix. Dream Guides (dream-guides.com) runs a range of ski and climbing courses, from a backcountry skiing taster weekend (£560, including guiding, breakfast and packed lunch, and three nights chalet accommodation) to climbing Everest (from £40,000). Adventure Base (+ 44 (0)8455275812; adventurebase.com) offers flexible date chalet holidays in Chamonix, typically costing around £105 per person per night catered, or £65 self-catering.
