Overcoming cancelled flights, serious delays, snow on the runway and post Christmas sluggishness to finally make it to Chalet Maverick, our team of journalists all finally arrived to enjoy a three day Back Country ski weekend with Dream Guides’ Guy Willett & Kenton Cool.

Adventure Base & Dream Guides Back country weekend – Jan 2010

The aim of the trip was to eexplore some of Chamonix’s best off piste skiing, while learning more about skiing / boarding safely in the back country – all the while staying in a luxury pad, and enjoying a well earned break. Adventure Base’s Chalet Maverick.

Adventure Base's Chalet Maverick

Avalanches have been front page news (again) as extreme weather conditions have led to unstable snow packs. Adventure Base’s backcountry courses are run in partnership with Dream Guides, and are designed to be fun off piste adventures, but with a serious, informative element. Aside from exploring Chamonix, getting some great turns well away from the crowds, the focus is on learning to ski off piste, safely!

Ski Touring up towards the Col de Belvedere

Staying in Chalet Maverick, the journo crew made the most of the sauna, hot tub, roaring fire, and Cat’s awesome catering! From cold sunny days spent ski touring in the Aiguilles Rouges to evenings spent chilling back at the ranch, the guys enjoyed some top hospitality from the Adventure Base team.

Guy teaching kick turns

Day 1: Back country explorer at La Tour. Venturing into La Tour’s back bowls, it was a chance to test the kit, warm up the legs, and get a feel for off piste skiing again. We spent the day venturing into untracked powder to find some seriously nice turns – followed by lunch in Vallorcine, and the afternoon exploring tree lined off piste, and testing the snowpack for windslab.

Chilling out in Maverick’s open plan living room

Day 2: Huddled in the freezing car park at Flegere, the weather didn’t look like it was playing ball. We thought we’d give it a go anyway, and on the Index chairlift, our efforts were rewarded as we popped out of the glacial murk to find ourselves above the clouds and faced with a pristine sunny day. Perfect!! Donning ski touring kit, we traversed around to the North, before heading up towards the Col de Belvedere. Within 5 minutes we were out of sight of any lifts, any people, and any tracks! Our first taste of back country adventure came soon after as Guy set off a small slab avalanche – ‘The perfect example of windslab – exactly what I’ve been talking about’, he explained after dancing his way over the moving carpet. Wake up call over, we toured up across the frozen Lac Blanc towards the Col de Belvedere. Unfortunately the weather was coming back in, and after a short picnic lunch, skins off, it was time to ski back down the way we came. Turns earnt are oh so worth it!

Kenton enjoying some nice turns at Flegere

Big thanks to Le Pub, Le Mix & L’Hotel Eden for providing a fabulous Saturday night out in Cham.

Guy & Kenton – getting ready for a big day out ...

Day 3: Chamonix’s world reknowned for steep, deep, glacier skiing, so what better way to finish the adventure than with an off piste descent from the top station of Grands Montets? Expertly avoiding the crevasse fields, Guy and Kenton led the team down the the wide, open face of Grands Montets, to follow the line of the moving glacier back towards Lognan. One run in a morning? This is Chamonix – the scale of the mountains is unmatched by other ski resorts! Admiring the turquoise blue of the glacial ice, and the quiet solitude of the mountains, the journalists had time to chill out back at Maverick before heading back to the UK and ‘normal life’.

Paul – Topping out at Grands Montets

Harry – earning his turns!

Merci Beaucoup to all those who took part, including:

Coquoz Sports

Chamonix Tourist Office

Le Pub

Le Mix

L’Hotel Eden

… as well as Guy, Kenton, and the Adventure Base Team.

Off piste exploring at Grands Montets

Our back country weekends run from Thursday evening to Sunday, and we reckon you’ll pack more skiing into a weekend than most people do in a full week’s holiday. With only 1 day off work, what more could you ask for?

Getting away from it all

Off Piste ski weekends – from £560 per person including guiding.

Self catered accommodation – from £30 per person per night.