Alpine Logistics

For skiers who love the natural mountain environment and are prepared to make a bit more effort, this is the ultimate experience! Skins on your skis during the ascent allow you to pass through pristine, untamed high mountain valleys to reach their cols and summits, where breathtaking scenery and unspoiled descents await.

Valle d’Aosta is a fantastic location for ski mountaineering. With fourteen side valleys and a vast array of 3000m and 4000m peaks, there are literally hundreds of possibilities for one-day to multi-day excursions for all levels of ability. All will take you through wild and spectacular mountain scenery and conditions permitting, gratify you with untouched powder snow on your descent. There are also more demanding itineraries which require knowledge in the use of crampons, ice axes and glacier travel.

We have put together 4-7 day guided tours of some of the area’s best excursions, all accompanied by local UIAGM mountain guides. Each trip is assigned a level of difficulty according to the following criteria; please let us have some details of any previous experience when you enrol. Use the various message boards in each trip to find other people to go with.

Level 1 - Not more than 1200m height gain and usually only one or two such days in the arc of a week’s trip. Skiers should be competent on open slopes which are not more than a 30° gradient. May need to use crampons for brief, non-technical sections, usually to reach a summit. No experience with crampons is necessary.

Level 2 - Height gain is likely to be >1200m and may include some longer 7/8hour days. Skiers should be competent on slightly steeper slopes (up to 35°) which may include brief narrow sections. Use of rope, crampons and ice axes (no previous experience necessary).

Level 3 - Height gain is >1200m with several consecutive days up to 9 hours long. Skiers should be competent on 40° slopes with narrow sections. Use of rope, crampons and ice axes (no previous experience necessary).