During 9 supervised sessions, improve your technique by alternating between on-piste and off-piste skiing and learn how to use safety equipment.
All week long, enjoy varied itineraries, as long as they are surprising. Your instructor will take you to the slopes in the heart of the century-old larch forests: Cibouit Forest, Vallon du Tabuc, Aiguillettes, Prés du Bois, Bois des Coqs, Montagnole.
From the trip description by UCPA
On-snow support
- Independent: Below this trip's level of support
Ski or ride independently, without trip staff accompanying you on the mountain.
- Hosted: With your guide
Trip hosts ski or ride with the group, help everyone get oriented, and share local knowledge.
- Guided: Included
Professional guides lead the group and select suitable terrain and routes based on conditions and ability.
- Coached: Included
Professional coaches lead the group, select suitable terrain, and provide instruction and personalized feedback to help you improve.
- Coaching campInstruction & guiding: 9 sessions; ratio Approximately 1:9; avalanche safety training and off piste technique
- 1 coach : 9 guests
- Resort guidingUCPA instructors and guides lead the off piste descents; transceiver, shovel and probe included
- 1 guide : 9 guests
Terrain, ability and who it is for
- Riding
- You are at least 'advanced' level on piste and are confident to try new things. You should have a broad skill set of skiing techniques and are good in a wide range of conditions and different terrains.
- Equipment
- Skis, boots, poles and avalanche equipment
- Age
- 18 - 40: Intro to Off Piste Skiing
- Languages
- The instructors all speak French and English and the instruction will be in both languages (although the level of English is variable).
- Intro to Off Piste Skiing: levels Advanced, Expert, Off Piste 1, ages 18 - 40
- You are at least 'advanced' level on piste and are confident to try new things. You should have a broad skill set of skiing techniques and are good in a wide range of conditions and different terrains.
- Often overlooked by its more popular neighbours Chamonix and Megeve, Les Contamines is a small, friendly resort that offers a surprising amount of skiable area.
- It experiences an exceptional amount of sunny weather too!
- The ski area is outside of the main village but both UCPA and the town provide a regular bus service to link skiers to the main lift station.
- Once there, the lifts take you as high as the Aiguille Croche at 2500m with pistes covering a vast network of 120km and a maximum altitude drop of 1336m from the highest point to the lowest.
- Sport
- Ski
- Minimum age
- 18 years
- Adults only
- Yes
From the trip description by UCPA
What the price includes
Included
- Lodging
- Lift pass
- Meals
- Lesson
- Avalanche safety kit (transceiver, shovel, probe)Batteries for the transceiver are not included
- Equipment hireSkis, boots, poles and avalanche equipment
- Accommodation
- All meals
- Instruction & guiding
- Off piste equipment – beacon, shovel, probe
- Off piste skis, boots & poles
Not included
- Transfers
- Soft & alcoholic drinks
- Tourist taxObligatory tourist tax charged by the local town, £5 on the date checked
- Towels
- Transport to resort
- Insurance
- Soft & alcoholic drinks
- Personal clothing
- Towels
- Obligatory tourist tax charged by the local town (£5 on the flagship course date checked)
Day by day
- Arrival: ArrivalCheck in from 6:00pm. If you plan to arrive after 8pm, please contact the sports village (email or telephone) so that we can give you the entrance door code. A nominative envelope containing instructions on how to find the room will be provided. Dinner is served until 8:30pm.
- Day 1: SundayBreakfast (8:30 am to 10 am), provision of equipment and ski pass valid from the first day of the course. Convenient at your convenience, our teams provide you with all the information to start your stay in the snow: safety advice, weather information, snow conditions, slope information. In the evening, the UCPA staff will give you all the information concerning the supervised sessions that start the next day: group formation, meeting times, highlights of the week.
- Days 2–6: Monday to FridayHalf-day or full day, depending on your pace, desires and weather. Perfect your technique on and off-piste by discovering or renewing lines adapted to your level. To complete this qualitative approach, you will be confronted with several situations involving handling safety equipment. Wednesday morning is a half-day without supervision. The opportunity to rest and enjoy a moment of skiing with friends. The schedule of this programme is given for information purposes only. It may be subject to modifications or adjustments, depending on technical criteria, safety requirements or current weather conditions. In this case, only the UCPA supervisors are authorised to make the necessary decision(s). It may also be adapted according to the technical and physical level of the participants.
- Departure: DepartureAfter a final unsupervised morning, return of equipment on Saturday before 12 p.m. Check-out of rooms no later than 1 p.m. Departure from the sports village no later than 2 p.m.
From the trip description by UCPA
Where you stay
Center distance to ski area: 5 minute bus
Center distance to town: 5 minute walk
Room Capacity: 3 to 4 person, twins available
Center Capacity: 200
Catered: Full board
The centre
Les Contamines UCPA is a fantastic centre equipped with everything you could possibly need for a skiing holiday. With an optional in-house spa (jacuzzi, steam room and sauna), an indoor climbing wall and a games room, there is plenty to keep you entertained when not on the slopes. The centre has a huge terrace where you can sit outside and enjoy a beer after a hard day's skiing whilst watching the sun set on the surrounding mountains.
Multishare rooms
Les Contamines shared rooms are spacious, with most of them having been recently renovated. Bathrooms are shared on each floor.
Groups who book together are typically roomed together in a combination that works. Solo travellers are usually roomed with people of similar age, gender and course. It is not possible to make specific rooming requests, but the centre will do their best to accommodate everyone.
Twin rooms
There are some twin rooms at UCPA Les Contamines, with shared bathrooms on each floor. They are available to book for a supplement per person when making the booking. Please note single occupancy in twin rooms is not possible as courses are curated on a per bed basis.
Getting There
By Air:
Geneva airport is the nearest airport to Les Contamines. From there you would need to arrange your own travel options, whether that is by car, airport transfer or coach.
Airport Transfers:
We provide shared transfers for busier family weeks only (see below detail). If you are travelling at other times, you can book your own transfers to St Gervais Le Fayet (either with Mountain Dropoffs or another bus provider) and then take a local bus up to Les Contamines from there. www.rome2rio.com is a good website to find out about different transport options and website links to book your travel.
We provide shared transfers for family weeks only. The journey is 95km and takes around 1h15. Family Week transfers will meet flights landing before 20:00, and departing Geneva after 10:30.
Transfers are scheduled according to flight times. Transfer length is approximately 1.5hrs. Transfers are scheduled according to flight times and there is not a set timetable. Customers will be grouped according to flight times and sometimes there may be a wait of a few hours in the airport
for other flights to arrive or to combine passenger journeys for flights departing.
From the trip description by UCPA
Pins show the approximate main trip area—not a route, meeting point, or full itinerary. Confirm exact locations in the company's trip details.
Dates and prices
- Feb 6 – Feb 13, 20272026/27 · 7 days · 7 nights1,126 GBP£1126 per person in a multi-share room, all inclusive as listed (accommodation, all meals, lift pass, equipment hire and any instruction or guiding for this course); tourist tax and transport to resort extraLimitedChoose these datesBook on company website
Ages 18 - 40 · Levels: Advanced, Expert, Off Piste 1 · Lesson hours: 9 sessions · Ratio Approximately 1:9 · Lift pass: Yes · Twin room supplement per person (£68)
Prices, taxes and fees, required extras, inclusions, availability, and booking terms can change. Confirm the current price and trip details on the company website; source last reviewed September 19, 2026.
Before you book
- Deposit
- You can book with a £/€100 deposit if your start date is more than 8 weeks away.
- Balance due
- The balance is due either 35 days or 20 days before your trip depending on if you pay in instalments or not.
- Payment plan
- If you paid with a deposit, you have the option to pay an instalment (50% of the balance) up until 35 days before your trip. The second and final instalment is due 20 days before travel. There is no extra cost for using our instalment option.
- Insurance
- Travel insurance is a condition of booking a holiday with Action Outdoors.
Cancellation terms have not been published here. Check with the operator before booking.
Read the operator’s terms ↗Good To Know
Age restriction 18 - 40: Intro to Off Piste Skiing
UCPA age policy: You should be < 41 at the start date of the holiday for 18-40 trips; 18-55 trips: you should be <56 at the start date; 41-44 year olds who have travelled with UCPA before (or travel with someone who has) can book 18-40 trips; 45-55 may request an age exemption; over 55 no exemptions. Please bring your passport or ID card to reception; centres check ages against courses.
Rooms are shared: the multi share option is a bed in a room with other people (usually 4-6 people per room); solo travellers are roomed in a single sex room. Private twin rooms are available in most centres for 2 people travelling together for a supplement; availability is limited and single occupancy in twin rooms is not possible.
You will be required to make your beds on arrival and strip your beds when you leave, and to give your room a clean before you go. Bedding is provided but not towels.
Travel insurance is a condition of booking a holiday with Action Outdoors.
You can book with a £/€100 deposit if your start date is more than 8 weeks away; the balance is due either 35 days or 20 days before your trip depending on if you pay in instalments or not.
Your booking is not confirmed until you receive a confirmation email; it may take up to 24 hours to confirm your booking with UCPA, so don't book travel until you have received confirmation.
Batteries for the transceiver are not included; bring brand new ones (4xAA and 4xAAA suggested) or buy them from reception.
Programme information and activity facts are an indication only, providing an outline of how a course may be delivered and are provided for information purposes only.
From the trip description by UCPA
Reviews
Reviews reflect the named reviewer's experience and link to their original source. Powderscape does not verify individual claims.