Discover the world of ski touring. This original form of skiing is becoming increasingly popular as people seek out tranquillity and untouched powder
Discover the world of ski touring. Ski touring opens so many dimensions when it comes to skiing, the most obvious one being you can go where the ski lifts can't, which means you can also go where the masses can't, which means you get the benefit of escaping the crowds as well making fresh tracks. Enjoy your first 2 day ski touring trip with a night in a refuge.
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.
- CourseSki touring course: 9 guided sessions; ratio Approximately 1:10
- Backcountry guidingGuided ski tours with UCPA guides; full ski touring and avalanche equipment provided where included
Terrain, ability and who it is for
- Riding
- You have never done ski touring before, or you are not confident enough yet to do Touring Level 2. You are at least Advanced level on piste and should have some experience off piste depending on the course.
- Equipment
- Full ski touring and avalanche gear (not on all courses - check below)
- Age
- 18 - 40: Ski Tour Introduction; 18 - 55: Ski Tour in the Mont Blanc Region
- Languages
- The instructors all speak French and English and the instruction will be in both languages (although the level of English is variable).
- Ski Tour in the Mont Blanc Region: levels Advanced, Expert, Off Piste 2, Touring 2, ages 18 - 55
- Ski Tour Introduction: levels Advanced, Expert, Off Piste 1, ages 18 - 40
- You have never done ski touring before, or you are not confident enough yet to do Touring Level 2. You are at least Advanced level on piste and should have some experience off piste depending on the course.
- 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
- BeddingYou make your own bed on arrival and strip it when you leave
- Equipment hireFull ski touring and avalanche gear (not on all courses - check below)
- Accommodation
- Lift pass
- All meals
- Instruction & guiding
- Off piste equipment – beacon, shovel, probe
- Bedding
- Ski touring equipment
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
- Optional extra: Accommodation in twin room (2 Person Twin Room (£68))
- Obligatory tourist tax charged by the local town (£5 on the flagship course date checked)
Day by day
- Arrival: ArrivalCheck in and registration at 18:00, evening meal.
- Day 1: Equipment and lift pass issue in the morning and breakfast. Free skiing all day. In the evening there will be a 'welcome meeting' to explain the layout and any events throughout the week. A brief discussion of the week ahead and safety talk might be given here too, but most likely the day after.
- Day 2: Introduction to the skins, the ARVA avalanche transceiver, understanding weather and confirmation of ability levels.
- Day 3: Full day ski tour.
- Day 4: A day spent developing off piste ski technique with a flexible itinerary depending on snow conditions.
- Day 5: Ski tour with a possible overnight stay and dinner on the mountain.
- Day 6: Exploring the area surrounding the refuge and ski back down to the valley floor.
- Departure: DepartureThe last day, you have the morning free skiing, check out in the morning and hand equipment back by lunch time (actual time will be communicated once at the centre).Final meal is lunch before leaving resort.
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
| Dates | Season | Duration | From | Availability | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 23 – Jan 30, 2027Choose these datesAges 18 - 40 · Levels: Advanced, Expert, Off Piste 1 · Lesson hours: 9 guided sessions · Ratio Approximately 1:10 · Lift pass: Evasion Mont-Blanc · Twin room supplement per person (£68) | 2026/27 | 7 days | 1,117 GBP£1117 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 extra | Limited | Book on company website |
| Jan 23 – Jan 30, 2027Choose these datesAges 18 - 55 · Levels: Advanced, Expert, Off Piste 2, Touring 2 · Lesson hours: Approximately 23 hours · Ratio 1:8 · Lift pass: Les Contamines · Twin room supplement per person (£68) | 2026/27 | 7 days | 1,140 GBP£1140 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 extra | Limited | Book on company website |
| Jan 30 – Feb 6, 2027Choose these datesAges 18 - 40 · Levels: Advanced, Expert, Off Piste 1 · Lesson hours: 9 guided sessions · Ratio Approximately 1:10 · Lift pass: Evasion Mont-Blanc · Twin room supplement per person (£68) | 2026/27 | 7 days | 1,135 GBP£1135 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 extra | Limited | Book on company website |
| Jan 30 – Feb 6, 2027Choose these datesAges 18 - 55 · Levels: Advanced, Expert, Off Piste 2, Touring 2 · Lesson hours: Approximately 23 hours · Ratio 1:8 · Lift pass: Les Contamines · Twin room supplement per person (£68) | 2026/27 | 7 days | 1,158 GBP£1158 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 extra | Limited | Book on company website |
| Feb 6 – Feb 13, 2027Choose these datesAges 18 - 40 · Levels: Advanced, Expert, Off Piste 1 · Lesson hours: 9 guided sessions · Ratio Approximately 1:10 · Lift pass: Evasion Mont-Blanc · Twin room supplement per person (£68) | 2026/27 | 7 days | 1,126 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 extra | Limited | Book on company website |
| Mar 6 – Mar 13, 2027Choose these datesAges 18 - 55 · Levels: Advanced, Expert, Off Piste 2, Touring 2 · Lesson hours: Approximately 23 hours · Ratio 1:8 · Lift pass: Les Contamines · Twin room supplement per person (£68) | 2026/27 | 7 days | 1,158 GBP£1158 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 extra | Limited | Book on company website |
| Mar 13 – Mar 20, 2027Choose these datesAges 18 - 40 · Levels: Advanced, Expert, Off Piste 1 · Lesson hours: 9 guided sessions · Ratio Approximately 1:10 · Lift pass: Evasion Mont-Blanc · Twin room supplement per person (£68) | 2026/27 | 7 days | 1,090 GBP£1090 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 extra | Limited | Book on company website |
| Mar 13 – Mar 20, 2027Choose these datesAges 18 - 55 · Levels: Advanced, Expert, Off Piste 2, Touring 2 · Lesson hours: Approximately 23 hours · Ratio 1:8 · Lift pass: Les Contamines · Twin room supplement per person (£68) | 2026/27 | 7 days | 1,113 GBP£1113 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 extra | Limited | Book on company website |
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: Ski Tour Introduction
Age restriction 18 - 55: Ski Tour in the Mont Blanc Region
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
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