Home · Freeride

December – April · Chamonix · UIAGM guided

Freeride
in Chamonix.

The lifts do the climbing. You spend the whole day going down, on the best snow we can find — and finding it is the job. Twelve winters in this valley is what tells me where to look today.

Check dates See the day
1 day
Duration
Dec–Apr
Season
All levels
Beginner to expert
Max 6
People per guide

What you are paying for

Knowing where
the snow is

Chamonix has more lift-accessed off-piste than almost anywhere in the Alps, which is exactly the problem: on any given morning most of it is wrong. Wind has stripped one aspect, sun has crusted another, and three hundred people are already heading for the obvious one. The difference between a good freeride day and a mediocre one is almost never the skier — it is the choice of where to go, and when. That choice is what twelve winters here buys you.

The day

Warm up,
then push

There is no fixed itinerary, because the right one changes every morning. What stays the same is the shape of the day: we start easy, I watch you ski, and from there we go as far as your skiing and the mountain allow.

1
A few runs to warm up
We start on friendly snow. It loosens your legs, and it tells me what I need to know — how you turn, how you handle variable snow, how much margin you have. Everything after this is chosen from what I see here.
2
Then we start pushing
Steeper, longer, further from the lift — as far as that goes for you. For some that means a first proper powder field; for others, a line they have been looking at for years. The limit moves with the person, not with a brochure.
3
Chasing the good snow
All day I am reading aspect, wind and sun, and moving us to where the snow is still worth skiing. That often means leaving somewhere good before it gets tracked out, rather than staying until it does.
4
Three things decide the plan
The conditions, what you want from the day, and the weather. They change the route constantly and all three are discussed out loud — you will always know why we are going somewhere, which is how you learn to read it yourself.
1 dayDuration
Dec – AprSeason
Max 6People per guide
All levelsBeginner to expert
from €590reference price

A reference figure for the day, guide and lift pass included. The final price depends on the size of your group and the date. Write to me with both and I will come back with an exact quote.

Level required. From your first day off-piste to expert. The terrain is chosen for you, so what matters is being comfortable skiing a red piste — the rest we build during the day.

What you get

Included
& not included

The guide and the lift pass are included. Everything you ski on and wear is yours to bring.

Included

  • UIAGM certified mountain guide for the day
  • Ski lift pass

Not included

  • Avalanche safety equipment — transceiver, shovel and probe
  • Skis, boots and poles
  • Helmet
  • Mountain clothing and personal kit
  • Food, drinks and anything consumed on the mountain
  • Anything not specified above
Group size is capped at six people per guide, and may be lower depending on conditions on the day. All tours operate under UIAGM safety standards. Valid accident and mountain rescue insurance is the responsibility of each participant. Skis, helmet and avalanche safety equipment can all be rented in Chamonix — ask me and I will point you to the right shop.

Before you book

Common
questions

Do I need off-piste experience?
No. The day runs from a first time off-piste to expert, and the terrain follows you. If you are comfortable on a red piste, there is a freeride day here for you — and the warm-up runs exist precisely so I can see where you are before choosing anything committing.
What is the difference with ski touring?
On a freeride day the lifts do the climbing and you spend the day descending. On a ski touring day you earn each descent on skins. Freeride gives you far more vertical skied and no uphill effort; touring reaches terrain the lifts never will. Most people start here and move to touring when they want the quiet.
What do I need to bring?
Your skis, boots, poles and helmet, your mountain clothing, and avalanche safety equipment: transceiver, shovel and probe. All of it rents easily in Chamonix. Wider skis make a real difference in deep snow, so rent a pair rather than fighting your piste skis all day.
What happens if the snow is bad?
We go and find the best of what there is, which is most of the job. Chamonix is big enough that there is almost always something worth skiing somewhere — but if a day is genuinely not safe, I will say so, and we talk about moving it rather than forcing it.
Is there a tradition I should know about?
Yes, and it is a good one. Here the day traditionally ends with the client buying the guide a drink or a meal once you are back down. It is not part of the price and nobody will ever ask you for it — but it is how most good days end, and it is usually when the day finally gets talked through properly.

December – April

Let's find
the good snow

Tell me your dates, how many of you there are and roughly what you have skied off-piste. I'll come back with an exact price and what the conditions look like for that window.

WhatsApp · +41 76 270 13 49 @carlitos_molina_guide molinamountain@gmail.com
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