UKC

Any recommendations for off piste lessons/ courses. I've skied a reasonable amount and done some touring but my technique needs some work. Ideally would be looking to book it last minute to go for the best snow.

Seen The Lodge do them, G2 Outdoor and Off Piste Performance (but fully booked until March).

Any recommendations?

In reply to A Reid:

google gill culshaw, she's very good, fort bill local.

In reply to A Reid:

I reckon the guys from G2 outdoor would be really good. Had one of their guys as tutor for BASI L1 telemark course and he was first class.

http://www.g2outdoor.co.uk/winter-activities/back-country-skiing

Kenny Biggin (who just wrote a book) also ran some off piste courses in the back corries last winter.

http://www.skimountain.co.uk/ski-courses

In reply to Haggis Trap:

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll keep an eye out to what courses are running over the winter.

Try here for Gillian Culshaw's courses: http://www.offpiste.org.uk/courses/ski-performance-scotland/

In reply to A Reid:

Try looking here http://www.bmg.org.uk/ Members of BMG are some of the best off piste skiers around.

In reply to A Reid:

I have just been looking into the same thing but for snowboarding, i.e. off-piste training in Scotland. I've sent a couple of enquiry emails but not heard back yet. G2 Outdoor certainly seem to cater for skiers but I can't see mention of boarding on their website.

Any tips?

^ learn to ski, will be easier in the long run

there are plenty generic winter skills courses which would also teach you the stuff you want to learn such as snow safety / map reading <etc> (i.e Glenmore lodge, SAIS awareness weekends, Crank it up gear). Otherwise for off piste snowboard lessons your best best bet would be the ski & board ski school at Cairngorm.

To be honest conditions in Scotland can be brilliant, but are very variable. Which is why not many people provide specialist courses for "backcountry snowboarding" etc

In reply to Haggis Trap:

Yeh to be honest I've already been thinking about learning to ski at some point. The problem is that when it boils down to it, I can't bring myself to sacrifice my 1 week each season to go back to the beginning and start learning again! Perhaps this is the perfect excuse to go away twice in a season. Hmmm, "wife?"...

In reply to madasten:

to be honest for touring in Scotland a split board, or even snow shoes, would be OK. though getting crampons to fit soft snowboard boots is always an issue. (FWIW I just like to take the piss out of snowboarders : "zee snowboard is for the terrain park, not touring")

on skis or board the main things to learn are the mountain skils (navigation / snow stability / reading weather forecasts) rather than the actual ski or board skills : which can be safely developed in resort.

IMHO going hillwalking is one of the best ways to get into and develop the core skills for ski touring. Then on top of that build some general winter skills and awareness.

In reply to Haggis Trap:

Sound advice, thanks

In reply to madasten:

I use a splitboard in Scotland. It's fine until you hit something that undulates like Cairngorm to macdui where it's then advantageous to learn how to ski it for the short sections of downhills.