2008–2009 season programme and trip selection help

When do you want to go away?
•	Check in the table below for the best dates and click-on that date for a link to the trip description and photos.
•	Trips in the Planner are colour coded as below:  Telemark or Telemark/A (‘A’ indicates those courses and tours that are suitable for Alpine skiers).  Nordic  Snowshoe

Date	Location	Type of skiing and grade
November 2008
15th –22nd	Hintertux, Austria	Telemark: 'All Terrain' course (2 – 5)
22nd – 29th	Hintertux, Austria	Telemark: 'All Terrain' course (2 – 5)
22nd – 29th	Hintertux, Austria	Telemark: Advanced skills course & Aspirant Instructors (4 – 5)
December 2008		TO TOP
13th – 20th	Tignes, France	Telemark: 'All Terrain' course (1 – 5)
20th – 27th	Tignes, France	Telemark: 'All Terrain' course (1 – 5)
27th – 3rd Jan	Tignes, France	Telemark: 'All Terrain' course (1 – 5)
January 2009		TO TOP
3rd – 10th	Les Crosets, Switzerland	Telemark: 'All Terrain' course (2 – 5)
3rd – 10th	Les Crosets, Switzerland	Telemark/A: 'Off-piste' Performance (3 – 4)
8th – 12th	Val Ferret, Italy	Nordic: track skiing & coaching (intro/intermediate)
8th – 12th	Leysin, Switzerland	Snowshoe: ‘safari’ village-to-village
10th – 17th	Les Crosets, Switzerland	Telemark: 'All Terrain' course (2 – 5)
10th – 17th	Les Crosets, Switzerland	Telemark/A: 'Off-piste' Performance Plus (4 – 5)
17th – 24th	Fiescheralp, Switzerland	Telemark: 'All Terrain'/Off-piste options (2 – 5)
18th – 25th	Mt. Blanc area, France/Italy	Nordic: Track skiing & coaching (intro/intermediate)
18th – 25th	Mt. Blanc area, France/Italy	Snowshoe: day tours (intro/intermediate)
26th – 2nd Feb	Andermatt, Switzerland	Telemark: 'All Terrain’ (3 – 5)
26th – 2nd Feb	Andermatt, Switzerland	Telemark/A: 'Off-Piste Adventure’ (4 – 5)
February 2009		TO TOP
1st – 8th	La Thuile, Italy	Telemark: 'All Terrain' course (1 – 5)
7th & 8th	Cairngorm, Scotland	Telemark: 'All Terrain' course (2 – 5)
8th – 15th	La Thuile, Italy	Telemark: 'All Terrain' course (1 – 5)
8th – 15th	Parnassos, Greece	Telemark/A: ‘Off-piste Adventure’ (3 – 5)
8th – 15th	Mt. Blanc area, France/Italy	Snowshoe: day tours (intro/intermediate)
15th – 22nd	Taivalkoski, Finland	Nordic: Tour with husky support (intermediate)
19th – 23rd	Val Ferret, Italy	Nordic: track skiing & coaching (intro/intermediate)
19th – 23rd	Leysin, Switzerland	Snowshoe: ‘safari’ village-to-village
21st & 22nd	Cairngorm, Scotland	Telemark: 'All Terrain' course (2 – 5)
21st – 28th	Venabu, Norway	Nordic: Coaching & day tours (intro/intermediate)
22nd – 1st March	Taivalkoski, Finland	Nordic: Tour with husky support (intermediate)
March 2009		TO TOP
1st – 8th	Taivalkoski, Finland	Nordic: centre-based track skiing/coaching (intro/intermediate)
1st – 8th	Mt. Blanc area, France/Italy	Snowshoe & Nordic: snowshoe day tours and intro to Nordic skiing (introductory)
5th – 9th	Leysin, Switzerland	Snowshoe: ‘safari’ village-to-village
7th & 8th	Cairngorm, Scotland	Telemark: 'All Terrain' course (2 – 5)
7th – 14th	Rondane, Norway	Nordic: Tour with coaching (introductory)
7th – 14th	Tafjordfjella, Norway	Nordic: Tour (advanced)
8th – 15th	Mt. Blanc area, France/Italy	Snowshoe: day tours (intro/intermediate)
14th – 21st	Krippenstein, Austria	Telemark/A: 'Off-piste Performance’ course (3 – 5); ‘Off-piste Adventure' (4 – 5)
14th – 21st	Telemark Region, Norway	Nordic: Tour (introductory/intermediate)
14th – 23rd	Jotunheim, Norway	Nordic: Tour (advanced)
21st & 22nd	Cairngorm, Scotland	Telemark: 'All Terrain' course (2 – 5)
21st – 28th	Obergurgl, Austria	Telemark: 'All Terrain' course (2 – 5)
21st – 28th	Gran Paradiso, Italy	Telemark/A: Tour (3 to 5)
21st – 28th	Snohetta & Dovrefjell, Norway	Nordic: Tour (intermediate/advanced)
22nd – 29th	Skarvheimen, Norway	Nordic: Tour (intermediate)
28th – 4th April	Andermatt, Switzerland	Telemark: 'All Terrain' course (2 – 5)
28th – 4th April	Andermatt, Switzerland	Telemark/A: 'Off-piste Performance' (3 – 5)
28th – 4th April	Hardanger Crossing, Norway	Nordic: Tour (intermediate+)
April 2009		TO TOP
5th – 12th	Cervinia, Italy	Telemark: 'All Terrain' course (1 – 4)
5th – 12th	Cervinia, Italy	Telemark/A: 'Off-piste Performance' (3 – 5)
5th – 12th	Skei, Norway	Nordic: 'Track & Telemark' (introductory/intermediate)
5th – 12th	The King’s Trail, Sweden	Nordic: Tour (introductory/intermediate)
10th – 19th	Skei & Espedalen, Norway	Nordic: Course/tour (introductory/intermediate)
12th – 19th	Cervinia, Italy	Telemark: 'All Terrain' course (1 – 4)
12th – 19th	Cervinia, Italy	Telemark/A: 'Off-piste Performance Plus' (4 – 5)
12th – 19th	Cervinia, Italy	Telemark: Advanced Skills & Aspirant instructors course (4 – 5)
19th – 26th	La Thuile, Italy	Telemark: 'All Terrain' course (1 – 5)
19th – 26th	La Thuile, Italy	Telemark/A: ‘Haute Route Prep’ coaching & day tours (4+ to 5)
19th – 26th	La Thuile, Italy	Telemark/A: 'Off-piste Adventure’ (3+ to 5)
25th – 4th May	Chamonix – Zermatt Haute Route	Telemark/A: Tour (4+ to 5)

TELEMARK, NORDIC or ALPINE (A)?

Telemark skiing:
On- and off-piste freeheel downhill skiing (i.e. not only Telemark turns) and touring on Alpine terrain (day tours or hut-to-hut). Uplift is used on all courses. Shaped, wide or ‘fat’ Telemark skis and plastic boots are the norm. Skins and other specialist equipment are needed on touring options.

Nordic skiing:
Day tours, coaching sessions or multi-day tours using cambered, metal-edged skis and leather or soft plastic touring boots. Waxes are usually used and skins only for bigger climbs. Terrain is gentle to moderate, depending on the week. Skiing is usually on way-marked routes but sometimes through untracked snow. Only the easiest tours have machine-prepared trails.

For a full explanation of 'Telemark skiing; terrain and equipment' and 'Nordic skiing: terrain and equipment ' click these links to read our articles.

Alpine (Downhill) skiing:
For those on downhill or Alpine ski equipment we offer courses for off-piste skiing, coaching in touring techniques and tours in Alpine terrain (day tours or hut-to-hut). Uplift is used on all courses. Shaped, wide or ‘fat’ skis are the norm, fixed heel bindings and non-flexing boots. Skins and other specialist equipment are needed on touring options.

COURSE OR TOUR?

Courses:
Instruction in Telemark, Alpine or Nordic techniques and skills. Usually held within ski areas, using on- and off-piste slopes or Nordic trails, as relevant to the course. 5 x half days instruction (and 5 x half days 'free'!) with a 6th 'free' day – or as detailed for some specialist courses. Video analysis will be available on most of the courses in the Alps.

Whatever your level, you will be coached only with others of a similar ability. Choosing the correct level means you can maximize enjoyment and progress. Courses of more than one level may run during a week. This allows couples/friends of different ability to come on the same week.

Tours:
Leadership is provided for the full period of day or multi-day hut-to-hut tours, with coaching included 'en route' on an as needed or as requested basis.

COURSE OR TOUR LEVELS

We show Telemark/Alpine levels first, you can scroll down or click the link for Nordic levels.

FITNESS: In addition to the ability levels for both Telemark/Alpine and Nordic tours, each trip description gives an idea of fitness required, distances to be travelled and/or height gains expected.

INTERPRETING YOUR ABILITY LEVEL
When deciding your ability level please note that we assume you are linking turns on the level of slope specified.
Linking turns: means joining the arc of one turn directly into the arc of the next turn and so on, forming a series of S-shapes. If one turn is followed by a traverse, whether short or long, before the next turn then these turns are not linked.
'Getting down a slope': we've found that if you use this term, or the following one, with reference to a slope, it usually means you are not able to link turns on it nor ski in control. For example, if you can 'get down' a 'red' piste (as of ability level 4) then you are actually ability level 3!
'Survival skiing': As above, if, for example, you are 'survival skiing' on a 'red' piste (as of ability level 4) then you are actually level 2!

ADJUSTMENTS FOR SPEED AND FITNESS
The levels described assume average speed and fitness. If you are below or above average fitness deduct or add 1/2 to 1 level as necessary. If you ski below or above average speed deduct or add 1/2 to 1 level as necessary.

UNSURE OF YOUR LEVEL?
You may find you are between levels, e.g. 3/4. A rough guess is fine to ensure that you are at or above the minimum standard. On the first day's skiing, we will place you in the best group. If you are unsure of your level give us a call.

If you have not been with us before and/or have not had instruction for a few seasons we would recommend that you are conservative with estimating your ability level. Telemark ski equipment moved on a lot in the last few years, allowing better and more accurate skiing, and the general standard of skiing has improved from season to season. A 'red slope skier' to-day tends to be a better skier than a 'red slope skier' was 4 or 5 years ago. It is far easier for all concerned if you have to move up an ability group rather than the reverse!

MOVING LEVELS
As people may progress at different rates during instruction, we can re-organise the groups during a week, to maximise learning and enjoyment

'ALL TERRAIN', 'OFF-PISTE', 'TRACK & TELEMARK'

'ALL TERRAIN' COURSES
Our standard telemark instruction weeks based in a ski area but with the emphasis on developing your skiing performance for all snow conditions, slopes and speeds – the all-rounder week for skiing the whole mountain. Our most popular course now has a sharper focus on your skiing versatility and adaptability, whatever the technique and your level.

'OFF-PISTE' COURSES
The focus of these courses is on being able to ski any snow that is not groomed or made from snow cannons, i.e. that snow beyond the piste markers. To quote Sir Arnold Lunn, the inventor of slalom skiing and promoter of lift-served skiing in the Alps in the 1920s and 30s: 'for excitement the piste is perhaps the best, but the beauty and variety and subtlety of skiing is only known to the expert on natural snow'. We’ll show you how to adapt and enjoy 'the beauty and variety and subtlety of skiing' in this challenging but supremely rewarding environment.

These weeks are also perfect for those on Alpine equipment.

We run 2 types of off-piste instructional course: ‘Performance’ and ‘Performance Plus’. These are suitable for different levels of off-piste ability (see Planner above). These courses focus on technique, skills and tactics for off-piste skiing. We may spend some time on-piste, e.g., to work on a particular skill which is easier to ‘take on board’ in a less challenging environment.

We also offer ‘Off-piste Adventure’ weeks. As well as coaching in off-piste skills, these weeks will also include substantial amounts of time skiing relatively remote off-piste itineraries (with short sections of skinning to reach them) and half- or full-day tours. Each of these weeks is slightly different and full details are given in the trip Dossiers.

'TRACK & TELEMARK' COURSES
For many skiers this course is the best option for developing technique, skill and confidence prior to undertaking Nordic hut-to-hut tours. These centre-based courses focus on:
TRACK: Nordic travelling techniques for skiing on the flat, uphills and gentle downhills (diagonal stride, double poling, herringboning, half plough in track etc).
TELEMARK: using the term generically for all Nordic Downhill techniques, including snowplough, stem, parallel and telemark turns, as appropriate to your ability level.

WHICH TRIP NEXT?
TWO WEEK COMBINATIONS
WEEKS FOR FRIENDS AT DIFFERENT LEVELS

WHICH TRIP NEXT?
Trips that you could consider, having done another TeleSkiCo trip in a previous season or earlier in the '08-'09 season. Many options exist so do get in touch if you would like individual help with this. The suggestions below are not exhaustive, as there are many different paths you could follow, but should guide your planning.

TWO WEEK COMBINATIONS
Some of our weeks are programmed to make a two week holiday feasible without any great logistical problems and that will make a natural progression from one to the next.

WEEKS FOR FRIENDS AT DIFFERENT LEVELS
These weeks are for couples, partners and groups of friends, who have differing aspirations and abilities but want to enjoy being on holiday together! In addition any course or tour with a wide-ranging ability level stipulation will accommodate those of varying levels (but in separate groups for coaching).