Master the Mountain Off-Piste Ski CourseSerre Chevalier, France

A hidden freeride gem of the Alps, Serre Chevalier is one of the largest resorts in Europe, with beautiful tree skiing, wild off-piste and a valley of charming alpine villages.

We love Serre Chevalier for its ski heritage, local appeal and diverse terrain options, from open powder fields to some of the best tree-lined skiing in Europe, with the average snowfall of 6 metres kept fresh by the altitude and trees.

Situated in the Southern Alps of France, the ski area is colossal with 250km of slopes and 81 marked runs, featuring perfect groomers, a 9km leg-burner, and the Luc Alphand Olympic black run.

For us, there’s big freeride potential with everything from powdery bowls, weaving tree lines through the larch forests, untamed but accessible off-piste, burly steeps and wild backcountry routes.

Serre Chevalier comprises four main villages: Briançon, Le Monêtier, Chantemerle and Villeneuve, where we stay. Each unique, but traditionally French and historic, cosy bars are home to a laid-back après ski vibe.

This camp combines all-terrain coaching with backcountry-focussed clinics to furnish you with all the skills needed to gorge on untracked powder of wilderness lines. You’ll learn about mountain and avalanche safety, be taught how to use touring equipment, and get to grips with off-piste skiing techniques, before plying your skills on a three-day tour at Refuge du Chardonnet.

Our experienced local coaches will guide you in groups of no more than six around Serre Chevalier’s natural bowls and larch forests, whose terrain shares many of the same challenges found in backcountry, to polish your freeride skills ahead of the main event. We’ll be developing your all-mountain technique, boosting your skills and confidence in steeps, powder, chop and trees.

In preparation for the backcountry finale, you will also take part in an avalanche safety course with field and theory to develop your avalanche awareness and peer rescue techniques. This is followed by a touring clinic where we’ll explore a local backcountry route as you hone your touring know-how and learn how to use the equipment, ascend and transition. We’ll also be running weekly workshops on topics such as ski tuning and backcountry packing to round-out your knowledge.

Coaching sessions take place four days each week, typically four hour sessions on Mon, Tue and Thu, followed by a full day on Friday at another ski area (see below).

As part of the coaching program, we'll be laying on a series of weekly day trips to explore nearby ski areas.

• In the first week we'll head over the Italian border to Cesana (45min drive) famed for it's off-piste terrain offering super-fun widely-spaced tree skiing. It also boasts long, uncrowded pisted runs and sensationally located lunch spots where you'll recharge on typically delicious Italian cuisine.
• In week 2 we'll head to the Queyras ski region (90min) home to high-altitude traditional alpine villages and, if we time it well, copious amounts of untracked powder.
• In week 3, our destination will be La Grave (35min), renowned for it's big-mountain off-piste terrain and where the company and knowledge of a local guide is essential. A single lift provides access to a vast area of challenging free-ride terrain; this will be a day to create memories and test your developing skills.
• In the final week we'll head into the backcountry, on  a three day ski touring trip to a secluded backcountry cabin. The adventure of heading off, self-propelled, into the mountains, skiing untracked slopes, living simply off-grid all in the company of fellow skiers who by now are close-friends, will be a lifetime memory and a worthy culmination of your ski progression.

If you've ever "done a season" or spent a prolonged period living in the mountains you'll already know quite how different it feels compared to just visiting as a tourist for a week. Over the four-weeks of this course you’ll get to experience the benefits of truly unwinding and settle into the lifestyle and pace of mountain living. You’ll spend your days surrounded by stunning scenery, enjoy the French markets, history and culture (unlike some ski resorts Serre Che. isn’t a British enclave!), and, with our away trips, you’ll get to explore a far wider area of the French and Italian Alps than you would on a typical vacation.

The course experience is as rich socially as it is for skiing; when you bring 24 guests together, all of whom love skiing and the outdoors and are united in their excitement of what the course can bring, well… great times and close friendships are made.  

Off snow, whether you want to throw yourself into yoga classes, après, exploring the local history, bathing in the local thermal springs, snow-shoeing, fat-biking, parapenting over the valley, or cheer on the local ice-hockey team in Briancon, there is so much on offer. Packing your 4-weeks full with epic new experiences will be easy! Just make sure you factor some time to rest, chill and reflect.

On this month-long escape to Serre Chevalier, you’ll stay in luxury chalets superbly located in Villeneuve – one of four villages in the valley – with idyllic views over the snow-covered mountains. Featuring large living areas, open log fires and comfortable, spacious rooms, with private or twin-share options available depending on your preference, our spectacular alpine chalets are the perfect base for a month of skiing and riding in the Southern Alps.

Our friendly chalet teams provide a cooked breakfast and après tea and cake Monday to Friday, with a self-serve breakfast available on weekends. We’ll lay on a delicious three course meal, with wine, five evenings each week too, to fuel your long days of skiing and boarding.