09:45, Kiental Ramslauenen
Ski touring and avalanches | Beginners’ course at Griesalp, starting from the hotel with a mountain guide
We’ll guide you into the world of ski touring – over 4 days with plenty of time to spare, staying at a cosy hotel with an Alpine spa, set amidst the stunning winter landscape of the Kiental valley!
Technics
Endurance
Kiental, Bern
This four-day course is varied, exciting and provides a solid foundation for planning and undertaking ski tours independently in the future. During the training and practical tours, we’ll teach you the basics of how to move efficiently on your touring skis, as well as key fundamentals of avalanche awareness. We’ll also provide you with targeted support through personalised feedback. The secluded Kiental valley, and in particular the stunning Griesalp cirque, offers the perfect setting to really immerse yourself in the world of ski touring. Thanks to the shaded north-facing slopes, snow and powder conditions are guaranteed here well into spring. Over the four days, we’ll have plenty of time to cover all aspects of ski touring. In the evenings, we’ll enjoy the cosy atmosphere at the hotel or unwind in the Alpen SPA with its sauna, steam room and hot tub.
Objective: You’ll learn all the basics of ski touring and will then be able to complete easy ski tours on your own and join guided ski tours of easy to moderate difficulty.
Course content and procedure
We’ll meet in the Kiental valley at the Ramslauenen bus stop. We’ll take a taxi to the Tschingel car park.
After a brief introductory session, we’ll explain the key basics of ski touring. We’ll then set off on our touring skis for a short ascent along the snow-covered road to our hotel on the Griesalp, where we’ll take a short break. We’ll then familiarise ourselves with the safety equipment – namely the shovel, probe and avalanche transceiver – and set off on another practical ski tour directly from the hotel. During the tour, your mountain guide will lead short sessions to reinforce what we’ve learnt. On the first day, we’ll learn a lot of new things in a practical, hands-on way. We’ll take the time to deliberately repeat the topics several times over the coming days to ensure everyone feels confident.
During varied ski touring excursions, we’ll revise what we learnt on the first day and pick up new skills. This will help you feel confident when ascending on touring skis and make your movements second nature.
In the evenings, we explore topics such as route planning, the weather and avalanche awareness. Together, we plan each day’s route. This will give you your first experience of the decision-making processes required for ski touring.
However, we will also take some time to enjoy the relaxing hotel and the Alpen SPA.
During a final tour, we’ll once again focus on your needs and provide you with personalised support to help you gain more confidence and knowledge.
During these four days you will learn:
- Material science and correct use of technical equipment
- Walking techniques and kick turns
- Searching for avalanche victims: correct and efficient use of safety equipment (avalanche transceiver, probe, shovel)
- Assessment of the terrain and avalanche risk
- Meteorological Theory
- Tour planning
After this course, you’ll be well prepared to undertake easy ski tours on your own and to join guided ski tours ranging from easy to moderately difficult.
With lovely memories and plenty of new knowledge to take away, we finish the course down in the village of Kiental and set off individually on our journey home.
Requirements
- No previous ski touring experience required.
- You know how to ski on black pistes.
- Stamina for short ski tours with an ascent of around 600 - 800 metres at a leisurely pace (~300m/h).
- Splitboarders are welcome.
Price and services
- CHF 1,150.
- Small group with 5 - 8 guests per mountain guide.
- Including professional planning and realisation with a mountain guide and his travel expenses.
- Includes accommodation at a hotel on a half-board basis in a twin room.
- Includes use of the sauna and steam room.
- Travel costs not included, any train tickets, taxi fares, and personal expenses.
- We also offer great deals on ski tour hire equipment:
- Ski Rental Zueri
- Complete equipment, i.e. skis, boots, safety set, rucksack and poles
Flat rate of CHF 100 for 2 days and CHF 160 for 4 days. - You can add this to your shopping basket and collect it from Ski Rental.
- Complete equipment, i.e. skis, boots, safety set, rucksack and poles
- Sport Trend Shop Hinwil
- Touring ski package (touring skis incl. skins and crampons, touring boots, touring poles)
- 70.- für einen Tag
- 95.- für zwei Tage
- 115.- für drei Tage
- 135.- für vier Tage
- Package Safety (avalanche transceiver, avalanche shovel and probe):
- 30.- für einen Tag
- 35.- für zwei Tage
- 40.- für drei Tage
- 45.- für vier Tage
- You can collect this from the Sport Trend Shop with our booking confirmation and pay there. Please contact STS in advance to reserve the equipment. Collection on Friday and return by Tuesday.
- Touring ski package (touring skis incl. skins and crampons, touring boots, touring poles)
- Ski Rental Zueri
Material and equipment
- For this tour you need the material from this PDF. We carry our equipment with us the whole time. Only pack the essentials.
- General material and packing tips we have also put together for you.
- The Griesalp Hotels are a bit out of the way. Pack so that we can carry a small extra bag for about 30 minutes at a leisurely pace along a snow-covered road to the hotel. We leave the bag there and then set off on our tour straight away.
Bergschaft tours and courses are conducted in German as standard. However, our mountain guides speak good English, as do many of the participants. If you speak English, you are of course very welcome. Depending on the tour, it may be worth asking us in advance whether the guide and the group are comfortable speaking English.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us, preferably via the Contact form.
Accommodation
Griesalp Hotels
The historic Griesalp Hotels are situated in the heart of the snow-covered valley basin at the end of the Kiental and, with their traditional timber architecture, exude plenty of alpine charm. After our hikes, we relax in the cosy Alpine spa with a Finnish sauna, steam room and heated outdoor hot tub, right beneath the starry sky. In the evenings, the kitchen spoils us with regional delicacies whilst we round off the day’s excursions in the cosy dining room. Intimate, warm and family-run – the perfect retreat away from the hustle and bustle.
Highlights: Griesalp Beginners’ Ski Touring Course
Here’s how to join us for the basic ski touring and avalanche course in the Kiental valley
- 7–10 January 2027, Thursday–Sunday, 4 daysFreie Plätze
Mountain guideCHF 1,150. - 11–14 March 2027, Thursday–Sunday, 4 daysFreie PlätzeCHF 1,150.
As Private Tour on your desired date with your group:
As Voucher give your favourite as a gift:
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