Find the Perfect Adventure for Your Skill Level
Relaxed Pace
You should be capable and happy to ski up to 1100 m/day give or take. Ski runs will be on average of intermediate difficulty. This is hard to translate into ski resorts, but generally this means that you are comfortable on all Black Diamond runs even if it means taking your time, and in a variety of conditions (icy, deep powder, breakable crust). If you have never toured before but you’re fit and a strong intermediate alpine skier this is a good fit for you.
Classic Pace
You should be happy with days in the 1300-1500 m range. Be prepared for all kinds of snow conditions. Ski runs will be on average of intermediate difficulty, aka “Blue to easy Black Diamond”, but there may often be pitches of advanced difficulty as well as steeper tree runs (i.e. up to “Double Black” difficulty) and potentially rugged alpine snow conditions involving hard and sastrugi surfaces or breakable crust (don’t worry, we don’t go looking for this kind of snow!!) If you have never toured before but you are very fit, and a strong, advanced skier you will do fine in this category.
Classic / Expedition
This is what you might call “Expedition Lite”. There are many elements of high adventure: sailing briefly in open seas in the Arctic, camping in huts on a Canadian glacier, or carrying a moderate-sized backpack. But the pace is lighter than the Advanced / Expedition category, and the comfort level tends to be on the upper end of the scale. You should be fit, and at minimum a strong intermediate alpine skier.
Chop-Chop Pace
As the name suggests, be fit and prepared for anything. The guide’s fitness will be your limiting factor. As the guide breaks trail for you s/he will expect you to be impatiently nipping at his or her heels, eager for more. That gets annoying, so your guide might decide to give you a little extra group gear for your pack to keep the nipping to a minimum. As it nears 3 pm and you get to the bottom of what would normally be your last run, the guide will expect to see you slapping on your skins for one more hot-lap. You get the picture. You will hope to pound in 2000 m in a day and maybe a lot more if the stars align and you are in a strong, keen group with the right conditions.
Advanced / Expedition
Not necessarily more physically demanding skiing than Classic or Chop-Chop, but may involve challenging conditions such as: weathering storms on a boat in rough seas (3m+) for many hours or days at a time, or camping high on glaciers during stormy weather, or cooking your own food in adverse weather conditions, or carrying a heavy pack. You get the idea!
