Off-piste skiing holidays & courses
Adrenaline
based: Verbier, Switzerland
Official Mountain Guides company offering guided heliskiing in the Zermatt/Chamonix areas of Switzerland and in Greenland. Also private powder and off-piste coaching in Verbier, with experienced ski coaches and alpine guides.
| heli-skiing | off-piste skiing | Switzerland | Greenland |
Black Diamond Tours
based: Hokkaido, Japan
Guided off piste and backcountry snowboard and ski tours in Japan. The Black Diamond team, with New Zealand, US and Canadian trained guides, know the best lines and deepest snow (annual average of 15 m snowfall!) in the Hokkaido resorts and surrounding backcountry.
| off-piste skiing | Japan |
Selkirk Snowcat Skiing
based: British Colombia, Canada
Snowcat and off-piste, be it snowboarding or skiing; snow conditions in the Selkirk Mountains of British Colombia are second to none, with spectacular skiing and boarding terrain in a weather area known for its epic powder dumps.
| snowcat skiing | off-piste skiing | Canada |
Piste to Powder
based: St. Anton, Austria
Off-piste snowboard and ski guiding, offering short off-piste courses exploring the terrain in St. Anton, Stuben, Lech and Zuers. With a choice of open groups, tailor-made private guiding, off-piste technique booster courses and ski touring options.
| off-piste skiing | ski mountaineering/touring | Austria |
Off Piste Performance
based: Chamonix Mont Blanc, France
Private off-piste tuition tailored to individual needs, in Chamonix – the off-piste and mountaineering capital of the Alps.
| off-piste skiing | France |
Ruby Mountain Helicopter Skiing
based: Nevada, USA
Heliskiing, snowcat skiing and off-piste in the 90 mile long, 10-12 mile wide Ruby mountain range in Nevada.
| off-piste skiing | heli-skiing | snowcat | USA |
The Development Centre
based: Val d'Isere, France
Off-piste skiing clinics and private lessons, learn to ski powder in Tignes, Val d'Isere and Meribel.
| off-piste skiing | France |
Wildhorse Catskiing
based: British Columbia, Canada
Catskiing and off-piste powder mining, in the famous Powder Triangle of Nelson/Rossland and Revelstoke and offering steeps, trees, powder, meadows, cliffs and sunlit ridges.
| snowcat skiing | off-piste skiing | Canada |
What do we actually mean by off-piste?
In this section, in using the term off-piste we are referring to skiing and boarding that's typically done adjacent to, or between, controlled pistes, trails and slopes, on terrain that's not groomed by machine and remains un-pisted. Access is generally gained via a recognised, pisted and patrolled ski area but skiers and boarders leave the marked runs to explore the areas beyond. This might be on skis with Alpine downhill/piste bindings, or on skis with touring bindings when travelling a little further from the pistes and where a certain amount of climbing my be required to access the off-piste terrain.
In this section we list companies offering guided off-piste ski and boarding packages or courses teaching the skills required to ride or ski this more challenging terrain. If you're planning your own off-piste adventures we recommend taking a look at our general ski/snowboard section too; and for trips further from the piste and out into the backcountry try our ski touring section.
So what about All Terrain and Freeride?
The development of more responsive and versatile all-mountain and freeride equipment has given skiers the scope to ski it all – groomed piste, off-piste, bumps, steeps or backcountry. This section list packages that offer guided all-terrain skiing, or courses teaching the skills required to ski whatever comes.
CATEGORY DEFINITION FOR TOUR OPERATORS WISHING TO BE LISTED:
The travel-quest off-piste skiing holidays and courses section lists companies offering guided off-piste ski and boarding packages or courses teaching off-piste skills. See the definition further up the page for more details.
PHOTO CREDITS:
Unless credited otherwise, any photos used on this page are copyright of the Travel-Quest Directory or of the companies listed. See our Photography Policy for more details (including any credits for photo collages). Any other specific credits for this page now follow.
Top left: Skiing Fresh Powder in the Ruby Mountains Backcountry – Ruby Mountain Heli Experience's ski guide Caleb Merrill skis untouched powder in Nevada's Ruby Mountains. ©Flickr user: David Bunker/Travel Nevada
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