The French Alps offer great mountains for snowboarding, especially off the systems. There's an incredible sense of freedom in venturing into untouched snow, beyond ski systems and controlled slopes, and with UCPA you get the best conditions for off-piste skiing! This is largely due to the fact that on all off-piste trips you travel with an instructor. The instructor has the best local knowledge, knows where to find the best runs for the day and makes sure you get down safely.
Safety and security
Off-piste skiing is serious business. The terrain is controlled by weather, wind and other factors beyond our control. UCPA is constantly working to improve safety and train instructors to help you ski off-piste safely. We always have certified instructors or mountain guides, complete safety equipment and customized snowboards.
Benefits
Why UCPA?
If you haven't skied with us before, you're in for an extraordinary experience. A week of high class skiing, good food and fun socializing. An adventure many people relive year after year - they just change ski resort and center.
Groups that suit you
Skiing with an instructor is included and is an important part of your trip. Here you will have the opportunity to improve your skills and explore the mountains with like-minded people.
Meet new friends
A UCPA trip is a social experience where, in addition to skiing, you can participate in activities around the centers and have the opportunity to meet new friends from all over the world.
Safety and security
Going off-piste always involves a risk. With UCPA's instructors, you will be trained to deal with different situations that may arise when off-piste skiing.
Bad weather professionals
On bad weather days, the instructors are invaluable. If only the lifts are open, you go. Guaranteed!
Focus on skiing
When you travel with UCPA, equipment, food, accommodation and skiing with an instructor are always included. This gives you time to focus and enjoy world-class skiing.
Certified Instructor
Streamline your skiing! UCPA instructors know the ski resort best and know where to find the best runs for the day.
Off-piste skiing with UCPA
We offer off-piste programs in a dozen destinations in the French Alps. From beginner to expert level. Your level determines which program you can complete.
Safety first!
Activities outside the ski system, off-piste, are associated with risks such as avalanches, crevasses and cliffs. It is important to always be informed and plan your skiing according to weather and snow conditions. It is also of utmost importance to wear your safety equipment properly and be prepared for how to handle an emergency situation.
With UCPA you have the opportunity to do this type of snowboarding with a certified instructor. UCPA instructors undergo years of training and possess expert knowledge to read terrain and weather conditions. Through the instructor, you will be trained to deal with different situations that may arise when off-piste skiing. They also make sure to find the best runs for the day for you and your group. Through their years of training, they will give you technique tips and tools to become a better snowboarder.
Equipment included
All technical equipment is included when you travel with UCPA! On off-piste trips, this means in addition to snowboard and boots also avalanche transceiver, probe, shovel and backpack. A helmet is not included in the equipment but this is of course something we recommend that you use. In some places there are helmets to borrow, in other places you can rent a helmet during the week for about 10-15 €. NOTE! However, this is subject to availability. If you want to be sure to protect yourself, we suggest that you bring your own helmet.
For more information about equipment and what equipment is offered, you can read the article on UCPA magazine. If you are wondering what other equipment might be necessary to bring on trips with UCPA, you can take a look at our packing list.
Our different off-piste trips
Off-piste
For those who are looking for guided snowboarding outside the slopes. Here the focus is on skiing and you can choose between three different levels. During the week you will have the chance to discover the very best of the area together with our instructors.
Splitboard
Splitboard is for you who are already an experienced off-piste skier but who want the combination of going uphill, and then trying slopes you have never encountered before. Our experienced instructors will show you places far beyond the reach of the ski system, giving you a unique chance to discover amazing places. The focus is still on off-piste skiing, but you'll get to try splitboarding (you'll go for about 1 hour per day).
Snowboard safari
This is almost a must for you if you are a good off-piste skier in search of the best runs, most favorable snow conditions where both glacier skiing and ascents with crampons can be included. You will have the opportunity to explore some of the best areas both in the French Alps but also in Italy & Switzerland among others.
A high technical level and previous experience in off-piste skiing and in handling safety equipment is required. During these trips you will have access to a minibus as well as extended lift passes that will take you outside the usual ski systems to discover the very best skiing in the area.
The destinations for the best off-piste
Chamonix & Argentière
With lift access to many high peaks and large off-piste areas, the Chamonix valley stands out among many other ski systems in Europe, and the world. Here you'll find Europe's longest off-piste run, Vallée Blanche, which measures a whopping 20 km, and the fabled Les Grands Montets area.
Val d'Isère & Tignes
Espace Killy not only offers a fantastic piste system, but also one of the largest off-piste areas in the world. Challenges await both the beginner and the experienced and adventurous off-piste skier.
When should you go?
Off-piste skiing can be practiced both in winter and spring, depending on your skills, tastes and preferences.
Spring usually means fantastic snow conditions with so-called corn snow. Snow with a hard surface that melts and freezes every day and night. In addition to the pleasant snow, spring has longer days, which means more snowboarding hours(!), and milder temperatures.
Winter, on the other hand, increases the chances of finding powder snow, the ultimate surface for snowboard lovers. Cold temperatures, no wind and a steady snowfall are the best conditions for this type of snow. Riding on powder snow gives the feeling of floating, but it is not always easy to handle. This surface is only recommended for skilled snowboarders.
Choose the right Snowboard Offpist level
3
1
2
ACTIVITIES
What can you do?
Where can you go?
Destination
UCPA - Freely translated to English as "National Federation for Sports and Outdoor Centers" - has a history of over 50 years. It is, in short, a non-profit, all-French organization supported by, among others, the French state. The purpose is to give ordinary people the opportunity to learn and develop in one or more sports together, in pleasant and unpretentious forms. The organization has about 80 centers in France and the West Indies, 28 of them are located at well-known winter sports resorts in the French Alps.
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