Backcountry Skiing trips – France

No matter where you head in France for a backcountry skiing adventure, you are sure to be met with stunning scenery. From the rocky granite crags of the Pyrenees and the pristine Alpine lakes and valleys near Chamonix to the snow-capped mountains with distant sea views in Corsica, wherever you head in France, you won’t be left yearning for something more scenic.

Haute Route(s)

Perhaps the most famous backcountry skiing expedition of all time, the Haute Route stretches for 180 kilometers from Chamonix, France to Zermatt, Switzerland. Many guides include a trip to the top of Mont Blanc in the itinerary, which takes between 5 and 7 days, too. It’s something that should be on every backcountry skiers itinerary. But wait, Corsica offers a much lesser known Haute Route that is much less classic, but no less fantastic.

Great variety

France is blessed with a huge variety of excellent skiing spots. The narrow valleys and tall mountains of the Pyrenees provide some exciting descents and give you the option of plenty variety in one range. Of course, the Alps offer plenty of different opportunities from minor peaks to the stunning summit of Mont Blanc. Corsica too offers great backcountry opportunities, with the option of a couple of different hut-to-hut treks through the Mediterranean island.

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France is a very diverse backcountry skiing destination. This means that there is plenty to do here, from single-day backcountry expeditions to multi-day and week-long trips too.

In both the Alps and Pyrenees, you can also combine these trips with skiing in Switzerland and Italy or Spain too. This allows you to experience even more fantastic views and discover even more epic terrains.

Many backcountry skiers choose to parlay their trip into a ski mountaineering expedition to the summit of Mont Blanc too. This requires no technical mountaineering skills, but a high level of physical fitness. The views from the top are well worth the effort. Pic du Midi in the Pyrenees, Aiguille in Chamonix and Monte Renoso in Corsica are also popular backcountry skiing targets.

Good to Know

What’s the weather like?

During the winter the average daily temperature hovers just below freezing. This warms to just above freezing during the spring. However, as you get higher up in altitude the temperature dips well below freezing into the summer. While the winter and spring months are drier than the summer, there is still plenty of fresh powder for you to enjoy. Temperatures are slightly warmer in Corsica than mainland France, but still offer plenty of snow at higher altitudes.

How to get there:

This depends on where you’re headed. The Geneva International Airport (GVA) gets you closest to the French Alps. The Toulouse Blagnac International Airport (TLS) gets you closest to the Pyrenees. Arriving at the Ajaccio Napoleon Bonaparte Airport (AJA) gets you closest to Corsica. Many guides will meet you at the airport here, but in the other two spots, you’re likely no need to arrange transport from the airport to your final destination. Public transport in France is efficient, easy to use and pretty cheap.

Language:

French

Country Code:

+33

Currency:

Euro

Best time to visit:

December to April

What People Say

76 reviews

It was great!

Matthieu Vaxelaire for Chamonix guided backcountry skiing tour

Francesc Planas Morell for Freeride skiing with a guide in La Grave

Mathis was great. He is very knowledgeable about the Chamonix-Mont-Blanc area. Our trip down Vallee Blanche was amazing and we

felt comfortable knowing Mathis was our guide

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Luke for Chamonix Vallée Blanche guided off-piste skiing

Ben is a world class guide and my experience was so much fun. I would recommend him to any of

my family or friends and will be back in the future and will request Ben.

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Jim MacLean for Guided off-piste skiing in Vallee Blanche (Aiguille du Midi)

I am really, really happy with both Explore-share.com’s service and their recommendation of guide Benjamin Souflot. Benjamin was extremely

personable, and more importantly knowledgeable. Benjamin recommended where to rent ski gear and the proper gear for the day. He had crampons for my boots, ropes and other safety gear needed. I showed up at the meeting spot early, and Benjamin was already there waiting. On the gondola ride up to Aiguille du Midi, he talked safety and what to expect. When we got up to the top, it was very windy and intimidating. As Benjamin prepared the gear for our descent, he talked safety, strategy and was reassuring that it would be a fun, safe adventure. As I look down the face of the Ridgeline, I became nervous and anxious. Benjamin was very reassuring that it was going to be OK, that I was safe with him and we would make it down. Sure enough, Benjamin literally “talked me off the ledge” and we proceeded down. Benjamin was focused & guided me the entire time. Once we started skiing, Benjamin gave great instructions as to where to ski, what to expect ahead, etc. He was very knowledgeable about the mountain. When we took breaks, Benjamin shared with me interesting facts about where we were, in the mountains France, Italy, Mount Blanc, the crevasses, various peaks, history of the glacier, etc. I had a great experience! I would definitely do this trip again with Benjamin. I would also recommend this trip to anyone else with Benjamin and your company, Explore-share.com. Thank you again! -John

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John Sullivan for Guided off-piste skiing in Vallee Blanche (Aiguille du Midi)

Jessy took good care of us. He contacted us in good time before our actual day. Super nice and skilled.

We like to ski long days and so did Jessy. If we come back we will definetly contact Jessy again.

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Eric Nord for Ski touring and Freeride skiing in Les 3 Vallées

The one day we had with Nicolas was excellent max. We toured the Vallee Blanche and it was an outstanding

tour and he was an amazing guide! Thanks again Nico!

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dannydangor@gmail.com for Vallee Blanche (Aiguille du Midi) Guided Off-Piste Skiing Descent

Skiing from Aguille du Midi down to Chamonix has been an experience of a lifetime. We enjoyed the Valle Blanche

breathtaking views all the way down and the best route and ski conditions we could ever had! Our guide provided us with the avalanche material and safety information prior to start the run and shared his knowledge and skiing advice with us during the day. We’d 100% recommend the activity and our experienced guide Mathis! Having him guiding us made it an incredible day. Thank you so much for the unforgettable adventure!!

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Miriam Elizalde for Chamonix Vallée Blanche guided off-piste skiing

Overall the experience was great – Xavier really knew the local area catered to everyones abilities in the group and

offered some great advice. I would love to book another day trip (or maybe even a multi day trip!) with Xavier so I could experience some of the peace and quiet you get away from the piestes in the remote areas of the mountains. Would recommend to anyone that wants to explore the mountains away from the crowds.

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Alastair Hardie for Freeride skiing guide in Val d’Isère and Tignes

Really knowledgeable chap and really nice. Just a pity the top lift wasn’t open!

Stuart Millington for Freeride skiing with a guide in La Grave

The Vallee Blanche is near the top of every skier’s bucket list and I am happy to say that it

did not disappoint! The spectacular views, various snow surfaces and inclines, and the adrenaline rush of skiing on a moving glacier cannot be beat. Mathis was an amazing guide. From the beginning, he was knowledgeable about every face of every mountain in the area. It is very clear that skiing and climbing are his passions. He evaluated us and chose the perfect route down. Even when things got a little dicey on the ridge and around the crevaces, he kept his cool and gave very clear instructions. I would 100% reccomend hiring him for this trip or any other skiing or mountaineering experience.

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Rob Klein for Chamonix Vallée Blanche guided off-piste skiing

We had a truly wonderful ski tour with Mathis, he is a fantastic guide and incredibly knowledgeable about the area

and his passionate about getting people to know and see his backyard shows! We will definitely be coming back to Chamonix to ski tour again!

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Michael Dillon for Chamonix Guided Ski Touring

What a fantastic trip. Our guide Julia was amazing. She has an extensive knowledge of the local area and is

an very experienced guide. We would highly recommend Julia as a guide.

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Chrissy Schreiber for Vallée Blanche Guided Off-Piste Ski Excursion

We had booked Ben for a single day and weather did not play nice: rain in the valley, snowfall and

high winds on the summits. Hence, we were locked down to a single slope. Ben still made this an awesome day with lots of off-piste dives wherever possible, some avalanche training in between and good advice and powder exercises as he’s simply an excellent skier. On top of that he is a great person and also available as guide in Chamonix and 4Vallee. Full recommendation!

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Frederik Heber for Les Portes du Soleil Guided Freeride Skiing

Christophe Thomas for Guided ski touring around Val d’Isère

Benjamin, jeune guide professionnel, confirme avec excellence que la valeur n’attend pas le nombre des années ! Nous avons pu, en sa

discrète compagnie, découvrir en toute sécurité une approche inédite et respectueuse de la montagne dans des randonnées en peau de phoque. Je me réjouis déjà de réitérer cette expérience l’année prochaine, si possible encore avec le même guide, et avec même un degré de difficulté supérieur…

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Christophe for Les Portes du Soleil Guided Freeride Skiing

Malgré des conditions de neige médiocres notre guide Benjamin nous a permis de passer deux journées fantastiques à la découverte

de sites vierges dans les Portes du Soleil. La rando en peau de phoque fut pour nous une grande première à renouveler très rapidement. Admirer la montagne avec un guide de qualité quoi de plus excitant dans la vie !!

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Baudouin for Les Portes du Soleil Guided Freeride Skiing

Superbes moments passés ensemble dans les portes du Soleil, très sympa et très pro. Nous nous réjouissons de réitérer l’expérience

du côté de Chamonix en ta compagnie.

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Jean-Luc for Les Portes du Soleil Guided Freeride Skiing

Nous sommes partis 2 jours avec Benjamin. C’était fantastique de découvrir une autre façon de faire du ski. Benjamin est un gars

super sympa et sécurisant. On a passé deux belles journées avec lui. Un regret : Que l’on ne découvre qu’à 54 balais la randonnée à ski. Qui sait !! On prendra peut-être goût à l’alpinisme à 70 ans. Merci à Explore-Share.com de nous avoir présenté Benjamin. Il est sûrement à conseiller à d’autres candidats.

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Christophe for Les Portes du Soleil Guided Freeride Skiing

Nous avons passé une excellente journée avec Benjamin sur le domaine des Portes du Soleil. Malgré des conditions d’enneigement difficiles,

il est parvenu à nous trouver de belles descentes. Très pro et à l’écoute de nos envies, Benjamin nous a fait découvrir des recoins cachés dont il a le secret. De plus, ses conseils techniques en pente raide ont été très utiles. Entre des combes bien préservées, de la peau de phoque et une Via Ferrata avec les skis sur le dos, la journée a été remplie d’émotions. Je le recommande vivement !

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Romain for Les Portes du Soleil Guided Freeride Skiing

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