Private Off-Piste Ski Lessons

Yes, we always use avalanche kit when skiing or snowboarding off-piste. If you do not have your own, pleased contact us and we’ll bring kit for you to use.

Only the high-end groups like Backcountry Adventure or Advanced Off-Piste Adventure or will need touring kit. But that will be communicated ahead of time, so if you haven’t been told to bring snowshoes or ski touring kit don’t panic! If you have booked a private, please tell your instructor what you would like to do, so equally they can come prepared on the right equipment.

Please ensure you have adequate Off-Piste mountain rescue insurance.

Your backpack must be big enough to carry the items mentioned in our first FAQ. Roughly a 20L pack should be large enough, and it’s good to look for backpacks that have a ski-carrying feature. This is particularly useful for any sections where we must take skis off and hike up a steep pitch to access the off-piste terrain. Ellis Brigham has a good selection.

For group off-piste lessons, children aged 16 and over can join us. Please look at our off-piste levels to ensure they’re in the right group for their ability.

For private off-piste lessons, it is up to the consent of their parents or carers with children aged eight and up able to join us off-piste. Our experienced team of instructors have the right not to take anyone off-piste if they feel the conditions or the skier’s ability make it unsafe.

Absolutely. At New Generation Ski and Snowboard School, we’re proud of our diverse team of instructors. Our instructors have a wealth of experience from across the globe. They all speak excellent English and are used to teaching in it. This ensures that communication is never a barrier to your learning.

We select our instructors carefully. They’re chosen for their skiing and snowboarding expertise. Their passion for the sport. And their exceptional people skills.

English is our core language of instruction but we can teach in over 20 other languages. So, if you have a specific language need, don’t hesitate to contact us.

During our off-piste ski lessons, we teach you how to use avalanche safety gear. This includes transceivers, shovels and probes.

This training is crucial for anyone going into off-piste areas. Understanding and skill in using avalanche safety gear can greatly increase your safety and the safety of others in an avalanche. We make sure you feel ready to handle these situations. This will enhance your enjoyment and peace of mind while exploring the mountains.

For our off-piste courses, it is essential you bring the following:

• A backpack
• A phone (fully charged with emergency numbers in contacts)
• Helmet
• Transceiver, shovel, probe (if you have them – if not these can be borrowed from us. Please let us know in advance)
• Liftpass
• Snacks
• Water
• Suncream
• Cash

It’s good practice, but not essential to carry your own:

• Basic first aid kit
• Spare pair of gloves
• Buff/snood
• Spare batteries
• Tool / Allen key for adjusting bindings or boots.

Save our office number and emergency numbers to your phone beforehand:

• Office number: +44 1462 674 000
• Emergency number: 112

We recommend hiring an off-piste ski or an all-mountain ski. Anything that is 100mm underfoot means the ski’s width is no less than 100mm under the binding (where your foot attaches to the ski). Most rental shops will allow you to swap your skis for the times when you want to ski off-piste at no extra cost, but this could vary between resorts and countries.

Yes! We have four off-piste levels, so look at which level you’d be best suited to. We always match our groups based on these off-piste levels.

Unfortunately, we’ll likely have to cancel the course if this is the case. But we’ll open the discussion with everyone booked on, as there are always mountain safety scenarios we can practice if the snow conditions aren’t always favourable.

Yes absolutely! If it’s a private off-piste lesson, we’re guided by you and what you want to achieve. So if you’re getting tired, say, and we can stop.

As for Group Off-Piste Lessons, we’ll stop every now and again to chat about technical skills, give feedback, and, of course, stop for breaks to rest and refuel. For all of our off-piste courses, bringing snacks and water in your backpack is a good idea.