Description
The pre-season camps in Engelberg are designed to optimally prepare you for the coming winter season.
Are you already an experienced skier and would like to take on more challenging ski & freeride tours? Learn new methods, prepare for the winter season and have the time of your life!
The pre-season days are aimed at experienced freeriders and good ski tourers. In addition to training and further education, the focus here is also on pre-winter adventures.
Thanks to the combination of a mountain guide plus a professional freerider, the knowledge and skills of different types of skiing can be brought together to create a brilliant end product.
Can’t you be there every day?
In exceptional cases, you can also only attend individual days of the camp. We can only accept workshop requests to a limited extent. Just take the day off and attend all 3 days. It’s worth it!
Programme
The conditions during early season can vary. Therefor also our program during the camp. The participant can look forward to a safe and high-quality program regardless of weather and snow conditions. We want to create an optimal learning climate where everyone can contribute their experiences. The team of mountain guides are very motivated to pass on their own experiences to you in a good way. The participants’ experiences and knowledge from the mountains also give us all additional opportunities to develop even more.
The passion for nature and skiing connects us all and we want to focus on the community of snow sports during these three days.
Let yourself be inspired by pro-skier Piers Solomon’s playful and elegant freeride technique. He will be happy to show you in a pragmatic way how you can progress and work with your freeride technique. Broaden your horizons and have fun while skiing with more flow and new (simple) freestyle elements.
Duration: ½ Tag
Leads by: Ski-Coach & Freeride Pro Piers Solomon oder Bergführer
If things go wrong, we want to be prepared for an extreme situation. Do you have your avalanche transceiver fully under control and are you fast enough even under stress? Do you also function in complex situations under time pressure?
Every situation brings individual problems with it. That’s where we focus and train you in the best possible way.
Duration: ½ day plus evening course
Direction: Mountain guide IVBV & Ski patroller
- Companion rescue
- Search, probing, shoveling
- Multiple burial
- First aid for freeriders / ski tourers with ski patroller
- Minor accidents
- Assistance avalanche accidents
As the name suggests, the Pre-Season Camp takes place in the pre-season. The weather, the conditions and the amount of snow is not always optimal. If the ski area should remain closed because of e.g. storm, heavy snowfall or even too little snow, we offer you alternative possibilities in the valley to be optimally prepared for the upcoming winter season.
Duration: As little as possible, as much as necessary.
Direction: Mountain guide and specialists for this purpose
- Multiple burial LVS
- Rope handling
Knots
Equipment
Rope shortening
Rope maneuver - Abseiling
- Self ascent
- Crevasse rescue
- Improvised rescues
- “Trouble shooting” on the mountain
- First aid
- Snowpack structure, snow crystals etc.
Dreamed by many, realized by few. To live from skiing is a child’s fantasy for many who are reading this text right now. All guides and ski pros in this camp are doing exactly that. We will introduce you to this life in more detail; how does it come about, what does it take and what are the downsides of this outwardly appearing “high gloss” life?
Duration: evening show
Direction: Ski-Coach & Freeride Pro Piers Solomon
- Short ski films
- “Behind the scenes”
- How do such recordings come about?
- What does it take?
- Lifestyle and life of the ski pro
- Skiing philosophy
- Question round with tasty beer
In a real freeride area like Titlis, you need the right skills to get from the classic runs to the adventure terrain. Often you have to “scramble” a bit in short places or abseil into a gully/couloir. This is not only to get to the good snow, but it is an experience in itself.
Duration: 1 day
Direction: Mountain guide IVBV
- Training block “Rope & More” based on different situations
- Equipment
- Knots
- Abseiling normal & improvised
- Anchorages in rock, ice and snow
- Ski skills 40° plus
- Assessment special case couloirs
- Safe skiing in steep terrain
- Jumpturns
- Sliding sideways, spit turns etc.
- Small application tour with e.g. abseiling into a couloir
- The conditions for such terrain must be suitable!
Adapted according to the current circumstances and on the way in the field, we give you our experience on the subject of avalanche prevention. What do we do today and why not the different? Where is the best place to ski our planned line and above all why? What do I do if things turn out differently than planned? These and many other questions occupy us every day, and we are happy to share our thoughts with you. High practical part.
Duration: ½ day
Direction: Mountain guide IVBV
- Prevention
(Bulletin, practice-oriented tour planning, rolling tour planning, human factor - Behavior in the terrain
(line selection, safe points, group tactics)
On a small application tour we deepen your alpine ski technique in the ascent and descent in challenging terrain. Because good skiing and solid accenting mean also safety! Sometimes it takes only a few small tips to achieve a great result.
Duration: ½ day
Direction: Mountain guide IVBV
- Sicherheit & Taktik in steilem / schwierigem Gelände
- (Spitzkehren, Seitwärts Abrutschen, Ski anziehen in steilem Gelände)
- Technik Aufstieg
- (Kick-Truns, Spitzkehren mit Fellen, Handling Felle & Harsteisen, effizienter Wechsel, Bootpacking, etc.)
Impressions
Team
Piers Solomon
“I am a professional freerider from Central Switzerland who spends his winters following the best conditions, having the best possible time and meeting new people from all over the world.”
Born and raised in the Swiss Alps, Piers was introduced to skiing by his mother at the age of three. At the age of six, he devoted most of his life to alpine ski racing. After ten years of ski racing, Piers felt more and more attracted by the freedom of freestyle and freeride. As a result, he was given his first pair of “fat skis” at the age of 17. From then on, he was definitely attracted to off-piste skiing. Soon he met Oskar Enander, the professional snow sports photographer from Sweden, in Engelberg. Piers started some photo projects with Oskar and with his help he got his first sponsors. Oskar opened Piers the door to other parts of the industry, like his first film trip, which took place at the age of 19 for sweetgrass productions’ “Walhalla”. In the meantime he has been travelling for big film projects and was included in a webisode series of DPS-skis. In addition, Piers has spent much of his summers in Argentina in recent years, where he trains and guides skiers and snowboarders in the “Cerro Cathedral” area near San Carlos de Bariloche for a travel company called SASS Global Travel.
Dani Perret
“Skiing in the adventure area means a lot to me. With some imagination and the right skills, you can experience something in all conditions. Thanks to rope & skins, you can reach slopes and gullies that will make your heart beat faster.”
Dani was born and raised in the same area as Piers. The adventure in the mountains attracted him already as a child and teenager again and again to lonely and secluded terrain. He feels at home on skis, mountain-, climbing- or trailrunning shoes, in all disciplines. The focus is not so much on relative performance, but rather on lasting experiences with the highest possible level of safety.
Dani is a full-time mountain guide in winter as well as summer, stationed in Engelberg. Again and again he discovers the Engelberg valley and the surrounding areas in the Alps with new eyes and is happy to share his newly gained ideas with you.
www.mountainguide-dani.com
Tobias Granath
“The strong Swede on the team”
Tobias Granath is a Swedish IFMGA/UIAGM/IVBV mountain guide and has lived in the Alps since 2000. Today he lives with his family in Engelberg and works as a mountain guide all year round.
It inspires me to take clients into the wild alpine environment and show them my secret places and discover new places. From ski touring for beginners to ski mountaineering for experts – offering clients the best possible mountain experience is not only my job, it is my passion.
Robert Lönnell
“Robert Lönnell a Swedish IFMGA / UIAGM / IVBV mountain guide. He has lived in Engelberg with his family since 2009.”
Robert started skiing at a young age and after finishing school he was ready to leave Sweden and start exploring different mountains and terrain.
After 10 years of travelling to different places such as Chamonix, Tirol, Canada and more he came to Engelberg in 2009 and decided to turn his passion for the mountains into a career.
He now works full time as a professional IFMGA Mountain Guide.
Skiing powder, climbing walls or guiding you up your dream peak. He is always happy to take you out in to the mountains.
Jonas Schild
“In the meantime, I can live almost exclusively from mountain sports. On the one hand as an alpinist and climber, on the other hand as a mountain guide. For me it is extremely motivating to pass on my passion for the mountains to other people. Especially in winter there is nothing more beautiful for me than to conjure together his tracks in steep slopes and gullies.”
With a father as a mountain guide, Jonas came into contact with mountain sports at a young age. At the beginning on hikes and in climbing gardens, later on mountain and climbing tours. Even then he was fascinated by the steep walls of the mountains, which he mostly climbed on the normal route. It is important for him to be a complete alpinist. This means to be safe and on a high level in the classic alpine terrain as well as on skis and to have as much fun and joy as possible.
Jonas lives in Bern, studied geography and has been a mountain guide aspirant since 2018. Despite the rather long distance, he came into contact with the Engelberg valley early on, earlier in the summer climbing, now more and more in the winter as a mountain guide, where he appreciates the incredible potential for freeriding around the Titlis.
Education: Mountain guide IVBV / UIAGM
Company: www.jonasschild.ch
Jonas Alajuuma
Jonas Alajuuma is an IFMGA mountain guide who was born and raised in snowy northern Finland but has had Engelberg as his home and base since 2015. He’s been actively skiing and climbing in the mountains for over a decade and nowadays works as a full time mountain guide. No matter the chosen activity or level Jonas loves to guide people outdoors to offer new experiences and beautiful moments while keeping the adventures as safe as possible.
Jonas has experience all the way from the northern mountains of Sweden, Norway and Svalbard down to the different corners of the Alps. He gladly takes you to different places for an adventure and guides you in an assuring, compelling and calm way with a smile on his face on your next exciting adventure!
Levels
The pre-season camps take place in almost all sessions at the following levels:
Mild - Starter
Skiing off-piste is new to you. Maybe you’ve already tried it and you’ve got caught by the virus. You can also ski the black slopes on the piste. Now you want to learn and improve your ski touring and freeriding skills.
Anforderungen
- Solid skiing technique on the slopes. Black slopes are no big deal for you.
- You have good memories of your first taster experiences off-piste on ski tours or freeriding.
- Fitness & motivation for ascents with skins of max. 60min.
- No alpine technical experience necessary. But nice to have!
- Basic knowledge of avalanche prevention and rescue is an advantage but not mandatory.
Anmerkungen
Here we will adjust the programme a lot. You can do all the workshops, but train in terrain where you certainly don’t have to be afraid. As we don’t have so many registrations for the pre-season camp at this level, it is easier if you are already a small group of 2-3 people. More is also possible or you can join a group as an individual.
Spicy - Geniesser
Probably the most common level. You have already been on guided or independent ski tours, but it is not (yet) your greatest passion. You still have time for other things in your life than the mountains. Really?! (Note from the team). You love to go on ski or freeride tours. You are now motivated to improve your knowledge and existing experience and to refresh what you already know.
Anforderungen
- Good technique in skiing next to the piste up to moderately steep terrain. You can “get down” anywhere; if not with easy turns, then with sliding sideways… No grades are given for the stems.
- Climbs up to 800 m with skins are fun, as long as the descent is worth it!
- Alpine technical knowledge is an advantage, but not mandatory.
- Basic experience with avalanche beacon, probe, shovel and avalanche prevention would be desirable.
Anmerkungen
Very grateful level for us as mountain guides. Because you can already do a lot, but we can also show you a lot. Our goal is always that you can later use it independently on easy to medium tours. The transition from the “spicy connoisseur” to the “hot expert” level is very “spongy”. This is where the experience you have gained and your personal attitude come into play.
Hot - Könner
If your grandmother hasn’t just passed away, a wedding isn’t planning the weekend or you have to go to the LUGA with your boyfriend, you’re sure to be found on the mountain. Whether it’s on a ski tour or freeriding, you’re enthusiastic about everything. You enjoy challenging ski and freeride tours. You regularly motivate your colleagues to join you on a tour. You have even planned and “led” them yourself.
Anforderungen
- Very good off-piste skiing technique. You can master steep passages of up to 45°, even if you don’t always feel 100% comfortable.
- Very good ascent technique with skins and hard irons. It doesn’t matter how many vertical metres you climb, the main thing is that it’s worth it to ski down.
- Basic alpine knowledge (e.g. climbing in summer, alpine touring, etc.) is a prerequisite. (Let us know if this is not the case, it can be learned!)
- Regular training in rescue and independent assessment of the avalanche situation is assumed and built upon.
Anmerkungen
A very rewarding level for us as mountain guides. Because you can already do a lot, are ultra motivated to learn even more and we can also show you a lot. The goal is that you can strengthen your ego and regularly go on freeride and ski tours in most levels. The transition from the “spicy connoisseur” to the “hot expert” level is very “spongy”. The experience you have gained and your personal attitude also play a role here.
Hell - Freakshow
Your colleagues call you a freak when you tell them about skiing… You spend almost every free minute on the mountain, when you’re not waxing your skis in the basement. On your toilet you have touring guides and the latest ski magazine of your choice. For several years, you have been out and about in the mountains independently, planning and carrying out tours yourself. Perhaps you are even a tour leader, soon to be an aspirant or simply a down-to-earth feerider You can handle your skis in all types of snow and terrain up to 45° in good conditions is more fun than scary for you.
Anforderungen
- Actually self-explanatory if you want to classify yourself in this level.
- Very good downhill skiing technique. Good means solid ability in all types of snow up to 45-50°!
- TipTop condition. Ascents of up to 1600 m a day are no problem for you. Of course you can be tired in the evening, but not after 90 minutes!
- Knowledge of alpine techniques with rope, crampons, ice axe and crampons.
- Basic knowledge of glaciers
Anmerkungen
At this level it is assumed that 80% of the points of the programe have already been trained/applied. The programe at the camp is based on this knowledge. We show you the latest methods and refresh your existing knowledge. An active discussion and exchange of experiences with the course participants is important to us.
Dates
FAQ
What are the requirements for me?
The camp is not designed for freeride or ski touring beginners. You must have experience in these areas, be solid on skis or snowboard and have a good basic level of fitness. We will make different groups according to levels in the different training blocks. This way you can later place yourself (via self-assessment form) and with a mountain guide in a group that suits you. Are you already a very strong tourer, freerider or alpinist? Then please let us know in the registration form so that we can assign you to the right group. (or later by self-assessment form)
Can I also participate as a snowboarder?
Yes, if you have a splitboard this is a good idea. We will make a separate boarder group if possible. (if enough people are interested). The ski technique part can only be adapted to snowboard technique if there are enough snowboarders (separate group). Otherwise you can take part in the same programme as a boarder. How do I organise the overnight stay? If you want to join us for dinner and the evening programme, or if you simply live too far away, we recommend you stay overnight in one of our partner hotels. This way you can have a beer after an educational day.
What if the camp cannot take place because of Corona?
In principle, we work with the protection concept of the Swiss Mountain Guides Association. If the current situation changes and we can’t hold the camp because of the regulations, the whole amount will be credited to you and we hope you can take part at a later date. You can also discuss with us for other solutions.
What if the weather is bad or there is no snow?
It may well be that the camp cannot take place according to the programme due to a foehn storm, lack of snow or similar stupid situations. In this case we are ready with alternative programmes in the valley. For more information see programme.
Material
Ski-Ausrüstung:
- Denk dran, dein Ski wird vermutlich den einen oder anderen Kratzer abbekommen. Vielleicht nicht die neusten Skis mitbringen, oder zwei Paar zum Wechseln am Abend für verschiedene Programme.
- Ski (nicht unbedingt die neuesten)
- Eventuell zwei Paar für verschiedene Programme
Kleidung:
- Gore-Tex Ski Jacke
- Skihose
- Warme Kleidung
- Handschuhe (2 Paar)
- Mütze oder Stirnband
- Helm
- Skibrille
Technisches Material:
- Rucksack (optimal ABS)
- Lawinenausrüstung:
- LVS
- Lawinenschaufel
- Lawinensonde
- Freeride Ski oder Splitboard
- Felle & Harsteisen
- Skischuhe
- Skistöcke
- Klettergurt
- 4 x Schraubkarabiner
- Bandschlinge 120 cm
- Reepschnur 4 m
- Prusikschlinge
- Abseilgerät (ATC, Achter oder ähnliches)
- Eventuell: Pickel und Steigeisen
Diverses:
- Sonnenbrille
- Sonnenschutzcreme
- Eventuell: Fotoapparat oder GoPro
- Skiticket
- Halbtaxabo (wenn vorhanden)
- Geld für Bergbahnen, Taxi und Getränke
- Snacks
- Notizmaterial
Fehlendes Material kann bei uns gemietet werden. Bitte vorgängig anmelden.
Willst du noch bestimmtes Material kaufen? Dann schau doch einfach mal im Arena Sport vorbei. Es lohnt sich!
Material Empfehlung “Freeride Sack”
Gehst du Freeriden ohne Aufstieg und ohne Abenteuerskifahren? Hier kommt unsere Empfehlung was du mitnehmen solltest:
Materialempfehlung Skitouren- & Abenteuer Sack
Geht’s richtig los mit den Tourenskis ins Gelände wegg von den Liften, durch spannenden Couloirs odar sogar auf den Gletscher?