Backcountry Workshop 21-28th March 2026
Our Backcountry Workshops is back bigger and better for 2026!
We’ve teamed up with Altitude Guides to offer a great inclusive Skills Week Package of, 7 nights half board accommodation, 5 days on mountain guiding, 5 days of lift passes, minibus transfers on guided days, transfers to/from Modane train station at start/finish.
All for only €1700, yes we know that’s a deal.
Interested in the backcountry? Well look no further, be it splitboarding or skiing, our workshop in association with Altitude Guides, is designed as an on-snow week to help you to take your first backcountry strides, or build on your existing backcountry knowledge with a view to start planning your own tours.
Please read on as everything you need to know is on this page, honest.
Ride, Connect, Stay Safe!
Valfrejus slackcountry from 2025 Trip
Who’s the Workshop for?
Well, everyone who wants to go backcountry touring, novice to experienced, all are welcome and will benefit from our on-snow guided week long trip.
We are a splitboarding-focussed outfit, but skiers are very welcome - 95% of the course content is the same for both, and the remaining 5% is on-the-hill stuff, we train as we go so we won’t hold skiers up.
It’s an on-mountain workshop were we aim to introduce you to the process and execution of planning a tour in the mountains, from reading maps, understanding avalanche and weather forecasts, to on-mountain micro-terrain management. But don’t worry as we plan to ride all the best snow we can find too.
The workshop is suitable for both experienced tourers looking to improve their on-mountain decision making, to gain confidence to start self-guiding, as well as novices looking to take their first tour.
This isn’t a march to the top - we’ll be stopping multiple times to discuss route choice, safety processes, and hone techniques - but, to attend the course you must be able to ride with confidence off-piste, from crud to powder, from steeps to heelside traverses. You will also need to be fit enough to skin uphill (walking uphill on skis), possibly climbing around 1000m of altitude with a 10/15kg backpack (FYI the Pyg Track on Snowdon involves around 800m of ascent). It won't be a route march, and tips on how to skin efficiently are all part of it, if you’re worried about your fitness or skill levels just drop us an email and we can chat it through.
You must have proof of valid personal travel insurance that includes ‘off-piste with a guide’, and which specifically states that it covers splitboarding. Many of our crew use Snowcard’s Max Adventure cover, and Ski Club of Great Britain is great value.
If you are unsure that you have the correct skill set, or would simply like to discuss any aspect of the workshop, please do contact us on crew@backdropjournal.com
What's the Plan for the Skills Week?
Safety, what gear to have and how to use it
Best rescue practices
Splitboarding techniques - but don’t worry, if you are a skier, many of the uphill techniques are the same.
Mountain weather, global and local patterns
Basic Snow Science
Cartography, map reading & trip planning
Group dynamics, communication and human factors
Redefining our goals as ski mountaineers, are we aiming for the best snow or for the summit? When’s the right time to turn around?
Terrain management with a group, both up and down
The good snow, where it is and why? How to find it?
What’s in your backpack?
Please be aware that some of the items above may be off the menu on the day - mountains are fluid and so are we, and conditions will always dictate the exact itinerary. Your safety will always take precedent over the proposed itinerary.
Location
The workshop will be based in Valfrejus in the Haute Maurienne, France, a little-known valley that sits between the often-busy resorts of Val D’isère, Val Thorens, and Sestrières in Italy. Most days will be at one of the 6 resorts in the valley, conditions permitting we will also spend a day in highest resort of the three Vallees, Val Thorens, access from Orelle.
It’s a perfect location for our workshop as there are six very different resorts along its 50 km length, offering a great variation of terrain, altitude, slope orientation and steepness. There are high alpine glaciers in Bonneval sur Arc, forest riding in Val Cenis, north facing slopes in La Norma/Valfrejus, and south facing off-piste slopes in Aussois.
Sylvain from Altitude Guides explaining route planning
Guides
We’ve partner with Sylvain Rechu from Altitude Guides, a IFMGA mountain guide who calls the Haute Maurienne home.
Sylvains first language is French, but the workshop will be run in English and rest assured his english is great. All on mountain decisions, risk assessments and final say will be made by Altitude Guides, they are IFMGA guides after all, Altitude will also deal with all payment and reservations, they are acting as the principal and your holiday contract is with them. At least one member of the Backdrop Crew will be in attendance, but only as observers/bad dad-joke tellers.
There will be a maximum of six clients with one guide. If there’s a demand we will run two or three groups of six on the mountain, with everyone together for the evening workshops. Come on your own, or book with friends, just make sure you’ve read this through and understand your snowboarding skill-set and fitness levels. Each group will need a minimum of 4 people to run.
Digging Snow Pit to look for weak layers
Dates 21-28th March 2026
Arrival and first night accommodation will be 21th March, with workshop starting proper the morning of the 22th, finishing after riding on the afternoon of 27th (check out of hostel will be the morning of 28th).
Proposed Itinerary subject to change depending on conditions
5 days guided on the mountain, with evening briefings/debriefings, with a possible night in a hut (hut fees/food not included).
Day 1 - We will meet up at our accommodation to check everyone’s kit and arrange/plan any missing equipment/rentals that may be needed.
Day 2 - Before heading onto the slopes, we will have a quick re-check of kit and backpack contents. Once on snow we’ll start with the basics of transceiver training, shovelling and rescue procedures, basic splitboarding/touring skills, group management, terrain observation and snow knowledge.
In the evening we will debrief the day and discuss options for the following day, explaining our decision making around the snowpack and avalanche/weather forecasts.
Day 3 - We plan to make a full days tour, putting into practice everything we’ve learnt and discussed on our first day. We’ll focus on route finding and micro terrain management while looking for the best powder to ride.
In the evening we will discuss the snow & weather conditions of the day, and from there - with the help of avalanche and weather forecasts - in groups you’ll propose a safe mission for day 4 and get feedback from the guides.
Day 4 - We’ll execute one of the proposed tours, with a focus again on group management, route choice/micro terrain management, and general safe on-mountain practices. Once off the mountain the evenings debriefing will discuss the expectations of the days tour, and the reality of what actually happened, the on-mountain questions that arose, and the thought process behind our decision making.
Day 5 Wednesday will be a day free from guiding, where you can take it easy, ride one of the vallys six resorts. We may plan to head up to a hut the following day so we will make a meal plan and buy everything we’ll need for the next couple of days.
Day 6 - We’ll once again plan a tour, weather permitting up to a mountain hut (possibly Refuge du Plan du Lac, additional hut fees may apply), for an overnight on the mountain proper, where there’ll be plenty of time to discuss kit, destinations, and all things backcountry, before riding out the next day.
Day 7 - We’ll tour above the hut and back down to resort/cars, where the workshop will finish. If we didn’t overnight in a hut we’ll make a final tour from one of the resorts.
Day 8 - Morning check out of accommodation, with a brain full of backcountry knowledge and a new group of friends.
Getting there
We promote green sustainable travel, and as such strongly advise people to travel to our workshop by train. Direct TGV trains run from Paris Gare de Lyon to Modane and link up well with Eurostar trains from London.
Transfers between Paris Gare du Nord and Gare de Lyon is simple, it’s just two stops on the Green RER line D. Direct trains also run from Torino Porta Susa, only taking 1hr 30mins, itself easily reached from Turin airport (it’s also only 1hrs40mins drive from Turin airport to resort, if hiring a car).
If you want to drive, we suggest that you lift share wherever possible. We may be able to link you up with other course attendees to share the ride and expense.
The airports of Chambéry, Grenoble, Geneva, Lyon and Turin are less than a 2-hour drive and there’s limited buses/trains in the winter from all of them.
Transfers
If coming by train we will arrange transfers both to and from Modane station/Gare to resort at start and finish of trip, for no additional cost.
We will have a minibus to transfer you around the valley, but on previous workshops people have driven out, sometimes there’s the chance to ride share but this may not always be the case, you are of course free to drive yourselves around the valley if you want more freedom post snowboarding.
Budget
Included
5 days touring with on mountain instruction/guiding, 6th day free to ride unguided.
Evening briefings, debriefings, discussion and backcountry enlightenment.
Modane Station transfers if arriving by train.
7 nights half board Accommodation
Lift passes 5 days (Wednesday is a planned day off and you will have to buy your own lift pass that day)
4 days in Haute Maurienne Valley and 1 day in Val Thorens (dependant on conditions)
Transportation between resorts
Loan of backpacks, with transceiver, shovel and probe (bring your own if you prefer, but must be in full working order).
Not included
Drinks and lunches
Lift Pass/transfers on day off (probably wednesday)
Your personal off piste ‘splitboarding/skiing with guide’ insurance
International/domestic Travel to start point
Airport transfers
Equipment rental (splitboards/skis, skins and poles available from €30 - €40 a day) talk to Backdrop Crew or Altitude Guides as it’ll need to be arranged in advance.
Food and Hut fees if overnighting in a hut
PRICE
€1700
Lodging will be at BodyGoHostel or equivalent, you will need to share rooms or pay for upgrade if available.
Practical informations
Payment - To secure one of the limited places a deposit is to be paid direct to Altitude Guides, with balance due one month prior to workshop start date, all payment and course delivery is the responsibility of Altitude Guides, your contract is with Altitude Guides!
To make a payment please email crew@backdropjournal.com with Backdrop Journal Workshop as email title and we will connect you with Altitude `guides.
Meeting - exact location and timings will be in joining instructions which will be emailed out prior to course.
Rental gear - any rental kit needed must be organised well before the start of workshop as Altitude Guides only has limited sizes and kit may need to organised through a 3rd party.
Packing List
Touring Equipment:
Needed:
Splitboard/skiis with touring bindings
Climbing skins
Good quality boots
Ski poles (adjustable preferably), with wide baskets
Backpack 30-45L, avalanche bag not obligatory but recommended
Avalanche transceiver (can be supplied by Upguides)
Avalanche probe (can be supplied by Upguides)
Metal avalanche shovel (can be supplied by Upguides)
Preferable:
Ice axe, ski straps, binding repair kit, snowboard tool, single malt
Clothing:
Technical and warm underwear, preferably wool. Think several layers for the upper body, long and short sleeved tech t-shirts, ski socks, softshell jacket, hardshell jackets & pants (or bibs), light puff jacket or vest, warm down jacket, gloves (2 pairs, one thin, one thick), neck protection, face protection (buff or more advanced), warm hat.
Gear:
Helmet, sunglasses and goggles, thermos bottle, water bottle, your own first aid kit with personal medication, spare batteries for your transceiver, sun screen, phone.
Workshop specifics:
A sense of adventure, a flexible attitude, an ability to adapt, skill in the kitchen, and a good sense of humour all appreciated .
