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• Subscription for outings (from January 2022)

  When joining the ski touring section you gain access for the subscription to all proposed outings. Although the tentative planning is prepared for the whole season, we take subscriptions only for the coming WE, unless stated otherwise e.g. WE outings, special section outings. 

  The subscription procedure is as follows. On a given week on Thursday morning, the plan for Saturday and Sunday is published. We allow only one way to subscribe for the given outings:

  • Online subscription, Thursday from 9:00 to 18:00, (we work like any other members, and we do our best to open it as indicated!)

  No subscriptions will be made by telephone, SMS, WhatsApp or by email!

  Online Subscriptions All outings are available at https://skiclub-skitouring.web.cern.ch/ 

  This way of subscriptions is open for everyone. However, if you just joined the club, after subscribing online, consider passing by in the evening to discuss the logistics, requirements, etc. Please note that we allow subscribing to more than one outing per WE, but please be aware that if you do so, in case of the high demand your name will be moved to the waiting list. Since all subscriptions are timestamped, only the first subscription will be kept. 

  SkiClub Permanence, building 564: (NO PERMANENCES FORESEEN AT THE MOMENT) , 

  By coming to the meeting room you can meet other section mates and discuss some plans and special requirements for the planned outings. It is also preferable that the group members meet each other beforehand and get to know one another. By respecting the above, we can guarantee a safe outing for you all.

  Due to the limited places, we can only hold one to two places for the people coming and subscribing in the evening. Please consider subscribing online during the day. 

  During these meetings, we also provide the latest weather forecast and avalanche risk information, which you can evaluate with the instructor leading the outing. Please remember that the difficulty of an outing can change radically depending on the weather and amount of snowfall.

  IMPORTANT: In both cases above, it is up to the chief of the outing to decide if the level of the outing is appropriate to the person that subscribed (either online or in-person). Therefore, even if you are an experienced skier but completely new in the club we encourage you to consider joining one or two ‘easier’ outings first for the sake of getting to know the group.

  NOTE: In case of high demand for a given WE (i.e. extensively long waiting lists), we may consider adding a last-minute option for all people on the waiting list.

  Cancellations 

  Please be aware that cancellations are available and acceptable but within the reasonable advance – usually more than 24h. Contact the chief of the outing whenever you need to do it. Be aware, that in less than 24h, it is sometimes hard to contact people from the waiting list. And bear in mind that sending us an SMS at 6 am on the day of the outing is not only childish but also not fair with respect to the people that were on the waiting list. And no, a hangover is not an unexpected circumstance to cancel the outing with two hours notice…  Respect your commitment and the other’s time!

  A remark about the difficulties of the outings

  Back country trips may be difficult to assess because of the ever-changing condition of the snowpack. A slope with an angle of 35° which is relatively easy to ski downhill becomes hazardous with icy snow. Similarly, a route passing through a glaciated terrain can get the most difficult or even impracticable because of the changing nature of the glacier or the lack of snow. Rating the level of difficulty of the outings or trips takes into account all these factors in addition to the length and altitude. The rating will be higher in case of bad conditions.

  Never forget that mountains are a hazardous environment. Whatever precaution we take, there is always a risk remaining. Choosing your trip according to your own capabilities will ensure a safe outing for all.

  Number of participants (COVID= max 6 persons/Group)

  For security reasons, the ski instructor will limit the number of participants to the outing; this will depend on the outing and on the conditions. Please do not insist if there is no more place, we do it for your own security! There are other outings of the same level the same day (up to 3 per weekend). If there are too many members who want to do an outing, we will try as much as possible to propose a new one (if the ski instructors are available).

  Compulsory Equipment: DVA (Detecteur de Victime d’Avalanche, Avalanche transceiver), Shovel, Probe

  During all our outings, you must have a functional DVA on yourself, but also a shovel and a probe in your backpack. You must also be able to use them efficiently! 

  We would like to encourage you all to come along to one of our special Safety Days on 11th and 19th January 2020. Not only we will explain how to use your equipment effectively and efficiently but you will also have the opportunity to try it out. Remember, practice makes perfect – a small investment so that you can go to the mountains in complete safety.

  We encourage you to purchase your own safety equipment; a very important investment which paradoxically one wishes never to have to use. Remember that if you make this investment you can learn how to use each piece of equipment to be able to use it effectively in the case of an accident.

  If you’d like some more information or any advice on what equipment to buy, please don’t hesitate to come along to one of permanence for a chat.

  You have also the possibility to borrow a DVA, a shovel and a probe at the club, only for CERN ski touring outings.

  Meeting point & time (COVID= Carsharing only if necessary)

  The meeting point for outings will be at the CERN club parking near the CERN entrance A. All participants are requested to arrive 15 minutes early so that the group and repack cars and we can leave on time. Please respect that rule, and do not be late! 

  Travel costs

  Transport costs are continually increasing and becoming a more and more important issue. We, therefore, will try to introduce a cost-sharing mode taking into account the real costs generated by a car. We now request an amount of ca. 0,30 €/km for each car used for the outing. Adding the motorway fee the whole sum will be shared between the participants and distributed to the drivers. Please be ready to volunteer as a driver once in a while. Drivers, please try to have a vehicle with appropriate equipment (winter tires and ski rack). 

  Behavior during outings

  During the outing, for security reasons :

  • You will be asked to kindly stay with the ski instructor. This is usually behind him, sometimes, in front of him if necessary, but never far away.
  • The group must be compact when walking up; we must avoid having a big time difference between the slowest and the fastest.
  • Please respect the weakest! Our goal is to bring the group to the summit not to rush all the time. We start the outing altogether, we do the outing altogether.
  • If one member of the group cannot continue or if we think that the conditions are not guaranteed for the security of the group, the ski instructor can stop the outing even if the conditions seem to be good.
  • Please respect the decisions; they are taken keeping in mind your safety.