BACKCOUNTRY SKIING
Amateur club for cross-country skiing enthusiasts, whose goal to practice mountain sports on skis, promoting connection with nature, physical exercise, and the development values such as friendship, leadership, and resilience.
There is therefore no athletic goal for competing in the FEDME's official Skimo events.
The club organizes monthly trips, usually to the French-Spanish Pyrenees. In addition, any club member may organize trips lasting one or more days to both the Pyrenees and the Alps.
All club members belong to the UNAV university community (students, professors, employees, alumni) or their family and friends.
Mountain skiing is not a modality beginners. The reason is simple: skimo requires an advanced level, not necessarily because of the difficulty of the slopes, but because of the different types of snow that one can encounter on a single outing (powder snow, crusty snow, wind-blown snow, spring snow, ice, etc.).
At Sports Service outings seeking the best snow conditions and places where we can start our route with our skis on, avoiding having to carry them on our backs as much as possible.
The season will begin as soon as there is snow in the Pyrenees mountains, usually in December, and will end in May-June.
The esquimo trips we organize will usually take place in the Pyrenees and will last for one day or a weekend (one or two nights), staying overnight in a mountain refuge.
It is essential to be in good physical shape, as well as having a minimum level of skiing and mountaineering skills (cramponing, knots, etc.), knowing the different types of snow we may encounter, and knowing how to use safety equipment (avalanche transceiver, probe, etc.). It is not enough to know how to ski on the slopes.
That's why the UNAV Ski Mountaineering Club suggests that anyone who wants to get started in this sport take the introductory course you can find info introductory course on this website. We'll post updates on the Sports Service University social media accounts.
Members of the UNAV Ski Mountaineering Club are part of a group where we post about outings, share photos, answer questions about equipment, etc.
requirements
- Medium or high level of alpine skiing and knowledge of skiing techniques, or have done the introductory course.
- It is essential to be in good physical shape.
• For outings, it is mandatory to be a member of a mountain federation (minimum modality , which includes the French Pyrenees), or to have sports insurance that covers Skimo activities (for those interested, SegurArtic offers insurance policies that are suitable for Skimo and more flexible in terms of duration).
• It is introductory course necessary to join the federation to take the introductory course , as the course includes insurance.
Material
• Skis, equipped with touring bindings, adjusted to the boots.
• Telescopic ski poles or poles specifically designed for skiing.
• Mountain ski boots.
• Sealskins fitted to skis
• Blades compatible with ski bindings
• Crampons attached to the ski mountaineering boots we are going to use
• Backpack
• Ice axe for traversing (55-60 cm)
Helmet
• Arva
• Shovel
• Probe: 240 cm long
- In Pamplona there are two sites: Basati kirolak and Intersport.
Responsible
JAF Fernandez
jaf@unav.es
The course takes place in two intense days. We leave early on Saturday from Pamplona and go straight to the mountain. We spend the whole day in the mountains doing theoretical and practical classes and in the afternoon we go to the refuge to have dinner and sleep. If there are good snow/weather conditions, the course will take place in the Belagua valley. If there are not good conditions, the course will take place in the Aragón valley or in the Tena valley. On Sunday after breakfast we will go to the mountains and in the afternoon we will return home.
At the refuge you will have average board (dinner, bed and breakfast). It is necessary to bring a thin sleeping bag. It is necessary to bring snack food for two days to spend the day in the mountain and hot water or thermos.
It requires a minimum of technique on blue runs with ease and you must be physically prepared. It is a demanding activity.
What you need to know
- Material
- Progression techniques
- Mary turns
- Choice of pathway
- DVA, probe and shovel protocols
- Basic technique crampons and ice axe
- Transitions
- guide High Mountain UIAGM
- Advice on
- RC and accident insurance for the activity
- Collective activity material
- Insurance
- Transportation
- accommodation
- Handling
- Skiing equipment (skis, seals, blades, poles, etc.)
Initiation 2 days: 165€ per person
Advanced 3 days: 230€ per person
Ski mountaineering initiationJanuary 11-12
Ski mountaineering advancedJanuary 3-4-5
- Send email to jaf@unav.es
- In Pamplona there are two sites: Basati kirolak and Intersport.
What to bring
- Skis, equipped with touring bindings, adjusted to the boots. A skate of about 75 -90mm is ideal for most of the outings where we will find different types of snow (crust, powder, spring, rotten, hard...).
- Telescopic ski poles (those with 2 sections are the most suitable), or specific ski poles.
- Mountaineering ski boots with soles in good condition.
- Seal skins adjusted to the skis.
- Blades compatible with ski bindings
- Lightweight backpack (30-40L), with good lumbar belt, suitable for carrying skis and strap to tie skis.
- Touring/skiing ice axe (55-60cm).
- Crampons: Aluminum ones, they are much lighter and for ski mountaineering activities are very suitable.
Avalanche safety equipment:
- Arva: Mandatory, digital 3 antennae.
- Shovel: Metal with extendable handle
- Probe: 240 cm long
- Helmet: climbing helmet is better, because we can regulate the heat, removing or putting a cap.
- Spare batteries for Arva
- Windbreaker pants
- Thermal mesh (legs)
- Waterproof pants: subject gore tex
- Waterproof / windproof jacket gore tex
- 2 pairs of socks. 1 for skiing and others for the shelter
- Thermal underwear and spare for the shelters.
- 2nd layer garment, with high calorific power: fleece, primaloft, feathers....
- Pairs of gloves:
1 thin and manageable (for skiing).
1 thick, quality glove for cold weather.
1 extra pair
- Warm hat and sun visor, buff.
- Blizzard goggles
- Sunglasses, sunscreen and chapstick
- Headlamp
- mobile and charger (in most shelters there will be possibility)
- Camera
- Energy bars, chocolate, dried fruit, quick assimilation carbohydrate gel, with caffeine: in case we have a slump. Some cheese and sausage....
- Hydration: A bottle of water (1 or 1.5 liters). A thermos for hot drinks of 0.50 or 0.75 liters.
- Sleeping bag for shelter
- Spare clothes
- Toilet bag
- Microfiber towel
Monitor introductory course
Xabier Paternain
High Mountain Superior Sport Technician
guide High Mountain UIAGM
xabixut@gmail.com
Tfn: +34 660 383 508