01 / WHAT DO WE OFFER IN SKI TOURING?
We are an amateur club of backcountry skiing enthusiasts whose goal is to practice mountain sports on skis, promoting a connection with nature, physical exercise, and the development of 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 outings, usually to the French-Spanish Pyrenees. In addition, any club member may organize one- or multi-day outings to both the Pyrenees and the Alps. All club members belong to the UNAV university community (students, faculty, staff, alumni) or are their family members and friends.
Ski mountaineering is not an modality for beginners. The reason is simple: ski mountaineering requires an advanced skill level, not necessarily because of the difficulty of the slopes to descend, but because of the different types of snow one may encounter on a single outing (powder, crusted snow, wind-blown snow, spring snow, ice, etc.). At Sports Service , we’ll plan outings seeking the best snow conditions and locations where we can start the route with our skis on, avoiding having to carry them on our backs as much as possible.
02 / SCHEDULE OF DEPARTURES
The season will begin as soon as there is snow in the Pyrenees, usually in December, and will end in May or June.
The ski touring trips we organize will usually take place in the Pyrenees and will last either one day or a weekend (one or two nights), with an overnight stay in a mountain hut.
It is essential to be in good physical shape, as well as to have a basic knowledge of Eskimo rolls and mountaineering techniques (using crampons, tying knots, etc.), to be familiar with the different types of snow you may encounter, and to know how to use safety equipment (avalanche transceiver, probe, etc.). It is not enough to simply know how to ski on the slopes.
That’s why the UNAV Eskimo Club recommends that anyone interested in getting started in this sport take the introductory course which you can find information about on this website. We’ll post updates on the Sports Service and the University’s social media accounts.
Members of the UNAV Skimo Club are part of the WhatsApp groupgroup , where we post about outings, share photos, answer questions about gear, and more.
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.
registration:
JAF Fernández, 699 98 18 07
jaf@unav.es
03 / introductory course
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.)
2026-2027 update to update
2-Day Introductory Course: € per person
3-Day Advanced: € per person
Ski mountaineering initiation: Dates to be determined
Ski mountaineering advanced: Dates to be determined
- 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