Ski Touring – Le Sulens

The Sulens mountain which is located just 30 minutes from Annecy is the ideal place to learn about ski touring. It includes everything you need to start ski touring properly: gentle slopes, a reasonable drop in height and a superb setting …

The Sulens offers several ski touring routes. Departing from Plan Bois, you will be able to appreciate a reasonable difference in altitude * and a trace of ascent suitable for the uninitiated. At the top, enjoy the view and have a picnic to then fully enjoy the descent.

* Difference in altitude between the starting point and the summit

We start quietly

First, collect your ski touring equipment from a store (hire at your expense), we will provide you with safety equipment (DVA, shovel and probe). You will meet at the Plan Bois Auberge close to Thônes with your instructor. Once there, he will explain how the transceiver works *, show you how to put the skins on the skis and how the boots and bindings of touring skis work.

You can then follow him on the climb that leads to the summit of Sulens… 550 meters of vertical drop await you, which is a good start for a first outing.

* Avalanche victim detector

Here we go for the descent

At the top, you can enjoy the view of the Aravis range, Mont Blanc and Tournette… It will be a good time to have a picnic. After regaining your strength, you will have to follow the advice of your instructor to do your first operation, which consists of removing and putting away the sealskins and putting the shoes and bindings in descent mode.

If you still have some time and energy, your instructor will be happy to introduce you to avalanche victim search techniques. He’ll hide a bag with a transceiver inside in the snow. Your mission will be to find him as quickly as possible using your equipment, the avalanche transceiver, the probe and the shovel …