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Activities

WMA 5 days

Level: 1-2-3
Season: Winter
Duration: 5 days
Participants: Max 6

My goal

WMA – Winter Mountain Access 5 Days is designed for those who want to spend a full winter week in the mountains without being tied to a programme decided in advance. For five days, you will be accompanied by the same IFMGA Mountain Guide, who will shape each day around the actual conditions and what makes the most sense for the group.

Every morning starts with the same question: what is really worth doing today? If the snow is good, skiing remains the priority: we may go freeriding on Monte Rosa, use touring skins, explore a different valley or look for the terrain that best suits the conditions. If the snow, weather or visibility suggest something else, we change activity: avalanche rescue practice, forest terrain, snowshoeing, crampon skills, ice or rock.

The Monte Rosa area offers many possibilities, but WMA is not about collecting routes. Five days give the guide time to get to know the group, follow its progression and choose terrain and activities that increasingly match the participants’ ability, interests and the conditions.

You do not have to chase powder or complete a programme at all costs. Instead, you learn to make the most of the day the mountain gives you, understanding why sometimes it makes sense to change valley, use skins, work on technique or let go of a planned objective.

At the end of the five days, you will not simply have done more activities: you will have developed more tools for reading the winter mountain, greater awareness and a different way of deciding what to do each day.

Powder is a condition. WMA is a mindset.

  • 3 participants
    €870 per person
  • 4 participants
    €690 per person
  • 5 participants
    €580 per person
  • 6 participants
    €510 per person

The price includes

  • Local IFMGA Mountain Guide for five days
  • Safety kit: avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe
  • Snowshoes, crampons and harness when required
  • ABS avalanche backpack when required

Not included in the price

  • Ski pass
  • Skiing or technical equipment not listed above
  • Equipment rental, when necessary
  • Meals and drinks
  • Accident and cancellation insurance

Day 0 — Meet your guide

In the late afternoon, you’ll meet your IFMGA Mountain Guide, either online or in person. If you’re already in the valley, we can even do it over an aperitivo. You’ll talk about your experience, how you ski, the activities you enjoy and what you’d like to get out of the week. Together, you’ll check your equipment and take a first look at the weather, snow and mountain conditions. There is no fixed five-day itinerary. Instead, your guide will start identifying the best opportunities and will let you know where and when to meet the following morning.

Briefing duration: approximately 20–30 minutes

Day 1 — Getting to know each other on the mountain

The first day is about getting out there and starting to experience the mountains together. Before setting off, you’ll check your personal equipment and safety gear. Then it’s time to go. Your guide will see how you ski, how you move through different terrain and what kind of days you enjoy most. It’s not a test. It’s simply the best way to get to know you and understand which experiences will make the rest of your week special. If the snow is good, we’ll go looking for the best freeride. If it makes sense to travel further, we may put on the skins. If the weather points us elsewhere, we might head into the trees, choose more sheltered terrain or do something completely different.

The aim is simple: to make the most of whatever the mountain has to offer that day.

Duration: full day

Days 2–5 — Live the mountains like a local

From here, the week really becomes WMA. Each day, your guide will choose where to go based on the snow, weather, current conditions and what you have already experienced together. It might be the perfect day for freeriding in Alagna. Or it might be better to head to Gressoney or Ayas. We may put on the skins and search for good snow away from the lifts, ski in the trees when visibility is poor, or choose a completely different winter adventure. You don’t have to follow a predetermined itinerary.

You have someone with you who knows the area and can choose the best option the mountains have to offer each day.

 

Bring your skis and any mountain equipment you already have. During the briefing, we will choose the activity best suited to the conditions and check exactly what you will need for the day.

We can provide:

  • snowshoes;
  • a climbing harness;
  • crampons;
  • an avalanche safety kit with transceiver, shovel and probe;
  • an ABS avalanche airbag backpack when required for the activity.

If the chosen activity requires equipment that you do not own and we cannot provide, it will need to be hired. We will check what is missing with you and help arrange the rental.

Mountaineering, ski touring, off-piste skiing and trekking take place in a natural, uncontrolled environment.
Weather conditions, snow, ice, terrain, visibility, altitude and physical fatigue can change rapidly and directly affect the course of the activity. For this reason, there is always an inherent level of objective risk, which cannot be eliminated but only managed.

All our activities are led by IFMGA Mountain Guides and Certified Hiking Guides (AMM).
The guide continuously assesses environmental conditions and the physical and mental state of participants, sets an appropriate pace, manages progression and ensures the correct use of equipment. If conditions require it, the guide may modify the itinerary or interrupt the activity, always in the interest of individual and group safety.

Participants are required to be in good physical and mental condition, adequately prepared for the level of the activity, and to follow the guide’s instructions at all times.

Group activities

During group outings, the pace is set according to the slowest participant. In case of fatigue or discomfort, the guide may decide to adjust the programme or return early. In the mountains, the group ascends and returns together.

Learn more here

FAQ #1 – What skiing level is required?
You should be confident skiing red runs and comfortable on different types of snow. Previous ski touring or mountaineering experience is not required. During the first day, your IFMGA Mountain Guide will assess your level and progressively adapt the following days.
FAQ #2 – Do I need previous freeride or ski touring experience?
No. You may already be an experienced freerider or be trying off-piste skiing for the first time. The guide will choose activities that match your ability, experience and the actual conditions. If skins, crampons or other technical equipment are needed, the guide will show you how to use them.
FAQ #3 – Is the programme decided before I arrive?
No. We can discuss what interests you and the kind of experiences you would like to have, but the daily programme is not fixed in advance. Snow, wind, temperature, visibility and snowpack conditions can change significantly from one day to the next, and the guide adapts the programme accordingly.
FAQ #4 – Will we ski every day?
Skiing remains the priority whenever the conditions make it a good choice. We may freeride, ski tour, head into the trees or move to another valley. If another activity offers a better and safer experience, the guide may suggest it instead. WMA is designed to make the most of each day without forcing skiing at all costs.
FAQ #5 – Is WMA a course?
No. WMA is first and foremost a private mountain experience with an IFMGA Mountain Guide. During the five days, you will naturally learn more about snow, terrain, safety and equipment, but there is no rigid teaching programme. Learning comes from the decisions and experiences you share on the mountain.
FAQ #6 – Who decides where we go?
Your preferences matter and are considered every day, but the final decision always rests with your IFMGA Mountain Guide. The choice depends on snow, weather, terrain, visibility, conditions and safety. The possibility of changing the programme is not a limitation of WMA: it is the principle the whole experience is built around.

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WMA 5 days

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Insurance

Before departure, check that your insurance policy specifically covers mountaineering, glacier travel, altitude, trip cancellation, repatriation, and personal liability. For more information, read our complete guide to mountain insurance.

GET INSPIRED

WINTER

Level 1 – Explore
First freeride experiences. Controlled turns and a relaxed pace on accessible terrain.

Level 2 – Advanced
Confident skiing on ungroomed snow and able to maintain a good pace throughout the day.

Level 3 – Technical
Regular freeride experience, including on steeper terrain and in more exposed situations.


SUMMER

Level 1 – First experience
You should be comfortable with normal mountain hiking. No previous mountaineering or glacier experience is required.

Level 2 – Basic experience
You should already have completed hikes of several hours on mountain trails. Previous glacier experience or use of crampons is not required, but you should be ready to use them for the first time.

Level 3 – Mountaineering experience
Previous experience using crampons and travelling roped together on a glacier is required. The route may include short exposed sections.

Level 4 – Advanced experience
Solid experience using crampons and travelling roped together is required. The route may include exposed ridges, steep slopes and mixed terrain.

Level 5 – Experienced mountaineer
Strong experience on technical high-mountain routes is required. The route may include very exposed sections, climbing on rock, ice or mixed terrain, and may require knowledge of the main rope techniques.

The level indicates the technical experience required, not the physical effort.
The actual difficulty may vary depending on mountain conditions and the route.