Skydiving
ONLY operates over the French Alps from the middle of March to the middle
of April. This short period of time is due to the there being the most
chance of nice days to be able to jump out of a plane. Another reason for
this short period is that any time before this would just be to cold to
take part in the activity. Skydiving operates daily between the times
1000hrs - 1700hrs as long as the weather permits. If you have booked skydiving
and it does not go ahead due to adverse weather conditions - your jump
will be rescheduled for the next available good day.
The
Skydiving meeting point is Sno Limit a
snowboarding shop / cafe bar in the centre of Courchevel
1850
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how to get there FROM Courchevel
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FREE BUS
There is
a free bus service that will take you from all the different levels of Courchevel - 1300, 1550 and 1650 to the centre of Courchevel 1850.
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WHITETRACKS HOST - SKI TO
Hire a
Whitetracks Host to ski with you for ½ or a full day,
they will meet you at a pre-prescribed meeting point at the time
requested. They will ski with you taking you to some of the best snow and
runs in the Courchevel and MeribelValleys
and will make sure that you get to the activity on time. Whitetracks Host
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WHITETRACKS HOST - DRIVE TO
Collected
from your chalet you will be transported straight to the Skydiving venue.
The Whitetracks host will then walk with you to Sno
Limit where they will introduce you all the instructors, answer any final
questions or queries that you may have and make sure that you are being
looked after properly. The Host will then drive to CourchevelAltiport to take pictures of you getting ready
to take part in the Skydiving activity. Once you are in the plane and
ready to take off the Whitetracks host will take a few final photographs
before driving to the landing site waiting for you to land safely ready
to escort you back to your chalet or hotel in Courchevel.
Whitetracks Host
15-20 minute briefing with organsing
and fitting of equipment
12 minutes climbing in the airplane
Free Fall for 40 seconds
under canopy for 4 minutes
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You should arrive to meet the instructors 5-10 minutes before
the requested time. The instructors might keep you waiting but PLEASE do
not keep them waiting. If you need to catch lifts to in order to get to
the meeting point please allow time for lift queues, time to travel on
the lifts and time to ski.
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From Sno Limit you will be driven
to CourchevelAltiport
by mini bus with the pilots and other participants. When you reach the Altiport the pilots will get all their equipment out
of the bus, you will then be taken to one of the hangers. When in the
hanger you will all be made to lie on a mat where you will all be taught
the position that you need to be in when free falling through the air -
arched back with arms and legs spread. You will all be then taken to the
plane where one of the instructors will teach you the position that you
need to be in as you are about to jump out of the plane. This position
will include head back to one side, arms crossed in front of your chest
holding onto your shoulders with you legs behind you under the body of
the plane.
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Once you have been taught these positions the instructors
will take you back into the hanger where you will be kitted out with the
necessary equipment, harness and goggles. Once everyone has the equipment
and checks have been made that it has all been fitted properly everyone
will make their way to the plane. Just before entering the plane the
instructors will decide who is taking who you will then enter and sit in
the plane accordingly. When in the plane some of you will be sat on the
seats provided between or on the laps of your Skydiving instructor,
others will be sat on the floor of the plane. When in the correct
positions the instructors will fasten their harnesses to yours and
perform final checks as the plane takes off and starts to climb to the
necessary altitude.
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After approximately 12 minutes climbing, the plane will level
of at about 4500m (16,000ft) the sliding door will then be opened from
here there really is NO turning back. The instructors one by one will
move you into the correct position at the edge of the plane before
rolling out. You will free fall for approximately 40 seconds before the
instructor pulls the chord for the canopy to open which you will then
float down under a chute for about 4minutes before landing in La Praz, Courchevel 1300.
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If you were the first or second person to leave the plane you
will be at the landing site before everyone else gets down this means you
will be able to watch someone else come in to land. Whilst this is
happening the instructors that have already landed will be packing their
equipment away. When ready the instructor will ask you to remove the
harness that you are wearing and to give back the goggles that you are
wearing. When everyone has landed and all the equipment is packed away
you will get back in the mini bus that took you to the Altiport which will then transport you back up to Sno Limit, Courchevel 1850.
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If you have Hired a Whitetracks Host you will not need to
travel back to Courchevel 1850 the Host will
pick you up and transfer you straight from the landing site in Courchevel 1300 to your chalet, hotel or apartment, Whitetracks Host.
Skydiving in Courchevel is
performed on a tandem basis this means that the emphasis has been taken
away from the participants and has been placed on the highly qualified instructors.
Due to this the very minimum age in which you can take part in Skydiving
is 15 years old as long as you have written parental permission. WITHOUT
written parental permission the minimum age is 18 years old.
Before you get in the plane you will be provided with a
harness and a set of goggles. The instructors will put you into the
harness to make sure that it is fitted properly.
Skydiving is a daytime activity if it is cold on the ground
it will, without a doubt be cold when falling through the air! (Not that
you will have a huge amount of time to think about being cold with the
adrenalin pumping through your body as you are falling to the ground at
terminal velocity). PLEASE dress warm to take part in the Skydiving
activity wear your ski clothing; jacket , hat,
salopettes and very importantly take gloves to
wear it will be your extremities that will get cold first. If you do
get cold it will only take the edge of this amazing experience.
With three available instructors it is ONLY possible for
three of you to jump at the same time but with Skydiving operating
throughout the whole day 'weather permitting' it
is possible for many people to jump the same day if not together! There
are only two camera men available, if more than two of you would like to
be filmed whilst Skydiving you will not be able to jump together. If this
is the case Whitetracks can organise others in your party to jump at
different times.
