Home / Biathlon in Chamonix
Try biathlon in Chamonix at the Les Bois shooting range, facing the Drus and Mont Blanc: 2 hours of cross-country skiing and air rifle shooting with Richard Etellin, with your family, with friends or on your own.
5.0
84 Google reviews · state-qualified
€280
2 hours, 1 to 2 people · €290 to €490 for 3 to 7 people
“Richard was a fantastic instructor. We learned so much from him about shooting accurately on his shooting range.”
mary_kathryn, Google review · Read the reviews
State-qualified
Trained at ENSA in Chamonix
5.0 on Google
84 reviews
27 years
teaching skiing, since 1999
English, French
lessons in both languages
The shooting range
Mass start for a biathlon race
Good spirits at biathlon
Biathlon-Chamonix: the Chamonix biathlon shooting range is located in the village of Les Bois. You can reach it by car from Chamonix or on cross-country skis along the cross-country trails of the Bois du Bouchet. The Les Bois shooting range offers a fine view of the Drus, the Aiguille Verte and Mont Blanc.
You will meet your Chamonix Cross Country Skiing biathlon instructor directly on site, with your cross-country ski equipment, rented beforehand at the partner cross-country ski shop: Intersport in Chamonix, located opposite the cross-country ski pass desks in Chamonix.
You do not need to have practised either discipline. Beginner or already experienced, you will enjoy yourself.
Biathlon
Biathlon combines cross-country skiing and shooting: a loop on skis, then a stop at the shooting range, lying down or standing. When your shot hits, the mechanical target flips over. Miss a target, and you ski a penalty loop.
It is all about switching: determination on the skis, then calm to shoot. Biathlon became an Olympic sport at the 1960 Winter Games in Squaw Valley for men, and at Albertville in 1992 for women.
For biathlon in Chamonix, Richard has several complete shooting ranges: rifles, targets and mats. You shoot with an air rifle, loaded with pellets, at mechanical targets.
On the skis, the loop is done in cross-country skiing, also called Nordic skiing, in classic or skating style. To work on your glide separately, Richard also gives cross-country ski lessons in Chamonix.
Duration
2 hours
Rifle
Air rifle
Level
Beginners welcome
The session
Two hours, from the first move to the final relay, with shooting prone and standing. Richard adapts each step to your level, on skis or on foot. An Olympic sport in a fun and friendly version that combines cross-country skiing and shooting, as a private lesson for your group only: a sporty outing at your own pace.
1
Richard presents the rifle, how to load it and the rules of the range. His instructions apply for the whole session.
2
Lying on the mat, with the rifle supported: the most stable position to find your aim. Each target you hit flips over.
3
Standing, with no support on the ground: more demanding, especially when you are still out of breath after the ski loop.
4
In teams, you link skiing and shooting. Miss a target, ski a penalty loop: the session ends with a real challenge.
Children and families
“A great experience as a family. Richard is really friendly and a very good teacher. He teaches us biathlon with a smile, and there is plenty of laughter!”
Guillaume O., Google review, translated from French
Looking for things to do in Chamonix with kids? Parents and children can try biathlon in Chamonix together, on cross-country skis or on foot. Biathlon lessons are open from age 8.
If you are comparing Chamonix activities for kids, note that Richard uses air rifles, loaded with pellets, on a real shooting range: they are less suited to young children. For a family session, talk to him before you book.
From age 8, with no child rate: as with Richard’s other Chamonix kids’ activities in winter, children pay the same price as adults.
On video
The YouTube video loads when you click, to keep the page light.
You can do the biathlon activity on cross-country skis or on foot. Ideal for families and groups who would like to try target shooting and discover the feel of biathlon. With air rifles, you can start biathlon from age 8.
Skating lesson with a cross-country instructor
Biathlon is done with a Chamonix Cross Country Skiing instructor, by booking only. For any information, do not hesitate to contact us.
Adults
On your own, as two or as three: the session follows your pace. Air rifles, on Richard’s shooting ranges.
Never been cross-country skiing, never held a rifle? Richard starts with the basics of skiing, moves on to prone then standing shooting, and ends with a relay with penalty loops. To try biathlon in Chamonix for 1 to 2 people, the 2-hour session costs €280. As a present, the session is also available as a biathlon gift voucher.
“We were beginners in both cross-country skiing and shooting. We received his good advice and could see our progress by the end of the session.”
Remi M., Google review, translated from French
Looking for biathlon training near me? Richard does not offer a separate shooting improvement course: if you have already tried it, you book a 2-hour session, just like the first time.
“Loved the time trials and race practice with penalties (lots of extra laps showing on my strava!).”
Rob D., Google review
Groups
A biathlon experience in Chamonix can also be shared as a team. With his clients, Richard organises mini biathlons: shooting challenges and team relay races. Family, friends, seminar or school class: the 2-hour session costs €290 for 3 people, €290 for 4, €350 for 5, €420 for 6 and €490 for 7; over 7 people, he looks at your plans with you and sends you a quote. For a Chamonix stag do or hen do, as for team building in Chamonix, the challenge is run in teams.
“We were about ten friends. We discovered the feel of biathlon, starting with an introduction and then moving on to team challenges. We would do it again without hesitation!”
Jérôme M., Google review, December 2024, translated from French
Access
The Les Bois shooting range, in the village of Les Bois: by car from Chamonix, or on cross-country skis along the Bois du Bouchet trails. View of the Drus, the Aiguille Verte and Mont Blanc.
Les Houches biathlon: Richard does not normally run sessions there; he meets you in Chamonix instead.
Biathlon in Argentière: the third site, on the cross-country trails at the top of the valley.
Staying in the valley and looking for biathlon lessons near me? Richard is based in Chamonix. The session site and the meeting point are agreed with him when you book.
Off the snow
“We had an intro lesson with my 15 yo son in September.”
Steve C., Google review
Without snow, rifle shooting is combined with running or walking: one of the things to do in Chamonix with kids outside winter too.
All year round, the session still lasts 2 hours, at the same site in Chamonix and at the same prices.
In summer, Richard also leads mountain biking, hiking and trail running around Mont Blanc.
Prices
Price per 2-hour session, for the group: €280 for 1 to 2 people, €290 to €490 for 3 to 7 people. 2026-2027 winter rates.
€280
€290 to €490
Provided on site: the air rifles and their pellets, the targets and the shooting mats.
Not included: cross-country ski hire, at Intersport Chamonix Nord opposite the trails, and the cross-country trail pass: each participant buys their trail pass at the Maison nordique, the Nordic centre at the start of the Chamonix trails (Nordic centre prices). Nor is insurance: Richard’s terms and conditions require insurance covering civil liability and rescue costs, for example Carré Neige with the pass.
2026-2027 winter rates.
Before you come
Warm clothes and warm gloves. You load the pellets without gloves, so plan short breaks to warm your hands. Biathlon is done in all weathers.
2-hour sessions, by booking, mostly in the afternoon: 12:30-14:30 or 14:30-16:30. Biathlon is not possible every day: Richard updates his biathlon schedule every week.
Agreed with Richard when you book: on one of the sites, in Chamonix or, for biathlon at Argentière, at the top of the valley; or sometimes at Intersport Chamonix Nord, to choose the right skis together for the snow and the weather. Rent your cross-country skis, classic or skating, at Intersport Chamonix Nord, his partner shop.
Your instructor
Richard Etellin is a cross-country skiing and biathlon instructor, trained at ENSA in Chamonix and at CNSNMM in Prémanon. Born into a Chamonix family, he has been an instructor since 1999 and coaches at the Lycée Frison-Roche. He meets you at the place agreed when you book. As a mountain leader, he also offers guided snowshoeing in Chamonix.
Sessions in English and French.
Google reviews
5.0
84 reviews on the Google listing
checked on 16 October 2026
Questions
No. You do not need any experience of cross-country skiing or shooting: Richard starts with the basics of both. On the skis, he works on the glide of Nordic skiing. At the range, he shows the position, how to load the rifle and how to aim. Whether you are a complete beginner or already practise one of the two, the session follows your level, right up to the final relay. Would you like to feel more at ease on skis first? Richard also offers a beginner cross-country skiing course in Chamonix, in classic or skating style.
In competition, yes: biathletes use skating, also called skate skiing, the technique that appeared in the cross-country skiing World Cup in the 1980s. For a taster of biathlon in Chamonix, skating is not compulsory. You rent skating or classic cross-country skis, depending on what you practise, and you say so when you book. If you have never skied, you can also do the activity on foot, up to the shooting range. To improve your skating before your session, Richard also gives skate skiing lessons in Chamonix. Skis can be rented at Intersport Chamonix Nord, opposite the trails.
Yes. The activity can be done on cross-country skis or on foot, for parents as well as children. On foot, rifle shooting is combined with walking or running, as in the version without snow. This is useful for biathlon for families when some people do not ski: among things to do in Chamonix in winter with kids, it is one the whole family can share, from age 8. Just say “on skis” or “on foot” when you book your session. With friends, the same format is played as a team biathlon challenge, with relays and penalty loops; with colleagues, as Chamonix team building.
Biathlon is done in all weathers. Without snow, Richard combines shooting with running or fast walking over a short distance: 100-metre loops, with a 15-metre penalty loop. There is something for everyone. The decision is the instructor’s, depending on the weather and the snow, as set out in the terms and conditions (in French). The principle stays the same: an effort, then calm to aim. It is also the format of summer biathlon. In summer, Richard also leads mountain biking, hiking and trail running: see his summer activities (in French).
Among Chamonix kids’ activities in winter, biathlon is open to children from age 8. Richard only uses air rifles, loaded with pellets, on a real shooting range with mechanical targets. They are less suited to young children. He starts every session with the rifle, loading and the range rules, and these rules apply until the final relay. No laser rifle here: this is real shooting, which takes calm and concentration. There is no child rate: children pay the same price as adults. For biathlon with a child, talk to him before you book. The easiest way is to contact the cross-country ski and biathlon instructor in Chamonix by phone, on WhatsApp or by email.
A session lasts 2 hours. Richard runs few courses over several days, but he can adapt his schedule if you ask him. For a biathlon course, tell him your dates, your level and what you want to work on: the skiing, the shooting or linking the two. For a child, talk to him about age first: the air rifles are less suited to young children. On the skiing side, a cross-country skiing course is one 1.5-hour session or several, to prepare for a race or a goal. A course can also be a present: talk to Richard before you order a gift voucher for a biathlon course.
Yes. Richard gives his sessions in English or French, as you prefer, from the safety rules to the relay. In their Google reviews, English-speaking clients praise his English and his explanations on shooting. If you come with friends or family from abroad, just tell him the language you want when you book. The session keeps the same steps in both languages: prone shooting, standing shooting, then team relays. His background and languages are presented on the page about Richard Etellin.
The taster, a biathlon experience in Chamonix with Richard, lasts 2 hours and costs €280 for 1 to 2 people. For a group, the 2-hour session costs €290 for 3 people, €290 for 4, €350 for 5, €420 for 6 and €490 for 7. For a family of two, the price of the session stays the same as on your own; for a family of 3 or 4 (parents and children), the price is on request.
The air rifles, pellets and targets are provided; ski hire and the trail pass, sold at the Maison nordique (trail pass prices), are not included. All options are set out on the page with Chamonix ski instructor prices.
In the booking tool at the bottom of this page: choose the date and the number of people, then pay the 50% deposit. It is non-refundable except with a medical certificate; no transfer to another day. You can also call Richard or write to him on WhatsApp.
Sessions are mostly in the afternoon, from 12:30 to 14:30 or from 14:30 to 16:30; the activity is not possible every day, so Richard updates his schedule every week. Richard tells you in advance which site in the valley hosts the session, and where you meet. If you come on skis, rent your cross-country skis beforehand at Intersport Chamonix Nord: see the practical information on the cross-country ski trails in Chamonix and ski hire.
Book
Choose the date and the number of people, then pay the 50% deposit. A question before you book? Write to Richard.
Online booking
Choose the line for your group size: the price is shown. The “Book” button opens Richard’s calendar in a new tab, to choose the day and time; you then enter your details on the secure booking page (in French).
Introduction · 1 to 2 people
€280
Group · 3 people
€290
Group · 4 people
€290
Group · 5 people
€350
Group · 6 people
€420
Group · 7 people
€490
2-hour session, at 12:30 or 14:30, from age 8. Family of 3 or 4 (parents and children): price on request. More than 7 people: contact Richard for a quote.
