Tony_H wrote:Good morning.
There has been some incredible and wonderful snowfall across Europe this past week or two and I as much as anyone is itching to get on it. Those lucky enough to be there at present must be having a great time.
However, there have been some well documented problems and it seems that people are going out to enjoy the amazing conditions but taking risks with it.
Ignoring advice and not listening to people is downright stupid in an alien environment, which is what the mountains are to pretty much all of us.
So, decent skiers like myself get to a stage where they are looking to try something new and different, and the past few seasons I have been venturing off piste. I started this in Verbier with some of the so called marked ski routes and have enjoyed some itinerary routes in St Anton and Alpe d'Huez for example. However, we have also skied on terrain which has been outside of the boundaries of the marked ski area in Zurs which was amazing and great fun, but there is a serious side to all of this as well.
No one, myself included, ever really thinks anything will happen to them. But it could, no matter what you do or how good a skier you are, s**t can happen and as we have seen recently, snow moves fast.
I'd like to consider what should be looked into for those of us looking to venture into the world of off piste skiing to keep it safe but enjoyable. I understand that rules and regulations about where you can and cant ski vary from resort to resort, area to area, country to country. However, lets say for arguments sake that you are looking to ski between pistes, or on a ski trail shown on a map, or a bowl served by a lift with open terrain. What should be considered sensible to do and take with you?
I know for serious tourers and off piste thrill seekers, theres transcievers and shovels for instance. But for us recreational skiers who are just looking to play in some fresh powder, do we need to consider all of this? And is it essential, legal, or suggested to take a guide and do it properly even if you're still learning how to ski in deep and on steeps for example, and you only want to "have a bit of a play in the freshies".
Please dont for one minute think I'm taking any of this lightly as I'm not. I have ventured into territory that would possibly invalidate my insurance without even thinking about it; the rush of seeing something spectacular that you want to ski and you are PROBABLY good enough to handle takes over at times, and those of us who cannot resist need to be advised whats right and wrong, and what should or should not be considered as sensible.
Thanks, and be safe.
Do not duck the ropes with checked flags if the only off-piste you want to ski is the areas between pistes runs and they are roped. If all of a sudden one of these areas have totally untracked powder - do not rush to be 'that guy', others could have known what you don't and it's untracked for a reason. Otherwise stay visible.
