Dotted line on piste maps - off piste?

Hi all,

Paid my deposit for my regular ski crew's annual ski trip and 2013 we're off to Zug, near Lechs.

Noticed that it's ski out/ski in advertised but the red and black runs back are dotted lines on the piste map indicating, I believe, that the runs are not pisted and patrolled but yet still recognised as runs back to resort.

There are buses back to the hamlet but I'm comfortable skiing the red back (black is apparently interesting) Some of the group may not be as comfortable if they thought it was technically off-piste.
I'm a little confused as to where that leaves us insurance wise - and not keen to just accept the travel agents assessment which is it's fine with regular cover :). Seems to be not quite off-piste but I assume I'll need to get cover for that just in case? And then have to buy extra kit to carry?

Can anyone here put me right please? Cheers :D

They are itineraries, marked runs but not pisted. The area has loads of them and they are superb.

Just checked the ski map out of curiousity. It looks fantastic!

Worth noting that Red itinerary 33 into Zug is longer than it looks like on the piste map. It's a great run, probably a good one to try.

It is my understanding that these dotted line runs are marked and patrolled pistes that just don't get any attention from piste machines and so remain au natural.

They aren't technically "off-piste"

Any experts out there to corroborate or not this?

OldAndy, I'm no expert but that is exactly what I have been led to believe too.

OldAndy wrote:It is my understanding that these dotted line runs are marked and patrolled pistes that just don't get any attention from piste machines and so remain au natural.

Careful.

The exact definition varies a little but what you're describing sounds more like a "piste nature"; marked, patrolled and avalanche-controlled but just left un-groomed.

An "itinerary" is (a la Verbier), a route marked so you don't get lost/fall off a huge cliff. It's not patrolled or (usually) avalanche-controlled so should be treated as off-piste. I've never skied in Zug but I'd imagine any itinerary around Lech/St.Anton will be "interesting"!

Check locally at the time; some can be so well skied they're as hard-packed as pistes... best be prudent until you know for sure though. 8)

I googled this, and found 2 articles that said the itinerary routes from Lech to Zug aren't patrolled, and one of them said you should check you are covered by your insurance policy. It does seem to be very confusing :shock:

And then I also found this article in the Telegraph, which is really about avalanches in Lech, but mentions that the itinerary route they are talking about (in the article) isn't patrolled and counts as off-piste.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/snowandski/austria/lech/9104151/Ski-avalanche-accidents-increase-following-record-snow-levels.html