Off piste and rest of the world policy to it

[nils]

Was wondering what the resorts policy was in the rest of the world.

In France and most of europe: off piste is allowed everywhere at your own risk.

The resorts decide to shut off lifts when there is too much avalanche risks ( level 5 usually ) except two areas in france which are Chamonix and La Grave, where the authorities visit the conditions every morning and just put out a warning when its level 5.

Some resorts like Zinal in Switzerland have put a control gate at the entrance of the main freeride areas that automatically beeps and opens when you're wearing a beacon. It is supposed to get people responsible about going offpiste, and it seems to work.

Wondering how areas in other countries control and enforce offpiste riding?

Thnx :)

Nils

[Baka Dasai]

There's off-piste and there's off-piste.

First, there is terrain that is within the perimeter of the ski resort, but that has been marked as out-of-bounds. I've not been at any resort where riding this is tolerated by the ski patrol, but they still have to catch you first.

Then there is the off-piste that is actually outside the perimeter of the ski resort. As far as I know it's only in the US where the ski resort sometimes makes restrictions about people leaving their perimeter.

[Derf]

Originally posted by Baka Dasai
There's off-piste and there's off-piste.

First, there is terrain that is within the perimeter of the ski resort, but that has been marked as out-of-bounds. I've not been at any resort where riding this is tolerated by the ski patrol, but they still have to catch you first.


I know Jay Peak authorizes this as long as you're in a group of 3. For the others I know, I don't think they authorize it.

Derf

[Matt D]

Ski Wentworth in Nova Scotia allows riding anything within its boundaries, so there are wooded sections that would be considered off-piste that your allowed to ride, but they are nothing spectactular. We have some terrain like this at Crabbe Mountain too. Small little mountain in New Brunswick with some 2-3 awesome glades runs.

The first mountain I thought of after reading your post Nils was Sunshine Village in Banff, AB. They have a section called Delerium Dive which is super steep. It has a safty gate at the top, and you must a transciever for the gate to open. Haven't ridden it yet, but I'll hit it for sure next year.