Safety on the slopes is an issue that is raised each season in the news, on social media and locally.
As an instructor out teaching every day you end up seeing all sorts of behaviour some of which seems very questionable! While we may all hope that common sense will prevail it doesn’t always. There are lots of reasons why someone might end up skiing or snowboarding more recklessly than others would like (which might be worth diving into in another post or two!) including:
- The sheer excitement and freedom of being on the slopes
- The thrill of beating your mates top speed on whatever the latest app is
- The evolution of ski equipment making the sport easier to learn and more accessible?
- The evolution of piste maintenance (combined with the previous point). Now we can all 'carve' our way around the mountain at much higher speeds than when pistes were bumpy.
- A good alpine lunch with that extra glass of wine so we lose our inhibitions/awareness of our skill level
I am not tying to justify any of the above, but they all happen every day. Here in Europe we don’t have ski patrol actively out policing on the slopes, that’s ok, but it does rely more on the common sense element and people knowing what the rules are.
The FIS (Federation International du Ski) ‘Code of Conduct’ is the internationally recognised set of rules for skiers and snowboarders.
Check out the FIS code below and how that looks on the mountain?
FIS has published these guidelines for many decades to assist in the safety of skiing and snowboarding. Below is the list of them which you will probably find at almost every ski lift, some resorts piste maps, and all over the internet. They worth a quick glance over if you are not sure of them. I have put what the rule is and the notes from FIS about what that means, then under each one what it looks like in the real world, why they might be important!
A skier or snowboarder must behave in such a way that he does not endanger or prejudice others.
What does this look like on the mountain...
Be nice to people on the mountain or in the lift queue. Eeking forward through the queue isn’t qoing to get you to the top much quicker, it certainly won’t increase the number of runs you do in a day, it just stresses out everyone around you.
A skier or snowboarder must move in control. He must adapt his speed and manner of skiing or snowboarding to his personal ability and to the prevailing conditions of terrain, snow and weather as well as to the density of traffic.
What does this look like on the mountain...
Remaining in control, anyone can go fast whether they intend to or not! But are you aware of others around you? High speed human slalom during half term is likely to endanger others!
When you learn to drive you have to learn about stopping distances…I wonder how many people think about that when skiing?
A skier or snowboarder coming from behind must choose his route in such a way that he does not endanger skiers or snowboarders ahead.
What does this look like on the mountain...
The person in front has right of way, we don’t have eyes in the back of our head and no one wants to do every turn checking behind them and they shouldn’t have to. The mountains are big, there is lots of space, leave some space for the person to enjoy their turns and then you can enjoy yours. Or overtake…see next rule.
A skier or snowboarder who overtakes another is wholly responsible for completing that manoeuvre in such a way to cause no difficulty to the skier or snowboarder being overtaken. This responsibility rests with him until the overtaking manoeuvre has been completed. This rule applies even when overtaking a stationary skier or snowboarder.
What does this look like on the mountain...
This one seems to have missed a few people, but again it should be common sense really. If you are overtaking you should leave loads of space so both you and the person you are over taking can enjoy the turns and rhythm you are in.
Some people think it’s helpful to ski really close behind someone maniacally clacking their poles together whilst shouting ‘on your right’. Each to their own but I don’t think it’s very respectful for the person in front and suggests to me the level of control might not be that good!
A skier or snowboarder entering a marked run, starting again after stopping or moving upwards on the slopes must look up and down the slopes that he can do so without endangering himself or others.
Experience proves that joining a slope or starting again after stopping is the sources of accidents. It is absolutely essential that a skier or snowboarder finding himself in this situation enters the slope safely and without causing an obstruction or danger to himself or others. When he has started skiing or snowboarding properly again – even slowly – he has the benefit of rule 3 as against faster skiers and snowboarders coming from above or behind. The development of carving skis and snowboards allows their users to carve and turn upwards on the slopes. Hence they move opposite to the general downhill traffic. They must, therefore, make sure in time that they can do so without endangering themselves and others.
What does this look like on the mountain...
Look up hill before you set off or when you join a piste. Makes pretty good sense.
One thing worth bearing in mind, every ski instructor the world over has tried teaching kids to look uphill before they jump back on to the piste, it doesn’t alway get picked up first time though so always good to keep an eye out if you see this sort of thing going on.
Unless absolutely necessary, a skier or snowboarder must avoid stopping on the slope in narrow places or where visibility is restricted. After a fall in such a place, a skier or snowboarder must move and clear of the slope as soon as possible.
Except on wide slopes stops must be made at the side of the slope. One must not stop in narrow places or where it is difficult to be seen from above.
What does this look like on the mountain...
Again seems obvious, stop where you can be seen and it isn’t really narrow.
People often stop in these locations, narrowness might make you nervous. It’s easier for a snowboarder to start on a slope than the flat. Hence the generalisations that ‘they always stop over the brow of the hill’. I don’t think ‘they’ always do but it’s worth keeping an eye out for.
Stop on the edge of the piste, or at least when you stop just think about where you are and is it a safe place to stop?
A skier or snowboarder either climbing or descending on foot must keep to the side of the slope.
Moving against the general direction poses unexpected obstacles for the skiers and snowboarders. Footprints damage the slope and can cause danger to skiers and snowboarders.
What does this look like on the mountain...
Walking up…really!?
There are lots of reasons, well a couple anyway. If someone has fallen and is on the walk to retrieve all their stuff, or maybe they missed a turning?
In some resorts, Zermatt being one of them there are some folk skinng up the piste for fitness, fun or training for races. Also in some places there may be people walking up from lunch just in snow boots.
It’s all ok, just stick to the edge, and everyone knows what’s going on.
A skier or snowboarder must respect all signs and markings.
The degree of difficulty of a slope is indicated in black, red, blue or green. A skier or snowboarder is free to choose whichever slope he wants. The slopes are also marked with other signs showing direction or giving warnings of danger or closure. A sign closing a slope, like one denoting danger, must be strictly observed. Skiers and snowboarders should be aware that warning signs are posted in their own interests.
What does this look like on the mountain...
Understanding the colours of the runs is going to make your enjoyment of the sport much greater as you start. Also paying attention to the other signs is a great idea, they are there for a reason. A few you might see
Langsam/Slow/Ralentire – there’s generally something coming up that it’s worth slowing down for, a junction, a lift, a sharp turn. It’s not there as a challenge
Closed – A classic, and you see it from time to time. It’s not ski patrol trying to annoy you. It could be lack of snow, grooming the piste, or closed in the afternoon due to increased avalanche risk.
At accidents, every skier or snowboarder is duty bound to assist.
It is a cardinal principle for all sportsmen that they should render assistance following an accident independent of any legal obligation to do so. Immediate First Aid should be given, the appropriate authorities alerted and the place of the accident marked to warn other skiers and snowboarders. FIS hopes that a hit and run offence in skiing and snowboarding will incur a criminal conviction similar to hit and run offence on the road and that equivalent penalties will be imposed by all countries where such legislation is not already in force.
What does this look like on the mountain...
If you see someone struggling it’s nice and the right thing to do to check they are ok and see you can help.
Every skier or snowboarder and witness, whether a responsible party or not, must exchange names and addresses following an accident.
Witnesses are of great importance in establishing a full and proper report of an accident and therefore everybody must consider that it is the duty as a responsible person to provide information as a witness. Reports of the rescue service and of the police as well as photographs are of considerable assistance in determining civil and criminal liability.
What does this look like on the mountain...
So the authorities can follow up on on whatever they need to.