Safety on the slopes

To make your half-term accident free we’ve put together some safety tips for the slopes! As a Snowsports school we encourage safe learning in all our lessons and make sure our clients have the knowledge of the ‘highway code’ for skiing.

 Staying safe on piste is hugely important, not just for yourself, but also for your fellow slope users. Adhering to the local rules, respecting the conditions and taking note of the terrain around you are great places to start.

Some of our top tips:

  • Kids emergency numbers card
    Pop a card with parent or guardian contact details in your kid’s jacket just in-case they go for a wander. 

  • Make sure you stop somewhere safe
    We always make sure we stop in a safe place like at the side of the slope with all skiers in the group stopping below each other. Avoid stopping under a chair lift line, the middle of the slope or the brow of a hill.

  • Wear appropriate kit
    Wearing the correct kit could make or break your skiing holiday. We encourage the use of helmets especially for children. A good pair of gloves, goggles/sunglasses and wearing the correct number of layers, so you don’t get cold or overheat. Don’t forget the sun cream or lip balm.

  • Respect the signs
    Respecting the signs that the piste patrol put out is really important. You might see some new signs this week to help manage the high number of slope users! You can help by slowing down in busy areas or areas where beginners may be learning for the first time. 

  • Look before you set off
    We always teach this rule. Make sure you look up the slope before you set off to make sure you aren’t about to ski into somebodies’ line of travel. If you ski as a group everyone should look up before they set off. 

And here’s the highway code for slope users. These rules called the FIS Rules of Conduct and help keep things in order on the slopes:

1. Respect for others
A ski­er or snow­board­er must be­have in such a way that he or she does not en­dan­ger or prej­u­dice others.

2. Con­trol of speed and ski­ing or snow­board­ing
Ev­ery ski­er or snow­board­er must move in con­trol. He must adapt the 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.

3. Choice of route
A ski­er or snow­board­er com­ing from be­hind must choose his route in such a way not to en­dan­ger skiers or snow­board­ers ahead

4. Overtaking
A ski­er or snow­board­er may over­take another ski­er or snow­board­er above or be­low and to the right or to the left pro­vid­ed that he leaves enough space for the over­tak­en ski­er or snow­board­er to make any vol­un­tary or in­vol­un­tary move­ment.

5. En­ter­ing, start­ing and mov­ing up­wards
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.

6. Stopping
Un­less ab­so­lute­ly ne­ces­sary, a skier or snow­board­er must avoid stop­ping on the piste in nar­row places or where vis­i­bil­i­ty is re­strict­ed. After a fall in such a place, a skier or snowboarder must move and clear the slope as soon as pos­si­ble.

7. Climb­ing and de­s­cend­ing on foot 
A ski­er or snow­board­er ei­ther climb­ing or de­s­cend­ing on foot must keep to the side of the slope.

8. Re­spect for signs and markings
Skiers and snow­board­ers must re­spect all signs and mark­ings.

9. Assistance
At accidents, ev­ery ski­er or snow­board­er is du­ty bound to as­sist.

10. Identification
Every skier or snowboarder and witness, whether a responsible party or not, must exchange names and ad­dress­es following an accident.

 

PEAK Snowsports HQ