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Etiquette when leaving a chairlift.

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
JayRo wrote:
I'm curious as to what people consider to be 'the last second' to raise the bar. My own preference is to leave it down until passing the sign to raise it (which is usually in the same place as the start of the safety netting under the chair): that invariably leaves plenty of time, even if it looks like a short distance before the end (often deceptively so, especially in the case of detachable chairs). Lots of people seem to want to raise it well before that, which in my experience runs the risk of being stopped on a chair, swinging back and forward, with the bar up and no netting below.


That’s what I do. The sign is there for a reason.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@Thomasski, Very Happy It was actually a typo . . . being called illiterate (or not spell checking my post) has really offended me . . . . Toofy Grin
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
@ste_B, Give them a push - it works a treat, especially lifts with magic carpets.
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greengriff wrote:
the instructor explained that his personal unbreakable skiing rule was to get as far away from the lift as quickly as possible. circumstances. I've no idea if his claim was accurate, but it intuitively made sense, and since then, regardless of where I actually want to go when I leave the lift, I take the safest path away first, then stop and afterwards set off in the direction that I actually want go.

However this doesn't stop other people being dicks, and last week a guy in the far right seat who wanted to go left simply cut across everyone else, directly knocking over… Luckily no harm was done. Unfortunately one does see variations on this behaviour regularly.

So, to ask: Is there a proper rule with regard to leaving lifts? .


On lifts it starts from the beginning where the strongest man will not allow a lift bar to be pressed down apon soft thighs of people trying to get their skis/boards in uniformity to avoid being crushed ( I’ve had to many occasions when I have to stop the clueless or worse bringing the bar down with their skis/boards on top of the slower attendees of the lift up. At the end, Any real man would makes sure everyone on a 4 seater gets away and as the captain of this ship will be the last to exit once everyone is safe. Only then it’s permissible to cut across ones lift charge when there’s no possible danger in sight.
There’s no accounting for the stupidity or arrogance of folk but capital punishment would help focus their mind.
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oneglove wrote:
greengriff wrote:
the instructor explained that his personal unbreakable skiing rule was to get as far away from the lift as quickly as possible. circumstances. I've no idea if his claim was accurate, but it intuitively made sense, and since then, regardless of where I actually want to go when I leave the lift, I take the safest path away first, then stop and afterwards set off in the direction that I actually want go.

However this doesn't stop other people being dicks, and last week a guy in the far right seat who wanted to go left simply cut across everyone else, directly knocking over… Luckily no harm was done. Unfortunately one does see variations on this behaviour regularly.

So, to ask: Is there a proper rule with regard to leaving lifts? .


On lifts it starts from the beginning where the strongest man will not allow a lift bar to be pressed down apon soft thighs of people trying to get their skis/boards in uniformity to avoid being crushed ( I’ve had to many occasions when I have to stop the clueless or worse bringing the bar down with their skis/boards on top of the slower attendees of the lift up. At the end, Any real man would makes sure everyone on a 4 seater gets away and as the captain of this ship will be the last to exit once everyone is safe. Only then it’s permissible to cut across ones lift charge when there’s no possible danger in sight.
There’s no accounting for the stupidity or arrogance of folk but capital punishment would help focus their mind.


This is actually the most lucid post OneGlove has made on this forum.
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JayRo wrote:
ste_B wrote:
I get really annoyed by the people who stand right at the barrier just at the lift and let it open and close without moving. More so if there is a big queue behind.


I sometimes fantasize about a system in which anyone who leaves a gap like that (possibly with exceptions e.g. for one person accompanying a small child) is removed from the queue and sent to the back, with brief (30-minute?) suspensions of lift passes for second offences, doubling on subsequent offences.

Failing that, functioning singles queues for people who don't care about riding the chair with their mates every single time would be a welcome addition to French (European?) lifts


Mischievous, I like to last second push onto a chair gap where an arrogant family or group have manipulated the situation so that their three takes a 6 or 8-seater to themselves. Particularly where there's a sizable queue behind.

They then might slag me off in their native Russian or Hungarian, who cares.
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Don't snowplow after you get off the lift
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@Snow&skifan, I particularly like to do that in such a way that I ensure that I'm sat in the middle of their group. it's most amusing when they're English-speaking, and aren't expecting me to be; politely contributing to their conversation about a third of the way up the lift sometimes results in some blushes after their initial expressions of frustration.
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JayRo wrote:
@Snow&skifan, I particularly like to do that in such a way that I ensure that I'm sat in the middle of their group. it's most amusing when they're English-speaking, and aren't expecting me to be; politely contributing to their conversation about a third of the way up the lift sometimes results in some blushes after their initial expressions of frustration.


Partly for nosey reasons, I'd love to be fluent across a range of European languages Laughing .
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DavidYacht wrote:
Don't snowplow after you get off the lift
Don't snowplow before you get off the lift
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
doddsie wrote:
holidayloverxx wrote:
another rule - no ski school kids next to me - ever


I don't understand why, I'm always more than happy to take some ski school kids on the lift and help out the instructor.


Good for you. I'll try and help you.

I don't have kids
I have no desire to be responsible for them
I did it once and there were 2 of them, aged about 6, at the end of the chair so next to each other then me, and they did not take their feet off the bar. I went in with "Attention votre pieds" as the chair was going round, to not much avail. The liftie slowed the lift but didn't help. I managed to get their feet off the bar and get them off when it was dead slow. I had to jump off.

Enough for you?


Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Wed 7-02-24 16:51; edited 1 time in total
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
as a snowboarder i go always either left or right.
And i have to admit that i avoid snowboarders as well...usually when i see "trendy" boarders with the "cool" style, who make tricks or goes to fast before the base of the chairlift

There is somewhere in Alps a chairlift where there is a conveyer belt also by leaving the lift...no idea if it works better or not
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@davidof, @Timmycb5, I often find myself the last person with my skis on the bar, for quite a while before reaching the pole with the sign and the start of the netting: it frequently seems to be the case that several people (even up to 5 or 7) want the bar up long before reaching the netting. I definitely wonder how many of those complaining here about those who leave it till the last minute before lifting the bar are themselves the 'demented early bar raisers' (nice phrase). My impression is that it's a habit more common to one-week-a-year skiers: certainly I encountered it a lot more in Val Tho last March/April than I had in the Monterosa the previous January or Tignes in November.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
JayRo wrote:
@davidof, @Timmycb5, 'demented early bar raisers' (nice phrase). My impression is that it's a habit more common to one-week-a-year skiers: certainly I encountered it a lot more in Val Tho last March/April than I had in the Monterosa the previous January or Tignes in November.


What causes you draw that impression?
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Can I make a request please to all 2 plankers? This especially seems to apply to those that rent (and I guess some others but in general those that rent seem to not really care about their skis...)
When in the queue for the lift, please stop smashing your skis into the back/side of snowboards. I've lost count of the 'animated discussions' I seem to have had about this with people. A snowboard is pretty expensive, and I like to look after my gear and not end up with chunks missing after your rental Head 2 x 4's have ended up on top of my board in your haste to get on the lift.

Ta Laughing
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
admin wrote:
DavidYacht wrote:
Don't snowplow after you get off the lift
Don't snowplow before you get off the lift


This ^

Aren't a lot of the issue all the people trying to be first off the biggest issue causing all these falls? Just take your time and give yourself space to pick your way through the bodies.

Like most situations on the mountain "Don't be a D1CK" would be a hood additional rule.


Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Wed 7-02-24 18:18; edited 1 time in total
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holidayloverxx wrote:
doddsie wrote:
holidayloverxx wrote:
another rule - no ski school kids next to me - ever


I don't understand why, I'm always more than happy to take some ski school kids on the lift and help out the instructor.


Good for you. I'll try and help you.

I don't have kids
I have no desire to be responsible for them
I did it once and there were 2 of them, aged about 6, at the end of the chair so next to each other then me, and they did not take their feet off the bar. I went in with "Attention votre pieds" as the chair was going round, to not much avail. The liftie slowed the lift but didn't help. I managed to get their feet off the bar and get them off when it was dead slow. I had to jump off.

Enough for you?


Its not just the points you make tho, all totally valid and spot on they are!
Its the liability issue if one of the little bundles of fun manages to slide off the chair, I refuse point blank to have anything to do with them, despite often quite vigorous "requests" from lifties.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Quote:
Like most situations on the mountain "Don't be a D1CK" would be a hood additional rule.


This. So much this.

I hate getting off lifts. Regular footed snowboarder and I always sit on the right hand side, head straight forward then sort it out when I'm clear but it can be an absolute nightmare with people trying to take a racing line in front of you to then stop dead as they realise their mates are still messing about with poles etc.

It's like everything, be predictable etc is always good advice.
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snowornever wrote:

Its the liability issue if one of the little bundles of fun manages to slide off the chair


Sorry, what liability issue? Is there actually a jurisdiction in which you are liable for what happens to the frogspawn in the seat next to you? Or are you just looking for an excuse that sounds reasonable?
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I'm a parent and I don't hesitate to help kids on lifts. It helps them, and that helps the rest of us. Those who choose not to, I have no issue with that at all.

We were all kids once.

Back to the title of the thread: I saw a sign near the top of a sixpack chair at Heavenly saying with words and a graphic "communicate about which way you're getting off the chair". Seems like a good idea. I often do this, especially when I sense my seat mates are not very experienced, and they seem relieved. Win-win.
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ukoldschool wrote:
Can I make a request please to all 2 plankers? This especially seems to apply to those that rent (and I guess some others but in general those that rent seem to not really care about their skis...)
When in the queue for the lift, please stop smashing your skis into the back/side of snowboards. I've lost count of the 'animated discussions' I seem to have had about this with people. A snowboard is pretty expensive, and I like to look after my gear and not end up with chunks missing after your rental Head 2 x 4's have ended up on top of my board in your haste to get on the lift.

Ta Laughing

Ah get over it, its just a bit panted wood and plastic, besides doing those funny railing slides are going to do it far more damage than gently bumping into another bit of painted wood and plastic. Very Happy
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I approach the barrier looking nervous & clumsy.
Surprising how many hang back & I get a near empty lift Toofy Grin Toofy Grin
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
I've had some quite fun conversations with small kids on lifts. One told me I talk funny. Fair enough - though my French accent is better than some Brits.
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adithorp wrote:


Like most situations on the mountain "Don't be a D1CK" would be a hood additional rule.


I’d happily except this as the only “rule”, it would need a three strikes approach though as sometimes i can accidentally be a dick…
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doddsie wrote:
holidayloverxx wrote:
another rule - no ski school kids next to me - ever

I don't understand why, I'm always more than happy to take some ski school kids on the lift and help out the instructor.

Indeed, I don't see a problem either. Sometimes I _am_ that instructor, although not normally with little ones that need an adult to ride next to, but will always leave space if there's a group of littlies waiting.

davidof wrote:

Can't stand the demented early bar raisers panicking, usually old folk in my experience. As you say, there is a sign, raise it then.

Many of the newer ones, certainly here in PdS, have a locking system that doesn't allow it to be raise, and also stops the lift (although I've only experienced this once, so it might not be universal) if you fail to put the bar down within a certain point of departure.

If not, then I'll often be the one leaving my ski on the footrest until the relevant time, or grabbing the bar when I sit down to avoid the headbangers.
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Have mentioned this one before, on another thread. Around 10 years ago, went across to La Plagne for the day from Les Arcs on the Vanoise Express. You then take successive chairs to get to the more central areas. On one of these the usual ski school instructor asking me to accompany a child. Part way up, the child looked at me and said 'Are you Mr. 195062?'. It was a young lad from the school I taught at in Kent, out there with family.

As for going up on chairs, I prefer to manoeuvre myself in the queue to being on the outside. On arrival I then generally let others leave first. This way I hopefully avoid possible entanglements and also have an escape route if others get entwined.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
It's surprising how some lift attendants seem to zone out on the job.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
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ukoldschool wrote:
Can I make a request please to all 2 plankers? This especially seems to apply to those that rent (and I guess some others but in general those that rent seem to not really care about their skis...)
When in the queue for the lift, please stop smashing your skis into the back/side of snowboards. I've lost count of the 'animated discussions' I seem to have had about this with people. A snowboard is pretty expensive, and I like to look after my gear and not end up with chunks missing after your rental Head 2 x 4's have ended up on top of my board in your haste to get on the lift.


It's always cute when one faction think that the other faction are the only ones who do something. Bit like how skiers make out that snowboarders are the only ones who stop in the middle of the piste, I know I've had my skis walked all over by 'boarders at times...luckily my skis are knocked to s**t and treated like the tools they are, so it doesn't really faze me.

I generally try to stay sitting on the lift until others have got up, so they can make their moves without taking me out...unless they're trying the same tactic, in which case I try to hop off and escape out of the landing zone. If I'm in the end seat then I generally try to escape in that direction, especially if next to a snowboarder to give them a bit more space to hop around
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
I have a ski buddy I refuse to share a lift with anymore. We were a 4 baller on a 4 seater & as they dismounted, cut straight across me, trapping my ski tip in their rear binding. I was spun round & dropped like a stone on my backside on the sheet ice that was the exit area as they skied off, completely oblivious. Fast forward to being skidoo’d & ambulanced down to medical centre to find out I’d damaged my sacroiliac. I’m obviously very wary now & will always hang back slightly to let everyone else charge off - just feel for the chair & let it do the work for you. I’m also very happy to be politely vocal to anyone hanging around too close to the exit area. And no, they didn’t bother to stop the lift so my ski partner had to provide some cover whilst I tried to get myself to a better, safer location. Gotta love French lift operators.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Etiquette is simple. Clear the unloading area as quickly as possible without obstructing others.

However, the strategy to achieve the above is as individual as it comes.

knackered knees wrote:
Being an old prop, I have over the years developed my tried and tested method.

Aim to be first off then you can get away from any potential carnage, whether you've caused it or not.
Aim in a straight line for several metres to clear the landing zone, and if fools are in the way use shoulder to clear path.
If people are congregating in landing zone and you don't need to use shoulder, mutter loudly and drag poles over their equipment.

Laughing Laughing Laughing

If there’s one thing that annoys me the most, is MY OWN GROUP standing at the foot of the off-ramp, blocking everyone including the late comer of the group.

I wouldn’t hesitate to cut right through a crowd of unknown people, skiing over their ski and whacking them with my trailing poles as I come through. But it’s a bit antisocial to do that to the group that I’m part of. rolling eyes

Corollary: if you’re with a large group, and you’re the first few getting off the chair, move FAR AWAY from the off-ramp. Because if you don’t, your group will pretty soon become THE PROBLEM! Sad


Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Wed 7-02-24 20:23; edited 1 time in total
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
ukoldschool wrote:
Can I make a request please to all 2 plankers? This especially seems to apply to those that rent (and I guess some others but in general those that rent seem to not really care about their skis...)
When in the queue for the lift, please stop smashing your skis into the back/side of snowboards. I've lost count of the 'animated discussions' I seem to have had about this with people. A snowboard is pretty expensive, and I like to look after my gear and not end up with chunks missing after your rental Head 2 x 4's have ended up on top of my board in your haste to get on the lift.

Ta Laughing

Add to that: Please don't let your kids draw pictures/initials with their poles in the snow on the tail of my new board, ta.
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rokoko wrote:
It's surprising how some lift attendants seem to zone out on the job.


Doesn't surprise me at all - what a horribly repetitive job. I feel for the folk relegated to lift duty, watching us idiots all day long. Especially on a powder day...
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
poles - I always hold mine both in the same hand, straight out in front of me. If you can't get up without pushing on poles it's probably time to take up a different hobby. What do you think snowboarders do? Puzzled
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Step 1 = download last
Step 2 = launch off with hand
Step 3 = poles vertical in the other hand
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Harry Flashman wrote:
rokoko wrote:
It's surprising how some lift attendants seem to zone out on the job.


Doesn't surprise me at all - what a horribly repetitive job. I feel for the folk relegated to lift duty, watching us idiots all day long. Especially on a powder day...


I always make sure I greet them when I reach the boarding area, and, especially on older chairs, thank them when they manually slow the chair down. It doesn't take any effort to be civil and to let them know that they're appreciated.
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i stand up and ski straight as fast as i can to get out of the way, pet hates on a chair lift is when someone starts smoking next to you, and when you get a ski school kid next to you, whose legs dont touch the ground, i then wonder all the way up, what the hell am i supposed to do when they get off.
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BoardieK wrote:
ukoldschool wrote:
Can I make a request please to all 2 plankers? This especially seems to apply to those that rent (and I guess some others but in general those that rent seem to not really care about their skis...)
When in the queue for the lift, please stop smashing your skis into the back/side of snowboards. I've lost count of the 'animated discussions' I seem to have had about this with people. A snowboard is pretty expensive, and I like to look after my gear and not end up with chunks missing after your rental Head 2 x 4's have ended up on top of my board in your haste to get on the lift.

Ta Laughing

Add to that: Please don't let your kids draw pictures/initials/genitals with their poles in the snow on the tail of my new board, ta.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
greengriff wrote:
This was prompted by something in the Telegraph article linked in the 'I'm never going skiing again...' thread. The one valid point the author had in my view was about her friend getting her leg mangled leaving the lift.

Some years ago one of my children was having a lesson and the instructor explained that his personal unbreakable skiing rule was to get as far away from the lift as quickly as possible. He stated that the number one cause of devastating knee injuries was slow speed accidents leaving the lift, because bindings do not release under such circumstances. I've no idea if his claim was accurate, but it intuitively made sense, and since then, regardless of where I actually want to go when I leave the lift, I take the safest path away first, then stop and afterwards set off in the direction that I actually want go.

However this doesn't stop other people being dicks, and last week a guy in the far right seat who wanted to go left simply cut across everyone else, directly knocking over my little boy and causing another lady to swerve to avoid him. Her skis became entangled with another skier's and they both fell. Luckily no harm was done. Unfortunately one does see variations on this behaviour regularly.

Equally as bad last week was the management of skiers by the lifties. I'm not joking at all when I say the *only* lift where the attendant was moving people away from the exit was the gondola up into the resort where everyone was on foot!!!! Nuts. At almost every chair lift there were people standing right in front of the exit, snowboarders doing their bindings and even people who'd taken off their skis and were having a little sit down, whilst the lifties did nothing.

So, that was an incredibly long-winded way to ask: Is there a proper rule with regard to leaving lifts? Googling 'skiers code' and reading the first few results reveals it's not even mentioned.


Agree, i got my knee mangled (partial ACL tear) because firstly someone on the chair in front got off slowly stacked it and ended up with her skis blocking the chair exit (liftie should by rights have stopped the chairlift but didnt), so when our chair came up we got up and all but one headed very right… too many people not enough space… someone got their ski caught under my left ski dragging it round and baam… screaming and down i went.

Lots of people waiting around not far enough away was also a contributing factor.
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Try not to snowplough when getting off the lift.
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ok sounds silly but until this topic i had no idea that Etiquette has also this meaning " a set of customs and rules for polite behaviour, especially among a particular class of people or in a particular profession." Shocked Shocked

In German Language Etikette is the label with info we found in clothes and in Greek Language also....

Interesting what someone can learn in a snow forum Madeye-Smiley
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