Where to stop on the piste?

A snowHead

I was tagging along for a few days on the birthday bash with my girlfriend, who's a brave beginner. I was skiing slowly in front of her.

At one point, we stopped on a wide near-empty blue run so I could give her some tips (not beyond a roll-over or anything like that). Half a minute later, a passing skier told us to move away as we could get hit. I said we're visible enough and left it at that. (all in English, but I don't think the skier was a snowhead).

Now: I know that the standard rule is to stop at the side of the piste. However, I'm not 100% convinced of its wisdom:
- beginners might find it difficult to initiate the turn if their skis are already pointing away from the piste, at the edge (depending of course on what's beyond the piste) - sometimes there's no room to turn
- there are often faster skiërs threading their way down at the edge of the piste. While I pretty much always look up before stopping, beginners may not. I've seen more than once near-collisions right at the edge. At least in the middle there are two ways to go for the uphill skier who loses control
- there's little difference between a stopped skier and a slowly moving skier for a fast uphill skier - so what's the problem? (if anything, more skiërs stopped in the middle of the piste may make the faster skiërs slow down a bit).

I would stop at the side when the piste was busy, but not when it's empty and visibility is high.

Am I doing this wrong?

PS: my girlfriend got hit by an Italian teenage girl a day later, when she was skiing (still slowly) behind me. Fortunately no injuries anywhere, but I for one would have preferred to have a few human posts stopped above her:-)

PS2: this is not a problem where I usually ski, ie offpiste Toofy Grin

A snowHead

Yep - stop at the side. Leaving the punters in the middle of the piste the room to make decisions and errors is a good idea. Anyone getting close to you down the side has a fair chance of knowing what they are doing. Not to hard for even beginners to turn to a stop so they are facing into piste.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Definitely, @horizon, stop at the side. 1. It makes most sense. 2. Them's the rules.

And look that it's clear uphill before setting off...

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not at the very edge, but near the edge, skis pointing towards the piste. go behind others in the group that are stopped, and stop below them (that way you don't take them out like dominos).

imho.

faster skiers, and worse still boarders straightlining that last 1m at the edge between stopped snow users and the very edge p155 me off. and even worse still, those trying to do stunts off the piste edge bumps and stuff where stopped people are clearly in the landing and bail in to a turn zone.

but that bit often has a bit more fluff, so the posers can show off their ability to go fast in the fall line in a narrow corridor.

I'll either leave 3m or cut off their line, depending on how I feel, and how wide the piste is.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I'll always ski on the edge of a busy piste because I know in the middle "there be dragons" and as Andy's helpfully identified the snow is just in better nick. Obviously I'm happy to take on board the consequences of being a poser and occasionally the need to bail off the side when someone totally shuts the door.

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The middle of the piste is strictly reserved as a discussion & smoking area for seated snowboarders. Skiers are only permitted to traverse across the middle of the piste - if clear, and not to linger therein. Apart from the high speed black lanes comprising the outside metre of all pistes, the side of the piste is the only permitted stopping area for skiers (maximum wait 5 minutes). Skiers should therefore be especially aware when approaching a brow in the piste, to ensure they avoid any seated boarders immediately thereafter.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

If youre a boarder you can stop in the middke just below a ridge, if theres a few then they can form an orderly line across the piste, then even set off without looking up..

After all it is free

A bar or restaurant.

@davidof,

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Stop anywhere you want.

There are no lanes or lines (onpiste).

If someone crashes into you, punch or sue them.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Did punch a boarder in the kidneys on Saturday.
If yer gonna slide down backwards on toe edge, chatting to your mates uphill, at least have the decency to use the eyes in the back of your helmet.

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At the bottom.

Don't be a bottom.

You know it makes sense.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

There seems to be, if not a consensus, a heavy majority for edge-of-piste stopping. Thanks. Will take more care next time I'm skiing on piste.

A snowHead

The rule about stopping at the side of the piste is VERY widely ignored. I'm not saying that is a good thing. I'd suggest the right thing (for you) to do is to stop at the side, but not necessarily the edge of the piste. If it's really not busy then it doesn't matter too much anyway.

A snowHead

@horizon, Best thing is to avoid pistes...... dangerous places wink

If you have to, at the edge, obv.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@horizon, I've taken to stopping a metre or so out from the edge, unless it's a narrow piste, on the basis that I offer an out of control skier or boarder two routes past me rather than one.

I was also told by an instructor a while ago that it was safer to try to stand almost pointing down the hill, rather than straight across it, so that if someone runs into you they are more likely to send you sliding (with some risk of something nasty happening) rather than knocking you straight over sideways (with a greater risk of something nasty happening). It makes sense, so I try to do it.

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Perhaps this issue is akin to the one where some people have convinced themselves that it's safer to remain in the middle lane of a 3 lane motorway?

...that the highway/skier's code is merely a suggestion as to best practice, but may be overruled by a personal difference of opinion.

Anyway, the inconsiderate/ignorant outnumber the considerate-but-errant by a couple of orders of magnitude. As the former are thus unlikely to read Snowheads, it may be best to produce pads of self-adhesive stickers with a summary of the skier's code below a headline such as "MEA CULPA!" - that flouters can be slapped with.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@crosbie, if you stop on the hard shoulder of a motorway you don't expect other vehicles to come whizzing past you on the grass verge. Sadly, the same is not true on the slopes. Sad

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@crosbie, I wonder if the skiers code is actually anything more than just recommendations. Much like the Countryside code. While following the skiers code may have some benefit in the event of an accident (as you were following 'best practice') I don't think it has any status in law and cannot be enforced.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

if you're good enough to claim to be spending all your time skiing off piste you shouldn't really need any help or advice on where to be stopping when you're on piste Puzzled

After all it is free

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makes little sense to me that someone would need advise on where to stop. its common sense, and looking for a hard fast rule is going to get you in trouble.

I saw someone crash into a ski school group the other day where a instructor had stopped on the right hand side of a fast cat track where people come down quickly into a left hand bend.

someone came down fast and turned to make the left hand bend, lost there edges and slid into about 4 kids.

The instructor went mental, but everyone knows that people taking that bend do it at speed and stopping there wasn't a good idea. The instructor technically did nothing wrong stopping there, but it displayed poor judgement.

just use common sense.....

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

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Stop by the piste markers, its not a hard concept.

There is often a "hard shoulder" where people slalom the poles/ make moguls on the sides of pistes.

I stopped about 1m from the edge of a wide piste yesterday (piste was a good 25m wide at that point), and somebody skied past me and told me that I should stop at the edge of the piste Puzzled

You know it makes sense.

@horizon, Rule 1. Always stop at the side of the piste. 2. If in doubt, refer to rule 1.

Beginners should not be on a piste if they can't turn and stop with control.

I'm not sure why this is even being discussed.

@foxtrotzulu, Are you referring to the FIS Rules of conduct for skier and snowboarder? Try crashing into a skier/boarder downhill from you causing them damage within sight of a pisteur and you'll see exactly how they can be enforced.
http://www.uksnowsports.co.uk/downloads/FIS%20Code%20of%20Conduct%20-%2010%20points%202010.pdf

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

To comments heard on the piste:

"Don't stop on the middle of the piste, move to the side out of the way."

"Don't stop at the side of the piste, it's the only decent turning snow."

People will always stop on the piste, to check / wait for others, to rest, to recover from a fall, or just to enjoy the view - yes, this is an activity people do for fun and they are allowed to enjoy themselves.

I either try to move a few feet off the piste entirely, or find a spot towards the edge but avoiding what looks like the tastiest snow.

Oh, and do stop this crap about "snowboarders blocking piste entrances" or "snowboarders stopping around corners or out of sight over drops."

It's done by people who can't be arsed to spare a thought for anyone else on the piste, irrespective of how many bits of slidey stuff they have strapped to their feet. Laughing

A snowHead

@andy,

A snowHead

Clearly the only acceptable place to stop on a piste is at an apres-ski bar. These are scattered around the mountain in convenient locations, usually found just to the edge of the piste. NehNeh

I always tend stop right at the edge of the piste, as the pile of snow usually banked at the edge makes for a handy seat as a snowboarder. Or failing that just off the piste where there is either soft snow to kneel in or some other bank or terrain to sit on.

I nearly always use the outer edges of pistes as there is less traffic and the snow is invariably better given there is usually actually some snow to turn in where everyone using the centre has kindly swept it to the sides. So please stick to the skiing in the centre and not stopping and blocking the 3m piste edge corridor. snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@Gazzza, Yep, to all of the above!

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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@iskar, I regularly see skiers standing at a pinch point with skis perpendicular to the slope. Idiots are idiots, doesn't matter what they have strapped to their feet.

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Look, just accept that it's a skier and simply can't cope with something that may obstruct it's optimal progression from points A to B. Just be safe in the knowledge that you are having more fun while they're fretting about carving angulation, improper pole plants and inner tip lead.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@iskar, Snowboarders sit on a slope as it's more comfortable and easier to start moving again.

Skiers stand on the flat sections as it is easier to stay still, and you have those wonderful poles to get you moving again.

Trust me, once you have no form of propulsion except gravity, you become acutely aware of obstructions to the flat areas you are trying to carry your speed through in order to cross with drifting to a halt. There are plenty of skiers who will pause in a line across such an area.

Happens just as regularly as snowboarders line up on a slope. Very Happy

After all it is free

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Yup, many's a time the bunch of skiers I'm with wonder why I'm sat off piste, a few metres up a bank, rather than standing around on the flat bit in the middle of the piste with them - debating left or right.

Even sat off piste you still have to check you're not in a landing zone.

One day we'll all be tracked and have haptic* feedback alerting us to any incoming 'potential colliders'.

* E.g. helmets that vibrate at an appropriate point around a rim resting against the head ('eyes in back of head' effect).

Help!!

Where to stop on the piste?

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