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Masks in lift queues in France

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
OK. A first world problem but does anyone know if a snood/buff thing covering mouth and nose would deemed sufficient in a French lift queue/gondola?

I am thinking the logistics of getting a mask on and off to ski with a helmet and potentially gloves on is not going to be easy. Cue dropped masks and gloves from old clumsy here.

I'll work with it if that's what I have to do but if anyone has a clue how tough they are going to be can you advise?

Many thanks!
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I don’t have an answer but just bought some snoods with inbuilt mask filter thingy.
But I would also like to know if anyone actually has the answer to this?
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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?
@bethc, as of 3 weeks ago on the Tignes glacier buffs are allowed.
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A quick search using “accroche masque casque ski” throws up some stuff.

Selling the idea online of helmet stud, hook, or goggle strap clip seems now to be pretty widespread, as does the selling of the integrated filter/snoode thingy.

How easy or awkward they are to use in practice, or whether they are easy to use in practice without taking your gloves off is something I would only want to hear about from people who had actually done it themselves.

I believe there are already SHs who have got these kinds of things.

You could of course DIY a solution using these ideas, and cheaply, if you’re any good at that kind of work [edit: . . . and whether your handiwork would be adequate to satisfy the French or other nationalities would then also be a question . . . ]

The standard paper mask seems to me to far too fragile and flimsy and fiddly to be convenient for skiing use, whether used alone or in combo with a buff. Prepared to be put right, of course. I’d want something pretty robust myself.


Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Thu 18-11-21 9:34; edited 1 time in total
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I got myself one of these, works pretty well - https://www.valdisere.ski/en/forfait-ski/tour-de-cou-village-2227/
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@bethc, we used buffs in CH last year and they were manageable and seemed acceptable (sampling from mid Feb to early April).

I have a very high collar so I'm going to try and get away with that most of the time.

Most of the time the liftie's watching porn on their phone anyway.
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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@under a new name, I spoke to someone in a Swiss ski school this week and he was saying buffs/scarfs/non-medical masks etc are not acceptable, it needed to be a “proper” medical type mask but not exactly which type.
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After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@Dr John, good to know the Val d’Isere buffs are good as I’ve added some to our season pass order to collect next Thursday.
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@ster, he obvs didn't work at Les Marecottes last year (tho' rules may have changed). Without specifying a "proper" fitted type mask, a buff is probs functionally nearly as good (or functionally, just as useless, out of doors).

What somewhat annoys me is that they're mandating masks outside, which we know are +/- pointless, but not mandating le pass sanitaire, which we know is encouraging vaccine uptake, which we know is extremely effective ...

Contagion theatre.
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just stitch a medical mask onto your buff or balaclava
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^The photo of the thing from the VdI website seems to show that it is supposed to go right over the ears under the helmet earpieces and probably well above the collar at the back of the neck under the helmet?


Can’t imagine it’s all that easy to drop/raise effectively in practice without taking the helmet off.
Plus if worn like that, it’s going to stuff up the effectiveness of the goggle fit so wouldn’t my goggles be permanently steamed up?

But if people say they’re OK in practice to raise/lower then I might get one myself.

Has anyone got experience of using one of these?


Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Thu 18-11-21 9:50; 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.
@Fat George, that's how literally every buff I own works - it's elastic so easy to move the front part up and down. I think the trick is in the material it's made of.
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@under a new name, sounds like your guy in Les Marecottes might have to tighten up a bit

“Covering your face with a scarf or cloth does not protect you sufficiently from becoming infected and is of only limited use in protecting others. A scarf or cloth should not be used instead of a mask.”

https://www.bag.admin.ch/bag/en/home/krankheiten/ausbrueche-epidemien-pandemien/aktuelle-ausbrueche-epidemien/novel-cov/masken.html#11550956
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
^^@Oleski
But not this one, I suspect. I’ve loads of buffs myself but I don’t think they’re like what’s in the photo.

For Covid-related stuff there is usually a stiffening piece at the top of the filter so it’s firm around the nose, and also an elastic piece behind the back of head so the whole thing is held firmly on the face.

That is what the photo suggests, so this one and the like may be different.

True, the website says it’s elasticated but also:
‘Collar size Covid certified, Category 2 (UNS1), Fitted : cover mouth and nose, Guarenteed filtration, Reusable, tested 60 washes, 85% polyester, 15% elastane washable at 60° . . .’

None of my existing buffs meet that spec.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@ster, as I said, maybe the rules have changed. They should mention that wearing a mask out of doors is more or less pointless however ... and being so definite about the less effectiveness of a scarf e.g. Hermes*, should actually be quantitatively demonstrated, which I strongly suspect it has not.

* generally accepted as a high quality scarf, I am led to believe.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Dr John wrote:
I got myself one of these, works pretty well - https://www.valdisere.ski/en/forfait-ski/tour-de-cou-village-2227/


I’ve had those delivered to home. Stocking fillers for kids before we leave. I’ve tried mine on with my helmet and goggles and it’s simple enough. Thicker than a normal buff and with the face mask emblem on so banking on these working and being accepted.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@Fat George, That photo looks like a normal buff to me. Look at the top of the nose – the fabric is loose and affords minimal protection. It appears that the main aim is marketing for Val d'Isère. There are better ways of folding your buff for a more snug fit – have a look at the videos made by Buff themselves for more ideas.
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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?
These buffs from Glissop claim to be Covid compatible. I just bought a couple of these from the La Plagne website (thanks to recommendations from other snowHeads).

Don't usually wear a buff unless it is properly cold, but these seem to be the least-pfaff way of complying with requirements for masks & ski lifts.
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Scarlet wrote:
. . . .


Of course, all quite on the cards. As mentioned elsewhere, La Plagne have their own, which looks perfectly normal. Except it cunningly incorporated words and a logo to the effect that filtration is guaranteed printed on the buff. The same thing goes for the ones linked by @rob@rar above. Perhaps the VdI one has that somewhere too. E.g. of the logo in a visible place at the side:
http://www.glisshop.com/accessoires-vetements/boldo-air/ergo-covid-echo-bleu21990961

boredsurfin wrote:
La Plagne branded buffs that also meet face mask standards for Gondolas and lift queues
https://boutique.la-plagne.com/en/en-attente-de-nom/souvenirs-de-la-plagne/tour-de-cou-covid-la-plagne


What I was really after was feedback from people who have actually been at Tignes/VdI recently and have practical experience of what is being accepted.

I’ve got so many buffs now I could probably get 12 on, one on top of the other, if I could get them all on without strangling Very Happy myself. Please, no requests.


Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Thu 18-11-21 10:54; edited 6 times in total
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@under a new name, maybe they have but thems the rules. You might rail at them but I imagine that won’t get you far, especially in Switzerland.

Anyway back to France as the title says.
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I got one of these
https://www.skipass-laplagne.com/fr/forfait-ski/tour-de-cou-2/

Looks like a standard buff with a fine mesh material, with a filtration guarantee for 50 washes. 10 euros posted to UK
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
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rob@rar wrote:
These buffs from Glissop claim to be Covid compatible. I just bought a couple of these from the La Plagne website (thanks to recommendations from other snowHeads).

Don't usually wear a buff unless it is properly cold, but these seem to be the least-pfaff way of complying with requirements for masks & ski lifts.


Just tried to buy 3 of those off the La Plagne site, now unavailable online, should have jumped on it when it whwn I first saw the link on that other thread. I assume La Plagne realised they were getting swamped by sales of this presumably subsidised product without a linked pass purchase.

Well done for acting promptly.
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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!
Scrap the above, it's the La Plagne website that's having maintenance, sales should be on again this afternoon.
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@ster, anyway, yep back to France, I do not believe that any liftie near here (France) is going to put down their spliff, cork the St Joseph and walk away from their porn just to establish whether I have a mask behind my collar nor whether my Covid proof buff is indeed covid proof Twisted Evil
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@ster:
I’ve been wondering if it’s just better to hang loose until I’m there in Tignes.
Surely if these things are really needed it can almost certainly be sorted albeit at a price, there and then?
After all, it is France, no?
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@under a new name, I would say yes they aren’t going to check but if it doesn’t look like it meets whatever rules are in place they might just say non to be safe rather than let all and sundry on and maybe get closed down if they did. Not a big deal to take a “proper” mask in your pocket and wear as directed.
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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.
@ster, @under a new name, I would say yes, they will be checking. They were checking 3 weeks ago (albeit in a slightly haphazard fashion), and that was before the government guidelines came out. Certainly at the start of the season I would think they will be wanting to be seen to be doing the right thing.
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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
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
@ster, did I say I wouldn't have a scrappy, grubby, month old, single use mask in my pocket, just like I have in every other pocket?

No.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Dr John wrote:
I got myself one of these, works pretty well - https://www.valdisere.ski/en/forfait-ski/tour-de-cou-village-2227/


We're looking to book a week in Tignes in Feb, did you collect the buff on arrival in resort at the same time as the lift pass?
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@homers double, ordered of l'interweb
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Wait and see what’s required until much nearer the time. In Austria last week FFP2 masks were mandatory.
Other countries might go the same way.
Check out the masks with helmets thread for suggestions on how best to do it with helmets!
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
VolklAttivaS5 wrote:
Wait and see what’s required until much nearer the time. In Austria last week FFP2 masks were mandatory.
Other countries might go the same way.
Check out the masks with helmets thread for suggestions on how best to do it with helmets!


Maybe the insurance companies will soon also want a mask with a helmet. Very Happy
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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?
@ster, thankfully you don’t have to wear the blooming thing when skiing. Only in enclosed lifts (gondolas cable cars and chair lifts with bubble covers) and inside lift stations.
That’s Austria mind I haven’t looked at what the French want because I’m not going there this season (unless I need to change one of my trips, it’s all a rather fluid situation!)
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@VolklAttivaS5, same with the Swiss, not sure about single pommel lifts though!
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@VolklAttivaS5, indoors, in queues outside (pointless), in enclosed lifts (are there any enclosed chairlifts in France?), which is why I'll have my month old scrap in my pocket wink
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ster wrote:
@VolklAttivaS5, same with the Swiss, not sure about single pommel lifts though!


There was no requirement to wear it on T bars in Hintertux last week even if the T bar is shared with someone random.
That makes sense as it’s out in the open air after all.


Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Thu 18-11-21 12:25; edited 1 time in total
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under a new name wrote:
@VolklAttivaS5, indoors, in queues outside (pointless), in enclosed lifts (are there any enclosed chairlifts in France?), which is why I'll have my month old scrap in my pocket wink


Queues outside, oh really? Good to know.
Enclosed chairlifts will be the ones with bubble covers on them I expect. Almost all Austrian chair lifts have those on them, I think there could be more without bubble covers in France yes. 3V definitely has a lot. Espace Killy does. Don’t think there’s many in Chamonix from memory…..

Last week in Hintertux the mask wearing wasn’t enforced on chairlifts (might have been because it was nice weather all week so no need to have the covers down) but in the lift stations it was enforced. To be fair the compliance was very high anyway I didn’t see people taking them off once inside the gondola at all.
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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!
@VolklAttivaS5, yeah, queues outside. Same in Switzerland.

I don't mind doing anything that will help, but it really irritates my when politicians impose performative policies, when ignoring potential policies (imposing pass sanitaire) that would have measurable benefits rolling eyes
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@under a new name, what’s the story with the Pass Sanitaire then?
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@VolklAttivaS5, same as rest of France; required for bars, restaurants, gyms, indoor spaces, sporting gatherings etc. Think they've missed a very big trick by not requiring one for lift passes.
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