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Piste Patrol - novice question requiring novice advice

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
There are often references to the piste patrol. As you know I ski in a small resort so maybe there isn't one - I've never been aware of one anyway - safety there seems to come largely from the lifties who can see most of the piste's (at least in good weather) and seem to become employed in all sort of areas of keeping the pistes sorted and the lifts going, they pick up the kids and have a laugh with you and become a real part of our holiday(they're great chaps actually and I left them English tea and biscuits last time I was there). There is also a resort office and a 'Boss of the mountain' as my Swiss friend calls him and his wife - they have a couple of big skidoos for dodging round on and providing recoveries. However, as for the existence of a true piste patrol there I am less certain about.

However, I'm coming with you all next year and I reckon there might be a piste patrol in VT -

What are their responsibilities? I guess they rule the slopes and you therefore adhere to what they request, but are they marked/uniformed, do they normally provide first aid, how often will they sweep a slope, can you stop and ask for help if you get lost, in an international resort can you expect them to speak some English etc. etc. ??
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Megamum, brief answers - they are uniformed, they provide first aid/removal from the mountain amongst other stuff like marking hazards, blowing up potential slides etc, I've only noticed "sweeping" at the end of the day but???, yes in Val T you are likely to find they speak sufficient English. Hopefully you will not need them unlike some of U I could mention (no names no pack drill Laughing ). Oh, and they are &8^$^ hot skiers 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?
They all wear expensive ABS packs and look awesome. Very Happy

They give you lifts up the mountain if you try to hitchhike up. snowHead
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 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
Spikyhedgehog, that's a Nissan Patrol.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
We were stopped by a piste patrol on a piste which was really a track, under a steep slope, in Praz sur Arly - other guys were right up on the slope above the next section of the piste, jumping around to check the stability of the snowpack, and obviously they stopped people using the piste, in case some of it came down. So we waited and watched, interested. Then a group of French lads came steaming down the track behind us, round the corner to find a big gaggle of people, a small traffic jam. One of them came right through the middle, couldn't really stop in time and he did well to miss everyone and stay on his feet. Talk about bawled out. The piste guy yelled at him to ski under control, made him back up right to the back of the group, generally made him feel about an inch high. Pointed out that the guys up the slope were taking risks to keep the slope safe for us - and that the alternative was to close the piste. It's specially impressive watching them snowplough down a black slope with a body on a stretcher; quads to die for! We gave a piste patrol guy a lift one night; he had been celebrating his birthday and couldn't drive home; he was standing on the side of the road thumbing, still in his uniform, on a very cold night about 10 pm. He really was very drunk, and so grateful that he kept telling me that I was even better than the Queen and the Queen Mother, hitherto his favourite English ladies. At least, I think that was what he was saying - maybe he was saying that I reminded him of the Queen Mother. I didn't have the heart to tell her she was dead....The car smelt boozy for 24 hours after!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
They can get you a ride in a helicopter wink
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Yoda, I once saw two piste patrollers skiing down in a blizzard with a seriously injured person strapped to their sledge, good skiers is an understatement, they were going faster than anyone else on the piste and they were in coplete control of the casualty on their sledge, trully impressive performance
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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!
They are the true heros of a resort - always there if needed in any capacity and full of advice and stories. all they expect is your respect, and the odd beer wink

Watched a patroller working with their dog in Aspen a couple of years ago, was a joy to see while having a break Smile
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