Montgenevre advice please

yeah, that's what bloody annoys me. Black run skiers can play on them all day, fast as they like. On a blue where some skiers will have only just learned to snow plough and there are loads of small kids, advanced skiers should have the good grace to tootle down them gently. Any inexperienced skier could suddenly go anywhere and a fast skier hitting them could be fatal for both

Discodee wrote:yeah, that's what bloody annoys me. Black run skiers can play on them all day, fast as they like. On a blue where some skiers will have only just learned to snow plough and there are loads of small kids, advanced skiers should have the good grace to tootle down them gently. Any inexperienced skier could suddenly go anywhere and a fast skier hitting them could be fatal for both

I do not like congested pistes I rather pull over to the side and let them all ski past 8)

Lol I sometimes do that, but as soon as one lot goes by, another lot always appears! I used to be telling the kids to wait and my son'd be shouting, "Oh come on Mum, we've been here aaages!"

Discodee wrote:Have done some more searching
http://www.skiclub.co.uk/skiclub/skiresorts/countrymountain.aspx/Italy#OffPistePolicy

"Off piste policy in Italy"
Although it is actually illegal to ski off-piste in Italy, we found that the guides actively encouraged it and the heli-ski companies seem to have immunity. Although we would never encourage anyone to engage in illegal activities, it seems to be a law that is seldom enforced. It goes without saying that any off-piste activity requires transceiver, probe and shovel, as well as the ability to use this equipment.

So Tony H is spot on!

My friend just came back from Courmayeur where they hired a guide to ski the Italian variation of Vallee Blanche. If off-piste is illegal in Italy why wouldn't they just stop people boarding the tram to the monte bianco with skis? And Courmayeur itself offers a free-ride itinerary for which you don't even need a guide, it's shown on a map. Strange law if it's not even enforced. I heard that it's illegal to ski off-piste in Italy when the avalanche danger is beyond certain mark but I doubt there is a blanket ban.

Lots of laws aren't enforced. Do you know it is an offence to leave the engine running in ANY stationary vehicle in England, carrying a £1000 max fine? In Blackpool it is enforced, but most places, people don't know it exists. In fact I spoke to a cop about it once and he said there was no such law. I told him to look through his book. He did and looked at me very red faced after doing so!!!!!

Tony_H wrote:

Discodee wrote:Have done some more searching
http://www.skiclub.co.uk/skiclub/skiresorts/countrymountain.aspx/Italy#OffPistePolicy

"Off piste policy in Italy"
Although it is actually illegal to ski off-piste in Italy, we found that the guides actively encouraged it and the heli-ski companies seem to have immunity. Although we would never encourage anyone to engage in illegal activities, it seems to be a law that is seldom enforced. It goes without saying that any off-piste activity requires transceiver, probe and shovel, as well as the ability to use this equipment.

So Tony H is spot on!

I thank you. I remember seeing that somewhere last season, and heard of certain places where people have been thrown off the mountain and had lift passes taken away, but not sure about actually facing charges.
I only want people to be careful and not get into trouble.
Personally I often bob off piste, but not usually too far. Itinerary routes which are marked and patrolled seem to be the best option, if there are any.

Itineraries are not patrolled. They are only marked. When the avalanche danger is high resorts stop lift service.

Volf wrote:The laws in Italy are region specific. In Piedmont and Aosta, it's at your own risk and with the correct equipment.

There's between piste, off-piste and back country skiing, each with different elements of risk. It doesn't stop idiots, but calculated risks are what life is about. Hurtling down a crowded slope at 35 miles an hour is just as risky.

Know the mountain, respect the mountain.

Yep, I'm with you on that.

Skiing off-piste in Italy is not illegal, but under Italian law Nr. 363 Art. 17 it is mandatory to carry an avalanche beacon if there is an obvious avalanche risk (level 3 or above). In the province of Piemonte this has been superseded by a local law (Legge regionale 26 gennaio 2009, n. 2 Art. 30) which requires that an avalanche beacon, probe and shovel be carried at all times when skiing and snowboarding off-piste. Failure to comply can result in a fine of up to 250 Euro. There is a 'sticky' on Italian snow sport laws on this forum: http://www.skiforum.it/forum/discussioni-generali/9680-legislazione-sci.html

The ban on off-piste skiing at Livigno has been lifted. http://www.ilovelivigno.com/liv/2012/01/revoca-del-divieto-di-fuori-pista/
http://www.livigno.eu/it/inverno/news/regolamentazione-dello-sci-in-pista-e-fuoripista-sulle-aree-sciabili-del-comune-di-livigno