non-skiers using chairlift to come DOWN the mountain

I'm not advocating 'tough love', simply common sense and personal responsibility.

That's what I meant - the OP needed to know where he went wrong.

The construction and operation of ski lifts in the EU is regulated, they are classified as public transport https://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/mechanical-engineering/cableways_en In order to build a ski lift the lift companies have to first obtain authorisation from the local ministry of transport and before it can be put into operation they also have to obtain an operating licence. Normally you can't ride down on a chairlift with skis as they aren't designed to be operated in that manner, but pedestrians are sometimes allowed ride up and down on them.

I regularly ride down on one of the local chairlifts with skis that was specially designed for that purpose. It has loading and unloading areas on both the upside and the downside and the chairs are fitted with ski racks for carrying skis on the downward journey. At lunch time and at the end of the day when downloading mainly takes place the lift company stations extra personnel on the downside to help with loading and unloading. It's one of only a handful of chairlifts in the region where I live that is designed to operate in this manner.

At Cortina D'Ampezzo some of the chairlifts are reserved solely for skiers and some of them may also be used by pedestrians the lift company's website gives details https://www.impianticortina.it/en/facilities-ski-area-tofana-cortina/ As the others have said the lift operator was just doing his job, if he had let you ride down on the lift with skis he might have been subject to disciplinary action.

When you bought your ski pass you also accepted the lift company's terms and conditions:

9. Owners and operators of lift system facilities are not responsible or liable neither for damages arising from improper use of their facilities nor for the consequences of card holders' incorrect and illicit behaviour performed during their attendance at the lift system facility, the ski slopes and its surrounding areas. Strict compliance is required with the Facility User Guidelines as on display at the point of departure of all facilities.

19. Skiers ski exclusively at their own risk. Slope routes are to be chosen and speed must be adapted to the skiers' personal skills and abilities. Skiers have also to take into proper account terrain conditions, visibility, snow and meteorological conditions, indications provided on sign-posts as well as operation time of lift system and skiing facilities. Skiers are, moreover, bound to observe all provincial and regional regulations in force as well as the rules of the code of conduct provided for by Law no. 363/2003 (and subsequent amendments) and those displayed in the ski pass sales offices, at the lift system facilities or available at the web site www.dolomitisuperski.com. In instances where accidents occur first aid assistance and transport may imply a cost charge.

21. The classification of the slopes, as shown on the skiing maps, is to be taken as mere indication.

25. By purchasing and/or using the Ski pass or the Points Value Card, the document holder expressly acknowledges the content and entirely accepts the present general sales conditions, available at the points of sale and on the web site www.dolomitisuperski.com.
https://www.dolomitisuperski.com/en/Service/Sales-conditions

Msej449, you and your wife have my sympathies - it is horrible being taken down an unsuitable piste by a so-called leader who should know better. I've had it happen to me several times and it is unpleasant at best. However, that situation is totally different from the situation described by the OP. The OP put himself at the top of a piste he wasn't able to ski down, and that's not the lift operator's problem.

I wonder was there a communication problem involved? It sounds as if Vanit tried to just stay on the chair with his skis on and go around and back down. I have never seen this allowed and lifts are not designed with a run-off area to dismount on the way down. If he had gotten off the lift in the normal way, it might have been possible to get on the lift down without his skis on. The skis are usually loaded onto the following chair to be picked up at the bottom. However, some lifts are suitable for this and some are not! Probably to do with space to load, etc. It does require the lift to be slowed right down to allow pedestrians to load. Maybe the lift operator had lost patience with him because he had tried to stay on and go back down!

Wanderer, I think you could be right. I'm trying to think of one chairlift that you can descend on wearing skis. May be Du Village in Les Deux Alpes, but I cannot remember

Hi VG,

I hope this experience has not stopped you from wanting to be a skier. As a life long passion of mine
it gives me great joy to see or promote the same spark in others.

In any endeavor, a base knowledge of what you are doing is the responsibility of the person doing the activity.

Would you purchase or rent a high performance car, and enter a road rally having never taken a driving lesson?

It's different rules in different places, where I ski (Canada) , downloading is permissible in cases of distress or special arrangement only. In any case, a Ski-Patroller must accompany the person being downloaded for various reasons. If a person is having a panic attack because they made a bad choice, a case could be made.

I will say, the lifty acted correctly in getting you off the lift at the top. You should have asked for help, there may have been options available, being taken down on a snowmobile, or rescue toboggan or whatever, but you should have asked. Obviously, from your story, walking down, was your second poor decision.

Having been employed at ski hills (as a Patroller and Ski Instuctor), given your state of mind having been told to get off the lift, I hope you treated the poor kid making barely over minimum wage with respect. He did his job. You should have asked for help at the top of the lift from ski patrol if you were beyond your ability.

I just have visions of someone driving down motorway the wrong way. At some point you must realize that everyone is going in the other direction.