What do people make of this warning! Off piste safety.

As I am not skiing today I thought I would share something I saw in Tignes / val d'Isere a few days ago and see what other people think!

I have just been skiing in Tignes / Val d'Isere and the 'security de piste' have posted the following notice which is very clear and leaves very little to be misunderstood.

Having talked with the pisteurs about the notice they say this notice has been up for a while and they just change the avalanche risk level on the board.

Quote: "Attention, Off piste wind slabs everywhere, No shovel, No Probe, No Transceiver, No OFF PISTE. Risk 2"

They have also posted a detailed notice board chart at various off piste entry points giving information on rescue times without full kit, where to get info before going off piste, what kit you should carry and the training needed so that you know how to use it. Remember, longer than 15min and the person is not likely to recover.

These signs are in English as well!!

Now my question to everyone, with a notice like this being posted by the piste security authority. Does this count as local authority advice and therefore if you ignore such advice will you invalidate your insurance should you be involved in an accident off piste and need to claim?

Perhaps more importantly, if you are the most experienced person in the group (whether qualified or not), will the local authorities ie. the mountain gendarmes, consider you have been negligent by letting people come and ski with you off piste without the correct gear and knowing how to use it now that a signs like this has been posted and you have not taken due care to make sure your mates have the right kit etc? One person has already posted that they have seen similar signs starting to appear in other resorts.

Please look on photo section in my facebook group for pictures of all these notices. It is public access so know need to be a facebook member.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=134900026541300&v=photos

For me I think I would be a complete fool to ignore the signs and take my family off piste, safety first I think.

On topic - I don't buy insurance so I can't really pass comment.

Off topic - I'll be in Tignes as of Monday, what are the conditions like at the moment.

In my view if I persuade someone to follow me skiing I am responible - whether this is taking a novice down a red run or hiking into the back woods ....
I think resorts are right to emphasise both the dangers and responsibility of skiing off-piste. The consequences of novice skiers going somewhere innapropriate are huge. Death to themselves, companions, people below them in "safe" areas and the dangers the rescuers put themselves in.
I have skied loads of wonderful places away from lifts and runs - but always with someone I have trusted. I wouldn't even go back and follow the same routes on my own.
Respect the mountains!
Even with all the concrete, metal, cables, vehicles, restaurants and people they are still a wild and potentially dangerous place to be.

snowcrazy2005 wrote:They have also posted a detailed notice board chart at various off piste entry points giving information on rescue times without full kit, where to get info before going off piste, what kit you should carry and the training needed so that you know how to use it. Remember, longer than 15min and the person is not likely to recover.

These signs are in English as well!!

This sounds like a jump in the right direction! Excellent. I'll be interested to hear if the Paradiski resorts are doing something similar (I know they have the odd blackboard at the bottom of strategic lifts, and a few flags, but this sounds a lot more comprehensive).

snowcrazy2005 wrote:Does this count as local authority advice and therefore if you ignore such advice will you invalidate your insurance should you be involved in an accident off piste and need to claim?

That looks exactly like "local authority advice" to me and I think Insurers would be acting perfectly reasonably to think the same.

OldAndy has pretty much covered everything else I was about to post! 8)

Looking at the statement doesn't it suggest the risk is level 2.

The first bit is giving advice that if you don't have a shovel, transponder & probe you should not be venturing off piste even if the risk is low. (isn't the scale 1 low - 5 high?)

Presumably this means the risk is pretty low but not minimal.

A very lucky escape.

http://www.kingsurf.co.uk/scuba-and-pete-get-caught-in-a-avalanche-in-the-alps-i24.html

Just been over the Facebook and looked at the Signs. Yes, agreed it's Local Authority advice, if we read that, we can evidence it quite easily to an Insurer in the event of a claim. Can we prove that we planned the route on a Topographic map, consulted the Weather Forecast and asked the Piste Patrol about the proposed route?