Ski Safety. Avoid Accidents. Avoid Avalanches #SkiSafe
January Sick and Tired You’ve Been Hanging on Me.
pop quiz: the lyric above is from what song and artist? clue: as skiing in the Cairngorms in never reliable, these chaps should take a plane.
Would you take advice from the Government? Would you expect them to offer any advice for your up and coming ski holiday? If you answer ‘no’ and ‘no’, you’d be wrong, the Government website has plenty of advice for you!
I’ve already covered their advice for before you go on your skiing holiday and what they recommend when you get to your ski resort. Now, with January just around the corner and the snow base building; here’s a summary of what the Government recommend with regards your ski safety and those of others around you. The Ski Club of GB have been instrumental in pulling together this advice.
Green to Black.
Ski resort owners colour-code pistes to indicate their level of difficulty, you should always try to check. Different resorts have different criteria. If you see an Austrian red run it is generally trickier than a Bulgarian one. If you attempt a freshly groomed blue it is generally less tricky than an end-of-day, crowded mogul field. Unless you know you have the skill and experience to tackle it, don’t succumb to peer pressure to attempt the scariest black in the ski resort .
Mountain First Aid.
As accidents happen, it makes sense to make sure you know what to do. Warn other skiers by placing crossed skis above the accident area so that anyone who is injured is protected. You need to alert the authorities, ensuring they are given all the information they need to locate the victim and organise the type of evacuation that may be required.
Back-country Ski Safety.
We have a fascination with deep powder and runs between trees, there is nothing wrong with this IF we have the skill and experience to ski off-piste. As an off-piste skier, you should carry a full pack of ski safety kit and, certainly if you are new to the resort, hire a ski guide.
Weather Watch.
Free sessions are offered to skiers in many ski resorts so that they can spot avalanche dangers . You should take advantage of the courses and make sure you know the risks and the drill, so that if you do get caught out you know what to do.
Behave.
Not everyone has common sense in addition, not everyone is sensible and courteous. The International Ski Federation (FIS) has a set of rules for skiers and snowboarders with luck this will help improve ski slope etiquette. You should make yourself familiar with the rules before venturing out as they are designed primarily for ski safety.
