Advice and safety

Here are a few tips to help you enjoy the mountains!

Get prepared for the physical exertion!

Prepare before the holiday:

Arriving in shape with good muscle strength means that you can enjoy your holiday with peace and prevent many accidents.

Be informed:

Check the weather forecasts every day in the resort or with your usual source. Get to know the map of the runs and check the boards showing when the runs and ski lifts open and close. If you have any doubt ask the ski patrol and first aid people, the ski lift personnel, the instructors, the guides or the mountain rescue units.

Keep hydrated and eat:

With the cold, the altitude and the exertion you consume more calories.

Get warmed up:

Winter sports are sports like any other. If you don't warm up you could injure yourself and spoil your stay.

Keep your equipment maintained and adjust your bindings:

lt is essential to adjust your bindings: it reduces the risk of spraining your knee if you have a fall... For greater quality and safety you should also be aware that the rental stores apply the ISO 110 88 standard. Before attaching your boots remove the snow between your boots and your skis.

Wear protective googles and consider protecting yourself with suncream:

You will prevent risks of eye injuries or even (temporary) blindness caused by reflections of UV rays on the snow, and will protect your skin from sunburn.

Check that your are insured:

If you are not, get some insurance. Health care in ski domains usually has to be paid for.

Take care and act courteously on the slopes!

Always behave courteouly towards skiers who are below you:

Do not cause problems, due to your ski path, to skiers lower down than you. They don't always see you coming. lt is your responsibility to anticipate this.

Always control your speed and your ski path:

Make sure they suit your technical and physical abilities, the numbers of other people present, the visibility, the difficulty level of the run and the condition of the snow. ln particular slow down when crossing areas for beginners, near queues and at the bottoms of runs.

Consider where you are before stopping:

Do not stop in areas where runs are narrow or behind humps and always remain visible to skiers above you (higher up the slopes).

Pay attention to the signalling on the runs:

For your safety, the runs are marked and have specific signage. Pay attention to these markings and signage and, if you are unsure, ask for clarification from ski patrol and first aid people and the people operating the devices.

Learn or review the ski safety rules with our informative videogame! Try your hand here.

Advice on the ski lifts

On the chairlifts

1- Boarding:

Move to the line boarding respecting signage.
In case of difficulty with children, do not hesitate to ask for help to the chairlift agent
Take your sticks in one hand and ensuring various accessories that create discomfort for boarding (backpack placed in front…).
Sit well back in the seat and prepare to share the chairlift with fellow skiers.
Lower the restraint bar quickly, paying attention to other passengers, especially children (keeping them out of hand if needed).
In case of bad boarding, do not grasp, let go immediately before than the seat rises higher up.

2- On way:

Remain quietly seated-in at the bottom of the seat without shaking nor turning round.
Pay attention to children on the same seat.
Do not raise the restraint bar.
Do not swing the seat.

3- Unload form chairlift:

Wait for the arrival before lifting the restraint bars.
Quickly move out the arrival area avoiding cutting the road of the other passengers.

On the ski lifts

Do not slalom when you are being pulled up: you might derail the cable and injure yourself.
Free yourself quickly when you arrive: the next T-bar could hit you

Safety rules in a snow park

Investigate the course layout first so that you know how best to use it.
Only use the features/runs that are right for your level of ability.
Difficulty levels XL and XXL are designed for experts.
Adjust your run-in and check that the landing area is clear before starting out.
Don't stop in the take-off area, landing area or by the side of the run. If someone falls, evacuate quickly.
Wearing a helmet is strongly recommended.
In the event of an accident, block the feature/run and alert the emergency services.

Signs

Levels

The difficulty level of the slopes is indicated by round panels of the colour of the runs and indicating the name and number of the slope.

Black run: very difficult
Red run: difficult
Blue run: easy
Green run : very easy

On the pistes:

Yellow and black triangular panels warn you of:

a danger
low snowfall
crossing point
ski lift crossing point
beware of skiers
beware of pedestrians
snow machine

Red banners complete the signage, for example indicating closed runs/areas or advising you to slow down.

In the immediate vicinity of the piste:

Yellow and black triangular panels warn you of:

a danger
crevasses
cliffs
avalanches

Avalanche risk

The avalanche flag indicates the level of risk.

Level 1: low, good stability of the snow pack on most slopes. Yellow flag.
Level 2: limited, average stability of the snow pack on most slopes.Yellow flag
Level 3: significant, significant stability of the snow pack on many slopes. Yellow and black flag.
Level 4: high, high instability on many slopes. Yellow and black flag.
Level 5: very high, very high instability on all slopes. Black flag.