10 rules for the conduct of skiers and snowboarders
Behavioural rules, as provided by the law 24 December 2003 nr 363 that should be respected by users of the ski pistes to avoid eventual consequences of a civil and penal nature.
Respect for others.
A skier or snowboarder must behave in a manner that does not put others in danger or cause injury.
Control of speed and of personal behaviour. A skier or snowboarder must move in control. He must maintain an appropriate speed and adapt speed based on his skiing ability, conditions of the pistes, visibility, weather conditions and amount of people on the pistes.
Choice of direction. A skier or snowboarder uphill has the possibility to decide his course and should maintain a course that avoids collisions with skiers further down.
Overtaking. A skier or snowboarder may overtake another skier or snowboarder above or below (with sufficient space and visibility), to the right or left, but always at a distance to avoid putting the other skier in difficulty.
Entry and crossings. A skier or snowboarder entering the piste or starting again after a stop must ensure his personal safety and that of others, at a crossing give way to the right or according to eventual indications.
Stopping. A skier or snowboarder must avoid stopping, unless necessary, along passages where all must pass or where there is no visibility. Any stops must be made along the edge of the pistes. In case of a fall the skier or snowboarder should clear the area as soon as possible.
Climbing or descending on foot. A skier or snowboarder either climbing or descending on foot must keep to the side of the piste.
Respect signposts. A skier or snowboarder must respect and follow the regulations regarding the ski pistes, in particular the compulsory use of helmets for children under 14 years of age.
Assistance. All skiers should assist in the case of an accident.
Identification. Anyone involved in an accident or witness to an accident is required to provide their personal details.
The colours of the piste
blue, red, black
.
On the map of the pistes, the pistes are indicated by 3 different colours.
Each colour corresponds to the difficulty of the pistes.
Choose the correct pistes for your ability.
Blue piste = easy piste
Red piste = intermediate piste
Black piste= difficult piste
Signage on the pistes
On the pistes you will find coloured panels on which the name of the ski area, the name of the piste and the number of the piste are shown.
This information, in case needed, helps the skier to be found in the area and helps with rescue. If you are witness to or victim of an accident, you must give the rescuers the information shown on these panels.
Poles on the piste
The poles on the piste are used to show the edge of the piste. The poles are different on each side (as in the diagram).
They both show the difficulty of the piste with their colour.
Blue : easy piste
Red : intermediate piste
Black difficult piste
Security
Along the piste, you will find these panels and we ask you to respect them.
The Helmet
Having fun and being safe
National Law n° 363/2003
The helmet is compulsory for children under 14.
PISTE RESCUE
Teams dedicated to your safety
For your security, the professionals of the sector are ready to help:
Piste patrollers
Police
Italian red cross
Aosta Valley Mountain Rescue
You need help! Someone needs help ! Call immediately
Piste rescue
0165/843635
Aosta Valley Mountain Rescue
0165/ 238222
Rescue exchange
118
Don’t leave the signed pistes.
You are lost! Don’t wait until it’s dark before asking for help.
Call rescue
tel. 0165 843635
tel. 0165 238222........
PISTE PATROLLERS
Professionals as expected by the regional law 2/1997
Rescue experts on piste, the piste patrollers, check the signage of the piste for your on piste security. They are able to use explosives to permit a preventative avalanche for the security of the piste.
They are available to the client to give advice, weather information and the snow conditions.
Don’t hesitate to contact the rescue office.
ARVA Park
New ARVA Training Camp at Pre de Pascal
A new area for training in searching for people trapped by avalanches is available at Pre De Pascal near to the moving carpet at the top of the Val Veny cable car.
Easy to use the Avalanche Training Centre is new generation which allows you, before you go off piste, to test your ARVA and your speed in finding people lost in avalanches.
In the ARVA camp the searching for people buried under the snow is simulated (the people are represented by signs) and for this operation you will have a limited amount of time
Thanks to boxes divided in compartment you can can choose the amount of people to search for and the amount of time you will have. With your ARVA positioned on “search” you will go on the field of snow the moment that the ARVA signals a victim, with the help of your probe you will prod the ground until you find the spot where the sign is buried (pretend victim). You will give three hits on the sign to confirm you have found it. Your box will emit a sound and you can continue to search for the other victims (the sound will stop for 16 seconds in order to begin another search)
As you can see from the photographs the instrument is easy to use:
- red, choose the number of victims (from 1-5)
- yellow, choose the amount of time for the search
- green, the button START/STOP allows you to begin and end the exercise
There is a panel on the ground which indicates the route to follow.
It is recommended to equip yourselves with an ARVA and a probe, these will be a great help for rescue in the mountains.
ATTENTION, it is forbidden to use a spade to search for victims! Only the probe allows you to activate the sound sign.
Piste patroller using explosives
A risky job
Many are the duties carried out by the Piste Patrol, amongst which the manipulation and use of explosive for the detachment of unstable snowy masses, that could go on to impact on the safety of the ski area.. All the qualified Piste Patrol have undertaken a specific course for the use of explosives and have been issued a licence. After every snowfall the PIDAV is put in action (plan - detachment - artificial - avalanches), regulations of security concerning the use of explosives with the aim of the artificial detachment of avalanches. In early morning, before the opening of the ski area to the public, the Piste Patrol goes up to Plan Checrouit with the Courmayeur cable car where, after a short one briefing they are given different tasks and roles so they are ready to operate. After taking the necessary amount of explosive, they position themselves in pre arranged points for the beginning of the operations to make the mountain safe. They often work in adverse weather conditions with snow, wind and poor visibility that can limit their actions. It is in these circumstances that the professionalism and seriousness of the Piste Patrol comes into play. It is a dangerous trade that needs the maximum attention and concentration, they must notice everything checking every signal sign of danger that the mountain shows,. Even the smallest error runs the risk of compromising the safety of the team and the task of making the mountain safe. The artificial detachment with explosive therefore remains one of the tasks in which the Piste Patrol operates with a high professional risk.
The police on the runs
For your safety
To help ensure safety on the slopes in the past couple of years Courmayeur has introduced a separate department within the "Polizia di Stato" (State Police). It has been set up to patrol, supervise and prevent any illegal conduct.
The Police officers go through a rigorous selection procedure and those chosen are sent on a specific first aid and mountain awareness course in Moena. As public officials and agents for public security they are able to enforce the law of the land on the slopes.
In particular, they ensure good standards of conduct on the slopes, following strict guidelines laid down in the "codice della strada".
Their aim is to ensure people respect the basic safety rules , including rulings and signs regarding closed pistes and forbidden off-piste areas..
Having received a proper first aid training , they can respond quickly in case of accidents and are trained to assist finding missing people in the mountain area They are also able to follow the necessary technical procedures in cases of third party responsibility and liability.
These police officers "Polizia di Stato" operate every day while the ski areas are open during the season. They are in permanent radio contact with staff on the mountain and can easily be contacted via them or through the cable car office at the top of the Plan Checrouit cable car.
