How to have good mountain etiquette

How to have good mountain etiquette

You’re skiing down the mountain, getting a top speed, doing amazing turns, loving life, next thing you know there’s a skier right in front of you and you have to slam the brakes on. Have you ever experienced this?

There’s nothing more annoying than someone on the mountain that doesn’t have good mountain etiquette! We’re here to spread the word of how not to be THAT person on the mountain.

 

Do NOT stop in the middle of the piste

This is probably our biggest pet peeve. You’ve got a nice line going, it’s all going well, and then someone decides to randomly stop in front of you in the middle of the piste. We completely understand you may need to stop on the mountain for various reasons but you should always do this at the edge of the piste to leave space for everyone else to continue getting down. It’s also going to save injury from people banging into you.

 

Don’t stop in blind spots

Following on from stopping in the middle of the piste, it’s important to make sure that you don’t stop in a blind spot such as around a corner, somewhere hidden by trees or just after the gradient suddenly gets steeper. Those coming down the pistes won’t be aware of you and this could lead to some nasty accidents (if not some naughty words too…).

 

Watch your speed

Of course, we all love to see how fast we can go and reach a new top speed, but this should be done in a controlled manner. If it is a busy slope or you can clearly see ski school are out, it’s not the time. Even when you have found an appropriate place to get that speed up, you should always be in control and be able to slow down/stop should you need to.

 

Always look uphill before setting up

Before you set off, look up the mountain and give way to anyone above you. If not, you risk being mowed down by a speedy skier.

 

Do the British thing, queue well!

Brits love to queue and generally, we are very good at it. It can get busy at the lifts, so it’s important to make sure you’re queuing appropriately.

  • Don’t “save spaces” for your friends, you can meet them at the top (out of the way).
  • Don’t queue jump, there’s really just no need for it.
  • For snowboarders, make sure you’ve undone your binding before you get in the queue and not stood at the entrance blocking the way.
  • For skiiers, make sure you have put your skis on before you get in the queue.
  • Don’t stand on other peoples skis and boards or you’re opening yourself up to all sorts of dirty looks and obscenities muttered under breath.

 

Leave nothing but tracks

We know it’s a cringy thing to say, but there is absolutely no need to litter on the mountain (or anywhere really). Take any litter with you in your pockets/bag or find a bin nearby.

 

There are so many other ways to have good mountain etiquette but we feel these are some of the biggest ones.