Free-riding, or deep snow skiing, is an incomparable experience for many skiers in the middle of the beauty of the mountains. The untouched slopes and the feeling of freedom are simply priceless. However, this kind of skiing also involves risks and requires a responsible approach and planning.
Here we give you 7 valuable safety tips on how to enjoy the free-ride adventure safely.
1. Know your skills and your limits
You should always be honest with yourself when deep snow skiing and realistically assess your skills. Off-piste conditions differ from groomed slopes and require significantly more experience and the ability to see and recognise different alpine dangers.
If you don’t feel quite confident in deep snow skiing yet, you should continue practising it near ski slopes until you feel safe enough to do and plan a real off-piste or free-ride descent far away from the slopes.
Now you can start with planning your first free-ride descent in the backcountry. For the first tour, you should choose an easy and not too difficult tour.
Our recommendation is to ask for help from experts, like mountain or ski guides. Maybe it is possible to plan the first tour together with a ski guide/ski instructor. He or she can draw attention and give detailed information about the actual avalanche situation in the region. You also need the actual avalanche situation report and the weather forecast to plan the free-ride descent. You will also discuss which equipment you will need for the tour.
2. Plan the tour/descent in advance
It is recommended to plan the route thoroughly in advance and choose the slopes carefully. This will allow you to become somewhat familiar with the terrain and avoid risky slopes or avalanche danger zones. However, make the route realistic and adapt the plans to current conditions.
A detailed planning of the free-ride tour is unavoidable and necessary for a safe trip!
With the help of an orthographic map, the off-piste or free-ride descent must be planned in advance. Thorough planning lets you familiarise yourself with the terrain, see the steepness of individual slopes, and set resting points. You can avoid risky or avalanche-prone sections and bypass them.
Thorough planning also includes realistically estimating the duration of the descents so that you don’t get into mountain distress in the dark or due to the daytime warming of the air in spring, which increases the risk of avalanches.
Never go alone into the backcountry, and always inform others of your plans and expected return time. If you are not back in time, someone could initiate a search operation.
3. Obtain information about the avalanche situation, the weather forecast and other alpine dangers.
If in doubt, local experts or mountain guides can also be helpful. You should pay attention to warnings and reports before going off-piste. If conditions are too dangerous, one should adjust one’s plans or even forgo deep snow skiing.
It is really necessary that you inform yourself about the actual avalanche situation, by reading the avalanche situation report and speaking with local experts (like mountain or ski guides) for correct and conscientious planning and also for the descent in real.
Mountain or ski guides can inform you about the actual avalanche situation and other alpine dangers in the region, where you have to watch out.
Warnings and closings of slopes or regions have to be accepted.
If the general conditions are not suitable, the off-piste or free-ride tour should be postponed or cancelled. You only have one life, and you should protect it!
4. Use appropriate safety equipment
What safety equipment do you need for off-piste skiing and free-riding?
The avalanche equipment includes an avalanche transceiver, a shovel and a probe. To maximise survival chances in an emergency, carry a modern avalanche airbag backpack if possible.
Your own mobile phone, first-aid material and a bivvy sack are also part of the standard equipment that you should take with you when free-riding and off-piste skiing.
However, the best safety equipment is of no use to anyone if the handling and use of this equipment is not practised and trained before. In case of an emergency, an appropriate use can save your life and other lives!
5. Take at least one free-ride partner with you
You should never be alone in the backcountry! If you have the opportunity to join a group with a mountain or ski guide, you should always take this chance.
Within a group, clear communication is important. It is advisable to agree on signs and signals in order to be able to communicate in case of an emergency. In the backcountry, mobile phones often don’t have reception, so you cannot rely on your mobile phone as a tool of communication.
6. Respect nature
The untouched nature is crossed during off-piste skiing and free-riding, and we must respect wildlife and the surrounding nature. Do not enter protected areas and obey local rules and regulations.
As a free-rider, you have to be aware that you startle animals, which then use up unnecessary energy by fleeing and, in the worst case, cannot survive the winter as a result. We must respect protected areas, as they serve as animal retreats.
Also, no rubbish may be thrown away or left behind. We winter sports enthusiasts enjoy free-riding in the untouched, clean nature and it should be kept that way!
7. Emergency plan
If there is any doubt or uneasy feeling, do not hesitate and refrain from off-piste skiing. Safety always comes first!
Moreover, we recommend always having an emergency plan and knowing how to proceed in case of an accident, injury or avalanche. If necessary, you should call the mountain rescue, notify the emergency services and give first aid.
It is also very important that you always have an emergency plan to act in a structured and correct manner in case of an accident or other emergencies. If necessary, notify the mountain rescue service to get rescued or to receive help with first aid and to transport the injured person to the hospital.
Conclusion – 7 safety tips for skiing off-piste
Deep snow skiing can be an unforgettable experience, but safety is the top priority! By acting responsibly and following these safety tips, the off-piste adventure can be enjoyed to the fullest while minimising the risk of injury and other dangers. You should always remember that the mountains should be enjoyed consciously but also with caution, and they should be treated with respect. We would be happy to accompany you on your first free-ride adventure. You can find more information here. See you soon at Hochzeiger in Pitztal!
