Off piste skiing also known as ski touring, backcountry skiing or ski mountaineering is a little different from what you may normally do on your skiing holiday. Off piste skiing is skiing in a rural region over unkempt slopes or pistes either within the ski resort’s boundaries or in the backcountry among trees and undergrowth and on freshly laid snow also known as powder snow. These areas are generally not monitored, patrolled or maintained and usually there is no access via ski lifts so a lot of the time you have to make your own way there. You can get guided tours at some resorts that can involve single or multi-day trips through the snow and camping or using mountain huts if available.
The types of off piste skiing, ski touring, backcountry skiing or ski mountaineering can vary from country to country and resort to resort, some resorts offer off piste skiing a few metres away from or between controlled trails and slopes where as some resorts offer ski touring or ski mountaineering which is not near marked slopes at all, or cannot be accessed by ski-lifts. All types of off piste skiing requires a good level of ability and knowledge of the area and some survival techniques if you get into trouble, you will also need a good level of fitness as because many places will have to be reached on foot and you can encounter dangers such as avalanches, exhaustion, and changing mountain weather, as well as cliffs, rock fall and tree wells.
If you are a competent skier and wish to try off piste skiing you need to check whether your resort will permit it so it’s worth when looking for ski deals to check before booking.
