Seeing as a European powder trip post seeking resort advice is getting side tracked with talk about differences between inbounds powder skiing in North America and off-piste skiing, and we were talking about opening a separate thread, thought I'd open it here. The problem with any post like this is that it risks coming across as finger wagging, so let it be taken as read that it isn't meant to be - the purpose is solely (A) to make sure people who haven't skied in Europe seeking powder know what they're getting, (B) to clear up some myths, and C) to have separate discussion that can be linked to so resort questions can be dealt with without drifting off topic.
Europe: If it's not a piste or a non-groomed official run (German Skiroute, French itinéraire) or one of the rare controlled "freeride zones" (e.g. in Livigno or La Rosière), it's unpatrolled. Resorts generally do what they can to prevent avalanches endangering groomers, but pretty much every year a groomer will get hit by an avalanche somewhere or other. Unless an off-piste area is protected for environmental reasons, there's nothing to stop anyone skiing it. But nor can it be presumed it has been secured. @Cheizz care to repost your pics of the worst case scenario here?
Something the recent discussion post didn't touch on much is glacial resorts. Here's four and a bit groomers and a terrain park in Hintertux. Sometimes people will ski the off-piste areas just next to them or between them.
Are their tracks a reliable indication it's safe? Here's the same area without snow: https://www.merkur.de/bilder/2017/08/30/8642134/1572852091-hintertux-32fe.jpg
Is there any warning about the crevasses? Yes. There are a few signs here and there, but if you duck under the rope away from those signs, there's no way of knowing. Here's a crevasse a few feet from a groomer frequented by skiers of all levels in a resort that often has white-outs (again, Hintertux). Up to the individual skier to spot it without a rope or piste markings: https://www.alpinforum.com/forum/download/file.php?id=215539&t=1
Anyway, hopefully this is a reasonable illustration of how contrary to common assumptions, including those of regular European skiers, proximity to a groomer is no indication that terrain has been secured. Apart from the odd sign just beyond the edge of a groomer to say you're leaving the secured area, you're on your own re. avalanches, cliffs, crevasses, unexploded dynamite, WWI or II munitions, the remains of prehistoric men, tight clothing, cigarette butts, political extremism, whatever.
Europe: If it's not a piste or a non-groomed official run (German Skiroute, French itinéraire) or one of the rare controlled "freeride zones" (e.g. in Livigno or La Rosière), it's unpatrolled. Resorts generally do what they can to prevent avalanches endangering groomers, but pretty much every year a groomer will get hit by an avalanche somewhere or other. Unless an off-piste area is protected for environmental reasons, there's nothing to stop anyone skiing it. But nor can it be presumed it has been secured. @Cheizz care to repost your pics of the worst case scenario here?
Something the recent discussion post didn't touch on much is glacial resorts. Here's four and a bit groomers and a terrain park in Hintertux. Sometimes people will ski the off-piste areas just next to them or between them.
Are their tracks a reliable indication it's safe? Here's the same area without snow: https://www.merkur.de/bilder/2017/08/30/8642134/1572852091-hintertux-32fe.jpg
Is there any warning about the crevasses? Yes. There are a few signs here and there, but if you duck under the rope away from those signs, there's no way of knowing. Here's a crevasse a few feet from a groomer frequented by skiers of all levels in a resort that often has white-outs (again, Hintertux). Up to the individual skier to spot it without a rope or piste markings: https://www.alpinforum.com/forum/download/file.php?id=215539&t=1
Anyway, hopefully this is a reasonable illustration of how contrary to common assumptions, including those of regular European skiers, proximity to a groomer is no indication that terrain has been secured. Apart from the odd sign just beyond the edge of a groomer to say you're leaving the secured area, you're on your own re. avalanches, cliffs, crevasses, unexploded dynamite, WWI or II munitions, the remains of prehistoric men, tight clothing, cigarette butts, political extremism, whatever.
