Verbier: Itinéraires

Just what are these routes as opposed to regular pistes?

Are they patrolled at the end of the day?

Any insewerants issues, i.e. count as off-piste?

At the moment I'm toying with the idea of doing a week in Verbier,
which according to my 2005 guide has few blacks but has itinéraires
instead.

--
-Pip

On Wed 15 Nov '06 at 18:35 Ace wrote:

On Wed, 15 Nov 2006 18:18:06 GMT, Pip Luscher
wrote:

Just what are these routes as opposed to regular pistes?

They're simply recognised off-piste routes. In some resorts there may be
some level of signing, and they'll tend to be made safe by avalanche control
before the area is opened.

Are they patrolled at the end of the day?

In some resorts, but not all. I don't know about Verbier in particular.

Any insewerants issues, i.e. count as off-piste?

Definitely.


Interestingly, I was reading an article in some free skiing rag given away in
Cotswolds Outdoors, that suggested that more European resorts were moving to a
more American style of un-pisted pistes.

i.e. they're not off-piste, in that they're made "safe" from avalanches, and
patrolled, but, the snow is as it fell.


When I checked, these didn't count as skiing off-piste, since they are within
the resort's boundaries.





A.

Hi Alun

Interestingly, I was reading an article in some free skiing rag given away in
Cotswolds Outdoors, that suggested that more European resorts were moving to a
more American style of un-pisted pistes.

i.e. they're not off-piste, in that they're made "safe" from avalanches, and
patrolled, but, the snow is as it fell.
When I checked, these didn't count as skiing off-piste, since they are within
the resort's boundaries.

There are different types: E.g. Glacier Hintertux has the "Laermstange"
piste, which is like you describe.

E.g. the "Dammkar" in Mittenwald is also made avalanche safe, but there
is no patrolling.

Florian

Pip Luscher wrote:

Just what are these routes as opposed to regular pistes?

Are they patrolled at the end of the day?

Any insewerants issues, i.e. count as off-piste?

At the moment I'm toying with the idea of doing a week in Verbier,
which according to my 2005 guide has few blacks but has itinéraires
instead.

--
-Pip

As the others state, they're marked but not pisted - a bit like the
'nature runs' and the 'spot' in Espace Killy (and probably other French
resorts).

I quite like Verbier for the mix of skiing and apres, but having been
twice now, I'm pretty much done with the range of skiing. Nice to
cruise around, but the skiing's limited. There are probably other black
runs, but I remember thinking the mogul field at the top of Mont Fort
was the 'main' one.

Matt