European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 2, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A skier ventures off the groomed marked trails looking for the extra excitement offered by off piste skiing. Off piste skiing adds to the Challenge by Leah Larkin features editor real skiers Don t ski on marked slopes or so it May seen. Better equipment and better conditioning have produced better skiers and lots of them Are bored skiing those vast and gentle slopes with the masses. They seek thrills and adventure elsewhere heading Oft piste skiing Down slopes that Are neither groomed nor marked. It s exciting challenging and dangerous. The greatest risk is Avalanche. Ski areas have become easier because Snow cats Groom the slopes and take away the moguls. The beginners and intermediates win. The slopes Are groomed better than Ever before says John Schwartz manager of Scherer Tours. The experts lose. They go on to Monoski or look for bump runs or deep Snow. For big thrills they go off piste. It Calls for a greater sense of responsibility than Ever before. They must be Able to judge the weather and terrain for  unfortunately not All who venture off piste have this ability. Every year More skiers Are killed by avalanches. Just last season Prince Charles and a group of his friends were skiing off the marked slopes at Kloster in Switzerland when an Avalanche struck killing one member of the group. Experienced skiers like Schwartz advise playing it Safe and skiing with a guide for off piste adventure. If you insist on tackling the terrain on your own Dick Reppard Avalanche adviser for the National ski patrol european division recommends that you first Check with the local ski patrol or ski school and inquire about conditions where you plan to ski. Just because there Are tracks in an area does t mean it s Safe Reppard says. It could be worse. You could set off the loosened  Reppard and Ken Gingras member at Large of the Heidelberg International ski club offer additional advice for those who venture off piste o do not ski alone. Do not venture off marked slopes unless you have the ski ability to handle the difficult terrain. Do not include a skier in your group who does not have the ability to handle the terrain. Be in Good physical condition. Be sure you know where your off piste adventure will take you making certain that you will not end up in an area inaccessible to ski lifts. Do not ski off piste in Glacier areas where crevasses pose an Ever present danger. When you ski off piste make sure the ski conditions and visibility Are Good. 9 ski with those who have first Aid training. Always carry a map of the ski slopes. Before you ski off piste take a lesson in powder skiing. Wear an Avalanche transceiver. This electronic device acts both As a Beacon transmitting signals from those who Are buried under the Snow and a receiver to pick up the signals from those under the Snow. These devices Are available from sports stores on the Economy starting at about $100. Reppard says that both Austria and Switzerland have passed a Law holding those who ski off piste responsible for third party liability if an off piste skier starts an Avalanche that kills or injures another or damages property he is liable. The off piste ski phenomenon is More european than american. Back in the United states skiing off the marked patrolled slopes is forbidden and ski Pat rollers can and do confiscate the lift passes of those who disobey. In Europe Only Switzerland s Zermatt has initiated this practice and it applies Only to slopes that Are clearly marked  skiing in other non groomed or non marked areas is permitted. Peter Zahnd chief of the ski area at Zermatt came up with the idea of listen Polisei ski slope police two years ago. In addition to keeping skiers out of the closed dangerous areas he wanted to control rowdiness on the slopes and in the lift lines. The program has been successful. About 36 Zermatt employees share double duty working half Day sessions As plainclothes ski policemen. Zahnd said last season they took away about 15 lift passes mostly from those Between the Ages of 15 and 35. There have always been Foolhardy skiers he said. But today we have More and More skiers and More Foolhardy  he Hopes fewer will be Foolhardy on the Zermatt slopes. Stripes Magazine february 2, 1989