European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 24, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Playing it Safe caution conditioning Good gear Are keys International ski Trail marking by Leah Larkin features editor skiing does not rank up there with paragliding Mountain climbing or sky diving As a sport with a High danger Factor. Yet it can be dangerous. It May be even More dangerous on the slopes of Europe where safety standards and practices Are not As strict As in the United states. That s no reason to give up this wonderful Way to enjoy Winter and spectacular scenery get Superb exercise and a most important a have fun. Common sense knowledge and adherence to some Basic Safe skiing principles can take away most elements of danger. You Don t have to be As fit As Jane Fonda or As muscular As Arnold Schwarzenegger to ski safely. A certain degree of fitness however is recommended. Those who Are not fit Are More Apt to get seriously injured. Couch potatoes who get winded when climbing stairs Are in no shape to tackle strenuous exercise at High elevations where the air is thin. And skiing is strenuous. Cood skiers Are generally fit because they Are Active year round a jogging biking swimming doing aerobics whatever. Those who do no regular exercise and intend to ski should prepare for the slopes several weeks preferably months ahead of the season with some Type of exercise. Many Cerman communities sponsor ski exercise programs in the evening. Ski magazines usually list specific exercises that Are Good preparation for the sport. Get your body in shape then Check your equipment. The most important element for Safe skiing is bindings that function properly and Are correctly set. Quot never adjust your bindings yourself Quot says Roland Reinhart co owner of the sports shop Chain sport team in Northern Bavaria. Bindings should be adjusted by a specialist who measures the Width of your knee and considers your ski ability to determine the Correct setting. The setting should be checked by a professional at the beginning of each ski season Reinhart says. Self release binding checks Are offered by members of the National ski patrol on Many trips with american ski clubs and at club meetings. Now comes knowledge. Too Many americans who set out to ski in Europe fail to realize that there Are major 1 differences in the mountains on this Side of the Ocean. European slopes Are usually above tree line wide open and not patrolled. There Are few barriers restricting Access to Good bindings that Are properly set Are an important Factor in preventing injuries on the slopes. A amps Rea Granay certain areas that can be dangerous. Learn the meaning of the International symbols that Are often posted on ski runs. Otherwise you May end up skiing where there is Avalanche danger or on slopes that demand skills you Don t have. Unless you Are with a guide instructor or someone Well acquainted with the area stay on the marked slopes. Last Winter 23 people were seriously injured and 12 were killed in Avalanche accidents in the Alps. Almost always the victims Are skiing off piste when tragedy strikes. Quot it s important to ski with someone to let others know where you Are going Quot says Allan Howarth european division director of the National ski patrol. Quot people need to know that if they get injured on the slopes in Europe they will have to track someone Down who can go get  ski tour operator John Schwartz of Wurzburg Germany recommends Quot learning some of the language of the country where you Are  just a few key phrases such As Quot what time does the lift close Quot can make a difference. If you can t ask the question in the local language ask it in English until you get an answer. During the Short Day months of december january and february some lifts May close As Early As 3 30 . It s also essential to know where you Are going. Get a Trail map. European ski areas can be vast. It s All too easy to get lost to be far away from your starting Point at the end of the Day when the lifts close. More than a few american skiers have found themselves in this predicament stranded several towns away from their hotel. An expensive taxi ride May be the Only Way Back. Bernhard Bruckdorfer Winter sports program manager for arc in Carmich says the getting lost problem happens often. Quot the biggest problem is that people overestimate their abilities. A beginner sets out to ski Down from the Hausberg a Carmich slope at 5 ., just a few minutes before dark he says. But it gets dark and the skier gets lost and can t find the Valley. He also sees too Many lost american children. Quot parents let children ski alone. They Don t make proper arrangements to meet them. Then they come to us at 5 . And say my child is lost we must arrange a search get in touch with the lift operators. Quot Don t let children ski alone Quot he says. Fatigue is another Factor Bruckdorfer says can Lead to accidents Quot people get too tired Quot he says. Quot skiing is a physically demanding sport. You ski All Day five or six hours or More. When do you do that much exercise in one Day Quot the Winter sports expert says to play it Safe and ski no More than three or four hours per Day. Quot once you Are tired the Accident rate increases dramatically. You can t react As quickly. It s like driving a car. You should Stop when you Are