Skiers in France are warned that despite the freedom of wide mountain spaces, there are still certain laws and regulations which all mountain users must follow.
The warning comes after four people died in an avalanche in the Savoie resort of Val-Cenis last week, highlighting the dangers of the mountains - even though going ‘off-piste’ is permitted almost everywhere.
“The mountain law means that people can go wherever they want, it is up to them to know where the risk lies,” said a ski patrol guide at Val-Cenis, to TF1.
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However, some rules remain, including:
Speeding
There are no speed limits for piste users, nor do users need a licence to use the slopes.
However, the International Ski Federation (ISF) has 10 major principles for responsible skiing, which broadly state that users must “adapt speed and behaviour…to your ability, the piste and the weather”.
Some resorts in France call these ‘rules’ the ‘Code de la Glisse’. They outline recommended behaviour when it comes to sharing the slopes, including rules on overtaking other skiers, speeding on the slopes, and safe use of the ski lifts.
While these recommendations are not legally binding, the French courts typically refer to them in the event of an accident to help judge if a piste user has committed a fault that could give rise to criminal and/or civil liability.
In a similar vein, ski schools require people to wear helmets during their lessons but there is no current system in place for fining users who do not comply.
Some resorts reserve the right to ban users who repeatedly engage in unsafe behaviour on the slopes, and can stop them from using ski lifts or confiscate their ski pass entirely.
Police can also get involved if the person/people in question is considered to be acting in a way that constitutes the ‘endangerment of the life of others’ or causing an accident with an ‘aggravating circumstance’.
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Litter and rubbish
In France, it is forbidden to throw down cigarette ends or rubbish in public. This also applies to ski resorts and pistes, on pain of fines.
The mayor of the local municipality has authorisation to set the fine amount, which can range from €68 to €1,500 depending on the circumstances.
Resort authorities can also impose additional rules, in the same way as the Haute-Savoie resort of Les Gets, which banned smoking throughout its skiing area during the 2022-2023 season (with offenders fined €22).
Drunkenness on the slopes
It is not technically illegal to drink or be drunk on the slopes, but anyone who is found to be drunk in public and behaving in a dangerous manner as a result risks a fine of €68-€150, or more, depending on the circumstances.
This rule applies to any area of ski resorts, slopes, and ski lifts.
If someone who is drunk is found to be involved in an accident that injures someone else, this could also lead to them being charged with ‘endangering the life of others’ and causing an accident with an ‘aggravating circumstance’.
Similarly-severe charges can also be levied at someone who is drunk and who causes material damage. Anyone suspected of being drunk and involved in an accident can also be breathalysed at the scene.
The Code civil stipulates that “any act whatsoever by man, which causes damage to another, obliges the person through whose fault it occurred to repair it”.
Speaking to winter sports specialist website Mon Séjour en Montagne, Dr Gaëlle Lunard, a GP in Isère (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes), said that drinking while on the slopes leads to “guaranteed falls”.
“Alcohol is a major risk factor,” she said. “Being drunk slows down our ability to react and alters our coordination and judgement with regard to speed and therefore safety distances. When you are drunk on skis, it is like driving or walking: you are swaying, and this instability leads to falls and therefore fractures, or even much more serious accidents, because you always fall badly.”
She warned that on very hard snow, falling can lead to injuries such as “spleen rupture [which is] common”.
She also warned that the effects of alcohol can be more severe when at higher altitudes, due to lower levels of oxygen, and said that people should be aware that their tolerance may be lower than usual.
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Lift pass / forfait fraud
It is illegal to share ski passes with someone else. Almost all ski resorts stipulate that their passes are “neither transferable nor re-assignable’ and “may not be loaned free of charge or for a fee” (states the company that operates the ski area Les Trois Vallées in Savoie).
Using a ski pass or lift pass that is invalid, or which belongs to someone else, exposes you to a fine. French law states that the fine amount is “fixed…at five times the value of the daily pass”.
