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Going off piste If you leave the marked pistes, it is assumed that you know what you're doing - and you do it at your own risk. Make sure you are allowed to leave the marked runs. In certain areas, especially in North America, back-country skiing is restricted in order to protect important wilderness nature reserves. If you ignore signs, you risk a heavy fine and/or the confiscation of your lift pass. Never ski off piste alone. Unless you are really familiar with the route, take an experienced guide. Simply following a set of tracks is no guarantee of safety: conditions change rapidly in the mountains, and the author of the tracks may have been a much stronger skier than yourself - or lost. Before setting out, make sure that you are familiar with the resort and the conditions. Routes alter with the seasons and the weather: an enjoyable gully in February might be a roaring torrent in April. Make sure that you are aware of the level of avalanche danger and check the weather forecast: being caught off piste in fog or in a blizzard is extremely dangerous. If you are venturing into terrain where there may be avalanche danger, make sure you are properly equipped. Each member of the group should carry a working transceiver and you should have at least two collapsible shovels between you. If you are in any doubt about how to use this equipment, you should be skiing with a guide. Before you set out, always let someone know where you are going, and agree with them what to do if you don't return by a specified time. Plan your path to avoid walking uphill as much as possible. Learn to read the terrain: gentle dips in the snow could hide streams or even crevasses; suspicious bumps could be rocks or tree stumps. Make sure your insurance policy covers off-piste skiing. In some countries you will be charged the cost of recovery if you need to be helicoptered out, which doesn't come cheap.

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