Skip to main content

Compass is offline while we prepare our new tools

Compass is offline while we prepare our new tools

Compass is now offline. Read more

Discover what this means

Slope spotters

Keep your eyes peeled for danger as we hunt hazards on a mock ski run.

Back to Activities

You’ll need

  • Something to mark lines (for example, chalk, masking tape, or rope)

Before you begin

  • Familiarise yourself with the International Ski Federation (FIS) rules of conduct before heading out onto any slopes. These help everyone stay safe and look out for one another. They also show what to do in an emergency.
  • Mark out a mock ski run. This may be easier outdoors. You could mark the edges with ropes or cones and features like jumps, ditches or trees with other objects. Larger groups may need more than one run.
  • Make sure everyone is able to see the FIS rules of conduct (listed above).

Staying safe on piste is hugely important, not just for yourself, but also for your fellow slope users. Adhering to the local rules, respecting the conditions and taking note of the terrain around you are great places to start. In addition, the International Ski Federation (FIS) has developed rules for conduct and environment that apply to all who use the pistes – regardless of what equipment they're using. This 'highway code' for the snow helps everyone to stay safe on the slopes, and should be followed at all times:

  1. Respect for others. A skier or snowboarder must behave in such a way that he or she doesn’t endanger or prejudice others.
  2. Control of speed and skiing or snowboarding. Every skier or snowboarder must move with control. They must adapt the speed and man­n­er of ski­ing or snow­board­ing to their per­so­n­al abil­i­ty and to the pre­vail­ing con­di­tions of ter­rain, snow and weather, as well as to the den­si­ty of traff­ic.
  3. Choice of route. A skier or snowboarder com­ing from behind must choose their route in a way that doesn’t endanger skiers or snowboarders ahead.
  4. Overtaking. A ski­er or snow­board­er may over­take another ski­er or snow­board­er above or be­low and to the right or to the left pro­vid­ed that they leave enough space for the over­tak­en ski­er or snow­board­er to make any vol­un­tary or in­vol­un­tary move­ment.
  5. Entering, starting and moving upwards. A skier or snowboarder en­ter­ing a marked run, start­ing again af­ter stop­ping or mov­ing up­wards on the slopes must look up and down the slopes to see that they can do so without en­dan­gering themselves or others.
  6. Stopping. Un­less ab­so­lute­ly ne­ces­sary, a skier or snow­board­er must avoid stop­ping on the piste in nar­row places or where vis­i­bil­i­ty is re­strict­ed. After a fall in such a place, a skier or snowboarder must move and clear the slope as soon as possible.
  7. Climbing and descending on foot. A skier or snowboarder either climbing or descending on foot must keep to the side of the slope.
  8. Respect for signs and markings. Skiers and snowboarders must respect all signs and markings.
  9. Assistance. At accidents, every skier or snowboarder is duty bound to as­sist.
  10. Identification. Every skier or snowboarder and witness, whether a responsible party or not, must exchange names and addresses following an accident.

 

Slope style

  1. Split into pairs or small groups. Read out the FIS rules of conduct listed above and make sure everyone understands them.
  2. Have each pair or small group line up at the start of the mock ski run. They should take turns to ‘ski’ down the slope. For each pair or small group, the person leading the activity should read out a rule from the rules of conduct. They must show how they’d follow that rule on the slope before reaching the bottom.
  1. If you have some helpers or Young Leaders, they could help stage scenarios as they occur on the slope as the pairs or small groups take turns descending. If not, you could add more obstacles, like ‘fallen trees,’ create a mock-up accident for a group to respond to or have more pairs or small groups on piste at the same time. This should check everyone’s understanding of the rules.
  1. All group members should demonstrate their knowledge and ability to descend a run safely, overtake others on the run, stop in a safe position and respond to an accident or incident on the slopes.

Reflection

Learning to look after ourselves while out and about, and help keep others safe too, is a useful, transferable skill. By having the confidence to make decisions independently and take action, we can start applying this skill to more different situations. This ability is one of the core skills of a great leader, as by making quick and effective decisions, we both help keep ourselves and keep others around us safe. What other scenarios might we find ourselves in where the ability to make decisions and trust in ourselves could make a difference?

This could apply to anything, from mountaineering incidents to a difficult decision in our everyday lives. The more confident we can be about making decisions, trusting ourselves and being responsible for our actions, the more we can keep ourselves and others safe and become great leaders.

Safety

All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.

Active games

The game area should be free of hazards. Explain the rules of the game clearly and have a clear way to communicate that the game must stop when needed. Take a look at our guidance on running active games safely.

  • Adjust the number of obstacles and hazards on the slopes to change the level of difficulty. Consider removing the rules of conduct from group members before they take part in the situations to see how much they remember.
  • Consider creating a set of cards with different hazards, injuries or incidents you might encounter along the way. Have group members pick these cards at random throughout the activity and they must then figure out how to deal with the new situation.

Make sure your mock ski slope is accessible for everyone in the group. This kind of activity could be completed on a tabletop with small objects with the same outcome, if this is easier.

All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.

Snowsports Stage 3

Get out on the slopes as soon as possible and put your knowledge of the rules of conduct to the test for real.

Young people should be encouraged to create and manage the slope and hazards throughout this activity. This will allow everyone to explore the different obstacles and situations they may come across when on the slopes for real and help to embed the knowledge.