Piste

This article is about the ski piste. For the fencing piste or for other meanings, see piste (disambiguation).

Piste in Seibelseckle, Germany

A piste is the name given to a marked ski-run or path down a mountain for the purposes of skiing, snowboarding, or other mountain sports.

Piste Maintenance

Pistes are usually maintained by the operator of the ski resort, where skiers may travel from one piste to another via a mechanical ski lift system.

Pistes are usually maintained using tracked vehicles known as "piste bashers" or "groomers", which compact the snow in order to improve the skiing conditions, remove moguls, and most importantly preserve the snow so the ski season can last for a greater length of time. Pistes are often lined with artificial snow making machines so that snow can be created for skiing when it is in short supply.

Difficulty Grading of Pistes

Pistes are usually graded according to difficulty. The main factors used to assertain this difficulty are usually: steepness, width of piste, and typical snow conditions (e.g. whether moguls or ice are normally present). A number of different methods are in use throughout the world in order to indicate the difficulty.

In France and Spain a four colour system is usually employed as follows:

Black - (very) difficult/advanced, Red - difficult/medium/advanced intermediate, Blue - medium/easy/intermediate, Green - (very) easy/beginner

Resorts in Austria, Switzerland, and several other parts of Europe normally employ a four colour system:

Orange - extreme, Black - difficult/advanced, Red - medium/intermediate, Blue'' - easy/beginner.

Sometimes an additional Yellow colour is used to denote a "freeride" route - essentially an off-piste route that is marked on the map.

In North America and Australia, a three/four colour system is usually employed as follows:

Double Black - expert/extreme terrain, Black - difficult/advanced, Blue - medium/intermediate, Green - easy/beginner.

Piste

Piste Maintenance

Difficulty Grading of Pistes

See also