European Ski Laws

Hey I am about to set off for 7 weeks of backcountry skiing in europe and I want to ski the dolomite alps. Does anyone know anything about skiing this region and what the laws of skiing beneath the lifts in europe are? The region is littered with them so I feel like it would be unavoidable. Also any literature suggestions on the haute route and dolomites.

Lemme know.

It's the law  in all of Europe that you must smoke in the gondola

In Chamonix you must also smoke and have a arrogant attitude towards everybody with a little sneer on your lips.

In Italy, you can only ski two runs then it is mandatory that you sit down in the sun and drink a bottle of wine, ski two more runs and repeat.

In Germany, it is illegal to have any fun. All skiing must be undertaken with appropriate Teutonic seriousness.

In Spain, there is mandatory daily intake of pork products and you must sexually harass a pretty girl every two hours.

With regards the skiing there are no rules, go where you like, duck the ropes. The responsibility is yours to survive!

It is also the law in some of the European Countries ( Switzerland, I know) that when the land is covered with snow, there are no trespassing laws and even private pasture land becomes accessible.

I also have maps of the Haute route terrain and a Haute route Guide book with details of the various routes from Chamonix to Zermatt.
You can borrow them if you want. Drop me a PM and I'll get them to you.

AND SERIOUSLY, you want to buy rescue insurance, it costs next to nothing in Europe and can be bought at the ski area. It provides coverage for helicopter rescue which is very efficient and costly in Europe. I think it costs less than $50 if I can remember.
You can also join the American Alpine Club for a reasonable cost and they provide some insurance as well. I wouldn't tour in Europe without it.
Many on this board have extensive European experience. GregL and Silas Wild may be able to offer even better insights.
Have fun.

Scotty,
Now you have confused me. I don't know whether it's better to have laws or not have laws.
I do try and always ski with my doctor and my attorney along.
Very little can I add to the topic question other than from what Ive seen is that there isn't a lot of fencing to keep one going where one wants.

On a more serious note, it is illegal to ski offpiste in Italy. It may or may not be enforced, a friend of mine was fined almost 50 Euros. However skiing with a guide or a friend that is a guide may open some of that terrain. Switzeland and France you are on your own and rescue insurance is available at any post office.

As for books, The mountaineers book store may have some, however the good news is almost every newspaper stand sells topo maps and guide books of the region you are in. In Chamonix there is one bookstore that will have every book you need.

The best online description of the Haute Route is on Mark Houston and Kathy Cosley's website. They describe The classic and the Verbier variation. It is a beautiful slog, if you want to get some skiing in, consider the Bernese Oberland or the Ortler, more peak skiing, less traversing. Have fun, the skiing is big and wild with a little civilization tucked in the mountains!

If you are in the Dolomites I recommend checking out Lagozzoi. Not sure of the spelling. This is not touring but in my opinion if you ski lifts this was a fantastic experience. There is a very nice hut/chalet at the top to overnight in. Get reservations. In the evening was a nice walk out to a summit and a great view point, view is great at the hut too. What was so outstanding was the ski the next morning off the back side down a meandering groomed run between cliffs, hill and dale. Having stayed overnight we had it all to ourselves and had a hard time not just bombing down the groomer. In the end we interspersed high speed cruising with trips off the sides into the freshies. There were several places you could cut the groomer switch backs to hit the untracked. It was the highlight of our 3 week trip. Its not the Haute Route but it was so much fun with such interesting terrain and all to ourselves. The outstanding weather and snow certainly helped too. This run is distinguished by the horse drag at the bottom, for a few Euros of course. If the snow is fast you can probably cover the ground faster skating, though it is a long way. The way is not obvious so sort this out before hand. One other thing I heard about Italy is that the meals and accomodations in the mountain huts are much better than other countries. In my limited experience I would agree. The Haute Route huts are in spectacular spots but are necessarily quite rustic, not much heated and meals are generally plain but hearty. There is a worthwhile article on do it your selfers on the Haute Route in the November issue of Backcountry magazine. Have fun. You are making me want to go back right now. Will do so in 2010 though.

Let's do get serious. DLU I have in my library a guide book of backcountry routes in Courmayeur- La Thuile and LA Rosiere. By Piero Rufffino. It's a small 3x5 book with Italian front half and full explanation in English in second half. No maps just pictures with routes.IT's yours to borrow. I will need it back.Pm me for hand off if you decide you would like to borrow.