Safety and
Awareness Tips

1. Your Responsibility Code

1. Always stay in control. You must be able to stop or avoid people or objects.
2. People ahead or downhill of you have the right-of-way. You must avoid them.
3. Stop only where you are visible from above and do not restrict traffic.
4. Look uphill and avoid others before starting downhill or entering a trail.
5. You must prevent runaway equipment.
6. Read and obey all signs, warnings, and hazard markings.
7. Keep off closed trails and out of closed areas.
8. You must know how and be able to load, ride and unload lifts safely. If you need assistance, ask the lift attendant.
9. Do not use lifts or terrain when impaired by alcohol or drugs.
10. If you are involved in a collision or incident, share your contact information with each other and a ski area employee.

Winter sports involve risk of serious injury or death. Your knowledge, decisions and actions contribute to your safety and that of others. If you need help understanding the Code, please ask any ski area employee.

2. Ski with a Buddy

3. Avalanche Awareness

Avalanche mitigation helps reduce the risk but cannot eliminate the possibility of an avalanche occurring within the ski area

4. Ride Another Day

Ride Another Day lists three actions every skier can take to be responsible on the slopes:

• Be ready to slow down and avoid objects or other skiers at any time
• Stay alert to what’s going on around you, especially other skiers
• Plan ahead to ease up at blind spots, check uphill when merging onto trails and give other skiers plenty of room when passing

5. Tips For Avoiding Collisions

• Skiers ahead of you have the right of way
• Adjust your speed based on skier traffic and conditions
• Look ahead and adapt your skiing to the situation
• Ski in a rhythmic and predictable manner, especially in high-traffic areas
• Give other skiers lots of space when passing
• If you stop during a ski run, make sure you are visible to uphill skiers and look uphill before you resume skiing

6. Avoiding Citation for Leaving the Scene

You may be criminally charged if you are involved in a skier collision and leave the scene before you give the other skier or ski patrol your contact information.

7. Tips For Avoiding Tree Wells & Deep Snow Immersion

• Ski with a buddy and maintain visual contact and stop to check on each other
• Be wary of trees with branches touching the snow
• Be aware that tree wells tend to form deeper on the downhill side of a tree
• Do anything and everything possible to keep your head up if falling in deep snow

Tree Well and Deep Snow Immersion | NSAA.org >

8. Tips on Safety Gear

• We encourage skiers to make thoughtful choices about safety gear after considering their skill levels and where they will be skiing
• Skiers using avalanche airbag systems need to make sure the triggers on those systems are in the safety positions while in lift lines and riding lifts

Alta's Mountain Policy Statements