Safety on the slopes — the Piste X Code
The Piste X Code way — stop, look, slide
The Piste X Code is a bilingual, non-profit slope safety campaign. The goal: introduce new skiers and snowboarders to established piste rules, while reminding experienced skiers and snowboarders of their safety responsibilities.
The campaign (pronounced “piste cross code” — like the green cross code) launched in 2022 following a tragic incident on a ski slope in the French Alps, where a young girl lost her life in a collision with another skier. Since then, and during our own time in the mountains with our own children, we’ve observed increasingly poor on-piste etiquette — frequent near-misses, collisions, injuries, and worse.
The Piste X Code is a set of eight rules designed to keep skiers and snowboarders safe on the piste.
Avalanche awareness
- Always check the daily avalanche risk report
- Off-piste? Take a transceiver, shovel, probe — and know how to use them
- Go with a qualified guide or instructor
Slope etiquette
- Give way to skiers below you
- Stop at the side, never in the middle
- Look uphill before setting off
- Stay in control at all times
Helmets matter
- Protect against serious head injury
- Lightweight, warm, and comfortable
- Clip it, forget it — until you need it
Mythbusters
- “Sunny = safe” — hazards happen in all weather
- “Slow skiers don’t need helmets” — most injuries happen at slower speeds
- “Skill beats snowpack” — respect closures, always
Want help booking lessons or gear? Just ask a Peak Snowsports team member — we’re here to help.