Closed Pistes, Piste Boundaries and Prohibited Areas
Ski resorts close slopes for avalanche control work, for grooming with piste bashers, at the end of the day or whenever safety cannot be ensured. Entering a closed slope is not just a breach of the rules but a real danger: the cables of the winch cats (winch-assisted piste bashers) that groom steep slopes are hundreds of metres long and under high tension, hard to see and almost invisible at night. That is why the Swiss guidelines require winch cats to operate only outside lift hours or on closed slopes. When the lifts close, the slopes close too, and the patrol checks only marked and open slopes. Entering a closed slope can lead to a fine of up to 150 euros in France and up to 1,000 dollars in the US state of Colorado.
According to the French Ministry of Sport, slopes are regulated by municipal order and are closed at the end of the day or when safety cannot be ensured. The reasons listed in one French municipal order point the same way: some slopes may be closed to everyone while an avalanche control plan is being carried out or while grooming with a winch cat is under way. In practice, the main reasons for closing a slope are:
Reason
What happens?
Avalanche control
Snow on the slopes above is brought down in a controlled way; blasting may be used
Grooming
Piste bashers smooth the slope; on steep slopes a winch cat is used
End of the day
Lift hours end, the patrol does a final check, the slopes close
Safety cannot be ensured
Because of weather, snow or ground conditions, the resort cannot ensure that the slope is safe
On steep slopes, the piste basher works while being pulled by a long steel cable anchored at a point at the top. According to local press reporting a warning from the Steamboat resort in the US, this cable is about 900 metres long and under high tension; it is hard to see, almost invisible at night and can spring up out of the snow as the piste basher moves.
This danger is not theoretical. A 2010 ruling by the cantonal court of Valais in Switzerland examined a case in which a snowboarder suffered brain damage after hitting a winch cable on a marked slope between 16:00 and 17:00. The court ruled that the resort's duty of care when grooming with a winch continues even after the slopes have closed. The Swiss ski area guidelines (SKUS) cited in the ruling require the following:
Because of the high risk of accidents, winch cats operate only outside lift operating hours or on closed slopes.
A yellow warning light is on while they are operating.
Resorts display a warning sign along these lines: *“Outside lift operating hours, the slopes are closed and are not protected against dangers such as avalanche blasting or winch cats. Danger to life!”*
The Austrian Board for Alpine Safety gives the same warning to people ski touring up the slopes: if a slope or part of a slope has been closed, respect it; piste bashers, especially winch cats, and avalanche blasting can be life-threatening.
The lifts have closed – is the slope still open?
No. Under the SKUS guidelines, the slopes are closed outside lift hours and the ski patrol checks only marked and open slopes. Anyone still on the slope after the last run is not under the patrol's watch, and the piste basher driver will not wait for them either. You can find out what time the slopes close from the boards at the resort entrance and at the lift stations; at Erciyes, too, green on the live board means open and red means closed. We explain how to read the board in our guide How Do You Read a Piste Map? Lifts, Routes and Warnings.
Piste boundary and closed-area signs
Piste boundary: The edge of a marked slope is shown with poles and, where necessary, ropes. Beyond the boundary is no longer the slope.
Closed slope: According to the description in the French municipal order, a closed slope has a closure barrier at its start and a banner reading “closed”. In France, slopes are marked according to the NF S 52-102 standard.
Grooming hours: The same order bans pedestrians and skiers from some slopes from 17:15 in the evening to 09:00 in the morning while grooming is under way.
Remember that signs can vary from country to country; but a rope, crossed poles or the word “closed” say the same thing everywhere: do not enter.
Off-piste: your own responsibility
According to the French Ministry of Sport, anyone skiing outside the marked slopes does so at their own risk. Off-piste is not the same as a closed slope; but there is no avalanche control and no patrol. Before going off-piste, read our guide Avalanche Risks When Skiing Off-Piste.
Rules and penalties
Place
Rule
Penalty
France
Slopes are regulated by municipal order; closed slopes may not be used
Breaching a municipal or police order: fine of up to 150 euros (French Criminal Code R.610-5)
France
Rescue costs
Municipalities may recover rescue costs from the individual if they have informed users in advance (1985 Mountain Act)
US, Colorado
A slope marked “closed” may not be entered
Fine of up to 1,000 dollars
US (NSAA code)
Keep off closed slopes and areas
Resort rule; sanctions such as cancelling your ski pass vary from resort to resort
Whichever country you are in, follow the resort's signs and the staff's warnings. You can find the general rules of conduct on the slopes in our guide The FIS 10 Rules for Conduct on the Slopes.
A full day on open slopes
A shortcut across a closed slope never saves the day; a day spent to the full on open slopes, on the other hand, is the whole point of an activity holiday. Doğadayız winter packages include accommodation, ski pass and equipment; on the basic course packages, you learn the slope rules with an instructor. Keeping an eye on the last lift time together and doing the last run of the day as a group is also one of the nicest rituals of a social adventure holiday. For our programmes, see the winter activity holidays page.
Doğadayız Packages
Doğadayız packages for your level
Winter activity holidays with accommodation, ski pass and equipment included, shared with a group.
The easiest way to learn to ski: a winter activity holiday
An activity holiday puts a sport at the heart of your trip: transport, accommodation and meals are planned, so you can focus on learning on the slopes. On Doğadayız winter activity holidays, accommodation, ski pass and ski or snowboard equipment are included in every package; course packages include basic lessons with instructors affiliated with the Turkish Ski Federation, while experience packages let you practise on the slopes at your own level.
What makes the programme different is the group: sharing the slopes with people at a similar level, dinners and nights out together, and a group leader by your side at all times. Solo travellers become part of this social adventure holiday from day one. That is why we describe our programmes as a social adventure holiday.
The main reasons are avalanche control work, grooming with piste bashers, the end of the day and situations in which safety cannot be ensured. French regulations state explicitly that slopes may be closed to everyone while an avalanche control plan is being carried out or a winch cat is operating.
Is it dangerous to ski on the slopes after lift hours?
Yes. Under the Swiss guidelines, the slopes are closed outside lift hours and the patrol checks only marked and open slopes. Winch cats may be operating at these times; their cables are under high tension, hard to see and can spring up out of the snow.
Is there a fine for entering a closed slope?
It depends on the country. In France, breaching a municipal order can lead to a fine of up to 150 euros, and in some cases municipalities can recover rescue costs. In the US state of Colorado, the fine for entering a slope marked closed can be as high as 1,000 dollars.
A piste map has three layers: lifts (gondolas, chairlifts, drag lifts and magic carpets; usually straight lines), runs (blue, red and black by difficulty; often numbered) and services (rental, first aid, restaurants, meeting points). When reading the map, first find where you are and your return point, then the runs that suit your level and the lifts that take you up to them. The live board at the resort entrance shows which lifts and runs are open (green) or closed (red) and any avalanche warning; plan your day accordingly.
Ski slopes are prepared with tracked grooming machines known in the industry as piste bashers (in Turkish, ratrak). According to the handbook of the Swiss Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF), the blade at the front moves the snow and levels the surface, the tiller at the back compacts the snow and breaks up its grains to create a smooth, durable surface, and the winch (cable) makes it possible to prepare steep slopes. According to the SLF, the best time to groom is shortly after the slopes close: in the morning, a slope groomed in the evening is more than twice as durable as one groomed in the early hours. The slopes are closed while grooming is under way; according to the German Alpine Club, there is danger to life especially when a winch is in use.
Marked and open slopes are secured against avalanches; off-piste terrain is not, and skiing there is entirely at your own risk. Even in Türkiye, skiers who went off-piste have lost their lives in avalanches: at Erciyes in 2022 and at Palandöken in 2024. If you are thinking of going off-piste, there are three conditions: reading the avalanche bulletin (on the European scale of 1–5; about half of deaths happen at level 3), everyone in the group carrying a transceiver, probe and shovel, and having learned to use them through training. A buried person's chance of survival is above 90% in the first 10–18 minutes but drops sharply after that; the rescue is up to the friends you are with.
