Interesting pistehors article re: o/b / off piste management

[Mulletizer]

Interview with the Tignes piste director. Some interesting stuff there - seems to be an intelligent and pertinent interview to me:
http://pistehors.com/comments/557_0_1_0_C/

IMO The guy interviewed is very forward-thinking for a French resort. I don't like the way some of French mountains' off-piste is "managed" (with lots of bombs but precious little education of users, although this is improving) but really approve of the "education beats restriction" and "responsibility for your own actions" approaches (and the bombs are good too). There are some resorts that are really picking up on this idea, seems a great attitude to me.

He discusses the idea of closing o/b in the way some American resorts do. Classic comment:

PH : In Zinal (Switzerland) they have put in place gates where you can only pass if your avalanche beacon is transmitting. Have you thought about adopting that system at Tignes at certain itineraries such as the Vallons de la Sache?

JLT: No. At Zinal I believe they close the gates when the risk is 3 (considerable) or more. In the US they do the same with access to the outbounds skiing. It is very American, there is a gate and lots of disclaimers to read. That is not how you educate and make people responsible enough to take their own decisions. You also have to understand the French. If there is a gate and fence they will climb over it.

Beacause it's there?? Gotta love the Frenchies.

[Anxious Mo-Fo]

Good read... and that line about the French is classic.