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Chairlift Etiquette

newboots

Angel Diva
I got a 'sorry', I think? He may have been a beginner, not sure. I mean, who does this? :crazy:

I can imagine doing this as a beginner. When I started I really wanted to ride the lift alone. Getting off was terrifying.
 

HikenSki

Angel Diva
I didn't learn until last year that one should hold both poles in one hand when getting off the lift. No one ever told me or showed me that technique. Ever since, that's all I do and now even when I am the only one on the lift, I still hold both in one hand. On more than one occasion I have told others on the lift to hold their poles otherwise they are going to trip someone up. I've had a few close calls from others stabbing their pole into or next to my ski as they push off. A few weekends ago, a liftie was yelling at people getting off the lift to hold their poles in one hand as they got off. That was a first!
 

BMR

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I didn't learn until last year that one should hold both poles in one hand when getting off the lift. No one ever told me or showed me that technique. Ever since, that's all I do and now even when I am the only one on the lift, I still hold both in one hand. On more than one occasion I have told others on the lift to hold their poles otherwise they are going to trip someone up. I've had a few close calls from others stabbing their pole into or next to my ski as they push off. A few weekends ago, a liftie was yelling at people getting off the lift to hold their poles in one hand as they got off. That was a first!

Exactly! I think the problem is there is no "driver's license" or test to pass before you get on the lift or ski for the first time. Nobody teaches beginners these things, and not everyone will take a lesson or ski with a friend who will tell them these things. This makes for dangerous situations.
 

WaterGirl

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
@mountainwest = spread eagle. Yes MEN who think they need more “room” then everyone else to as we call it to ‘try to air their ball sack out’ I usually imitate them while DH laughs.

Standing on my skis. I like to believe I have a sense of humor, I have 2 backcountry stickers on top of themselves on a few of my skis. Easier to find in the rack. Last week told the person behind me to get off my ‘humping’ goats..... If that dosent’ work, I just take my pole an hold it directly behind me so they can’t get close. This is similar to people in a check out line who have no idea of what personal space is....

Use of fragrance when you're planning on riding a gondola.
I so identify with this. I never understand fragrance in nature. I have in the past, paddled to a different take off zone b/c a male surfer had the most horrendous hair product/ fragrance and I could smell in in the surf line up. Same thing in elevator/ gondola/ beach or lately hiking trails - obviously nose blind people....
 

Like2Ski

Angel Diva
Let’s add spitting to the list. Shared a not so lovely ride on the summit triple at Attitash this morning with two-brains-not-yet developed teenage boys. It wasn’t skiable terrain but I was completely grossed out. Spitting in public, regardless of gender, is a huge pet peeve.

I’m going to derail the thread a bit to give a shout out to the dad sitting on a snowboard in the middle of Nosedive yesterday at Stowe videotaping his kids snowplowing down in a lesson. There were about ten of us first time nosedivers waiting to take turns heading down waiting for:

His slow kids to move down with their instructor.
Him to get the heck out of dodge.

Zero self awareness. Zero. My kids, my video, my mountain!
 

MissySki

Angel Diva
Let’s add spitting to the list. Shared a not so lovely ride on the summit triple at Attitash this morning with two-brains-not-yet developed teenage boys. It wasn’t skiable terrain but I was completely grossed out. Spitting in public, regardless of gender, is a huge pet peeve.

I’m going to derail the thread a bit to give a shout out to the dad sitting on a snowboard in the middle of Nosedive yesterday at Stowe videotaping his kids snowplowing down in a lesson. There were about ten of us first time nosedivers waiting to take turns heading down waiting for:

His slow kids to move down with their instructor.
Him to get the heck out of dodge.

Zero self awareness. Zero. My kids, my video, my mountain!

Ha I’ll take spitting and raise you snot rockets!! I was on a lift last weekend with a middle aged man, we get going and he says “beautiful day isn’t it?!” and then proceeds to lean forward over the bar and blow snots out of one nostril down onto the snow (and yes it was skiable terrain heading back to the lift, but luckily I don’t think anyone was down there.). He was then very friendly chatting the whole way up, I was just so taken aback though, like when did it become socially acceptable behavior to shoot snots out of your nose with a complete stranger beside you?? I’m sure my facial expression was hilarious under all of my layers! :help:
 

marymack

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I've been in France all week (yes full report on our stay in Les 3 Vallees coming), its been very interesting getting used to the lift loading system here... I said to my DH yesterday "if we come back with kids in the future, we are waiting until they are old enough to ride the lift themselves just in case!" I would get anxiety towards the end of the line to see if we would get on the same chair because everyone kind of just crowds the entrance...gondola loading is the worst, at least the chairs have little gates so everyone fills in a slot and then goes.
 

Jenny

Angel Diva
Ha I’ll take spitting and raise you snot rockets!! I was on a lift last weekend with a middle aged man, we get going and he says “beautiful day isn’t it?!” and then proceeds to lean forward over the bar and blow snots out of one nostril down onto the snow (and yes it was skiable terrain heading back to the lift, but luckily I don’t think anyone was down there.). He was then very friendly chatting the whole way up, I was just so taken aback though, like when did it become socially acceptable behavior to shoot snots out of your nose with a complete stranger beside you?? I’m sure my facial expression was hilarious under all of my layers! :help:
O.M.G.
 

Abbi

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Ha I’ll take spitting and raise you snot rockets!! I was on a lift last weekend with a middle aged man, we get going and he says “beautiful day isn’t it?!” and then proceeds to lean forward over the bar and blow snots out of one nostril down onto the snow (and yes it was skiable terrain heading back to the lift, but luckily I don’t think anyone was down there.). He was then very friendly chatting the whole way up, I was just so taken aback though, like when did it become socially acceptable behavior to shoot snots out of your nose with a complete stranger beside you?? I’m sure my facial expression was hilarious under all of my layers! :help:

:eek::bolt:
 

Jilly

Moderator
Staff member
I've been in France all week (yes full report on our stay in Les 3 Vallees coming), its been very interesting getting used to the lift loading system here... I said to my DH yesterday "if we come back with kids in the future, we are waiting until they are old enough to ride the lift themselves just in case!" I would get anxiety towards the end of the line to see if we would get on the same chair because everyone kind of just crowds the entrance...gondola loading is the worst, at least the chairs have little gates so everyone fills in a slot and then goes.

DH and I skied 3 Vallees and Tignes-Val d'Isere back in the late 80's. So things haven't changed for the better I'd say. Nothing like standing in line with your elbows out so no one could get close to you.
 

santacruz skier

Angel Diva
Nothing like standing in line with your elbows out so no one could get close to you.


Still need to do that.... and don't try to get on a shuttle without elbows out.
 

newboots

Angel Diva
Still need to do that.... and don't try to get on a shuttle without elbows out.

Too bad! I wish to romanticize skiing in Europe (and out West) and pretend that it looks like it did in 1939. On those beautiful posters we were admiring!
 

newboots

Angel Diva
Out west, ski midweek. You'll experience it at its best.

Yes, (lucky me) I ski midweek here. I spent 2 hours today, and 2 on Monday, at Killington. Super-crazy holiday vacation week. Today I was dodging the younger folk wearing sweatshirts and no helmets. One nearly took me out (he fell and bumped me a bit), got up, and his buddies called him to the top of Panic Button, a single diamond trail with a headwall frozen solid. I couldn't watch.

Midweek (non-holiday) includes the odd vacationers, a few kids, and a whole buncha retirees. Mostly people who can ski!
 

Like2Ski

Angel Diva
Ha I’ll take spitting and raise you snot rockets!! I was on a lift last weekend with a middle aged man, we get going and he says “beautiful day isn’t it?!” and then proceeds to lean forward over the bar and blow snots out of one nostril down onto the snow (and yes it was skiable terrain heading back to the lift, but luckily I don’t think anyone was down there.). He was then very friendly chatting the whole way up, I was just so taken aback though, like when did it become socially acceptable behavior to shoot snots out of your nose with a complete stranger beside you?? I’m sure my facial expression was hilarious under all of my layers! :help:

Holy cow! I may have jumped lol.
 

SkiBabyMD

Certified Ski Diva
Using the safety bar properly.

One of our U10 kids fell off the chair from over 20 feet high and suffered a bad head injury. Needed to be helicoptered off the resort and have surgery.

The U10 had his arms draped over the bar and the adult next to him flung the bar up lifting him up and off the chair.

Let people know when you’re raising and lowering the bar. Raise the bar close to the unload area. Please be extra careful when riding with kids!
 

santacruz skier

Angel Diva
Using the safety bar properly.

One of our U10 kids fell off the chair from over 20 feet high and suffered a bad head injury. Needed to be helicoptered off the resort and have surgery.

The U10 has his arms draped over the bar and the adult next to him flung the bar up lifting him up and off the chair.

Let people know when you’re raising and lowering the bar. Be extra careful when riding with kids!
Heard about this terrible accident at Northstar....
 

Mistletoes

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Using the safety bar properly.

One of our U10 kids fell off the chair from over 20 feet high and suffered a bad head injury. Needed to be helicoptered off the resort and have surgery.

The U10 had his arms draped over the bar and the adult next to him flung the bar up lifting him up and off the chair.

Let people know when you’re raising and lowering the bar. Raise the bar close to the unload area. Please be extra careful when riding with kids!
Thanks for sharing this. My thoughts and prayers to the athlete and family. I hope the racer has a full and speedy recover.

I heard about this accident and made a point to talk to my U9 this morning about chairlift safety. Adults also need to be very cautious when riding with kids.
 

EeveeCanSki

Certified Ski Diva
Keep skis straight when loading the lift and anticipate when the chair is going to go up.

This weekend I was nearly dragged under the chair when a teenager on the other side of me was caught off-guard by the chair taking off and his skis somehow ended up on top of mine. As his timing was off and his knees were pulled back, mine were too, and I nearly fell off the chair (thankfully, this was just in the loading area, but still, it was scary!). I ended up twisting my spine and tweaking a hip muscle just to hang on. No major effects from that though that I can tell.
 

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