Off-piste difficulty levels

Easy

• Easy slope without steep sections.
• Easy to navigate.
• Little or no terrain hazards such as cliffs, cornices, or the like.
• The run contains few or no areas with avalanche danger.

Average

• Moderate slope, may include shorter steep sections.
• Easy to orientate, but may contain passages (such as cliffs, cornices) that one must navigate around or beside.
• May include passage over glacier.
• These ski runs require the ability to assess current avalanche danger, but do not need to be in dangerous avalanche terrain for the entire run.

Intermediate

• Moderately difficult to difficult slope. May be consistently steep without being extremely steep.
• May require challenging navigation to find the right path down the ski run.
• Hazards such as cliffs that must be skied around or between may be present. If the run is not so difficult, it may be in exposed terrain. Passages over glaciers or other hazards may occur.
• These ski runs require the ability to assess current avalanche danger before embarking on the run.

Expert

• Almost all expert runs require scouting the run from the bottom and top. Sometimes it may need to be done several times before attempting the ski run. Some runs can only be skied under special weather/snow conditions.
• Steep or extremely steep slope. May include both steep and narrow passages.
• The entire run may be in exposed terrain and may also demand high navigational skills.
• These ski runs are usually in avalanche-prone slopes and can only be skied under stable snow conditions.