| What it is | Marked, groomed, patrolled resort run |
| Graded by | Difficulty (green/blue/red/black) |
| On-piste | Staying on prepared runs |
| Origin | French for 'track' |
French for 'track' or 'trail'.
A piste is a marked, maintained ski run within a resort’s boundaries, typically groomed and patrolled, where most resort skiing happens. Pistes are usually graded by difficulty (green/blue/red/black, varying by country). Skiing ‘on-piste’ means staying on these prepared runs, in contrast to ‘off-piste’ skiing on ungroomed terrain.
On-piste vs off-piste
The prepared groomer terrain for carving in alpine skiing; ungroomed snow is off-piste.
Frequently asked questions
What is a piste?
A piste is a marked, maintained ski run inside a resort, usually groomed and patrolled. It's the prepared terrain where most resort skiing takes place, graded by difficulty so skiers can choose appropriate runs. 'Piste' is the French word for track and is widely used, especially in Europe.
What's the difference between on-piste and off-piste?
On-piste means skiing on the marked, groomed, patrolled runs within the resort; off-piste means skiing ungroomed, unpatrolled snow off the prepared runs. On-piste is more controlled and predictable, while off-piste involves variable snow and, outside boundaries, avalanche and other backcountry hazards.
How are pistes graded?
By difficulty, using color codes that vary by region. In North America runs are green (easy), blue (intermediate), and black/double-black (advanced/expert); Europe commonly uses green, blue, red, and black. The grading reflects steepness and difficulty relative to that resort, so it's somewhat relative between areas.
Sources
- Resort terrain — PSIA-AASI
- Ski areas — The Mountaineers