Skiing alone: how to ride solo safely, and find company when you want it

Why ride solo

Plenty of good skiers ride alone a lot of the time. Your friends might be working, injured or at a different level. You might be travelling, new to a ski town or squeezing in a couple of hours before work. Solo days are great for practising one skill over and over, exploring a mountain you don’t know, or just getting lots of runs in without stopping.

The trade-off is simple: if something goes wrong, there’s nobody beside you to help or raise the alarm. Most of the advice below is about closing that gap.

Before you go

• Tell someone your plan. Which resort, roughly which area, and when you expect to be done. A quick message to a friend or housemate is enough.
• Charge your phone and keep it in an inside pocket. Cold drains batteries fast.
• Save the resort’s emergency or ski patrol number in your phone, and know where first aid is.
• Check the weather and snow report. Low visibility, wind holds and icy mornings all feel more serious when you’re on your own.
• Grab a trail map and note a couple of easy ways back to the base from wherever you’re riding.

On the hill

Ride a little more conservatively than you would with a friend. Not slowly, just with more margin. Warm up on something easy, especially first thing when the snow can be firm. Stay on open, marked runs and follow the responsibility code: stay in control, give way to people below you, and stop where you can be seen from above. Our guide to slope and chairlift etiquette covers the rules in more detail.

Fatigue matters more on solo days because nobody suggests a break. “One last run” is a ski cliché for a reason. Stop for water and food, and call it when your legs are done.

What to skip when you’re alone

Some terrain is much safer with a partner who can see you. When you’re riding alone, it’s worth leaving these for another day:

• Tree runs and deep powder. Falling head-first into deep snow or a tree well (the loose, deep snow around the base of a tree) can trap you, and you may not be able to get out without help. Ride trees with a partner who keeps you in sight.
• Anything outside the resort boundary or closed. Off-piste and backcountry terrain is not patrolled or controlled for avalanches like open runs. It needs training, avalanche equipment and a partner you trust.
• Terrain at the edge of your ability. Save the new steep run or the bigger park features for when someone is with you.

Lifts and lunch

Many resorts have a singles line that fills empty seats on chairlifts and gondolas. It’s usually faster than the main queue and a low-pressure way to chat with people. Lunch on your own is normal too: grab a seat at a shared table and you’ll often end up comparing runs with whoever’s next to you.

Lessons are another route. A group lesson puts you with people at about your level for a few hours, and some resorts run free mountain tours or host programmes that show visitors around. Check your resort’s website for what’s on.

Finding people when you want company

Solo days are great, but you shouldn’t have to ride alone if you don’t want to. That’s why we built Broski. Mark the days you’re free at your home resort, then open the Find tab, pick a resort and a date, and see who else is riding. Filter by ski or snowboard and by ability so you find someone who rides like you. Send a request, chat once they accept, and plan where to meet.

Not ready for one to one? Every resort has a group chat on Broski, and riders host events like lift laps and après where you can see who’s going before you commit. If you’re travelling, add a trip and riders at that resort will see you on those dates.

When you do meet someone new, keep it simple: meet somewhere busy, start with an easy run, and agree on a regroup spot. Our guide to meeting ski buddies safely walks through the first day, and our Safety Tips cover the rest.