Piste Piste A piste () is a marked ski run or path down a mountain for snow skiing, snowboarding, or other mountain sports. This European term is French ("trail", "track") and synonymous with 'trail', 'slope', or 'groomed run' in North America. The word is pronounced using a long "e" sound (e.g. rhymes with "beast"). Increasingly, North Americans employ its common European antonym, 'off piste', to describe backcountry skiing, especially when referring to skiing outside officially approved areas of a ski resort. Pistes are usually maintained using tracked vehicles known as snowcats to compact or "groom" the snow to even out trail
Ski Club of Great Britain holidays were first introduced in the 1970s, and later extended to include adult and over-50s holidays; Peak Experience holidays.In 1996–97 the holidays programme expanded once more with the incorporation of the off piste ski company ‘Freshtracks’. This increased the off piste programme and included many holidays with qualified mountain guides.It is notable that the holidays employ a rating system to match skiers of similar abilities. This rating system is a continuation of that used during the early decades of the Club’s existence. The Ski Club publishes an annual Consumer Research Report, advises the media on snowsports-related matters, and raises awareness