Piste them small and family-oriented, so comparisons between slope classifications in Japan and "equivalent" slopes in Europe or North America are minimal. 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
Ski touring Ski touring Ski touring is skiing in the backcountry on unmarked or unpatrolled areas. It is similar to backcountry skiing. Typically touring is done off-piste and outside of ski resorts, and may extend over a period of more than one day. Ski touring cuts across either Nordic and Alpine forms and embraces such sub-disciplines as "Telemark" and "randonnée". A defining characteristic is the skier's heel being free to allow a natural gliding motion while traversing and ascending terrain which may range from perfectly flat to extremely steep. Ski touring has been adopted by skiers seeking new snow, by alpinists, and