My Favorite Ski Safety Features on the Slopes App
I first downloaded the Slopes App to track my speed, vertical, and distance while skiing, and having now used it in nearly 40 stations around the world over the last few seasons, I’ve learned the app also has specific features that make it especially useful for having a safer experience overall.
Tracking my ski day with the Slopes App in Zermatt, Switzerland
As someone who often skis by herself, safety is always a top concern of mine. I’m grateful that the Slopes App has been a helpful tool while I have fun, get fresh air and exercise, explore as many ski stations and resorts as I possibly can, and work toward improving my technique.
I’ve written at length on the many benefits of skiing solo and have also compiled a list of my top tips for safely skiing alone elsewhere on my blog, and have found that the below features available on the Slopes App have contributed immensely to having safe experiences on the mountain. Continue reading to learn more about the Slopes Apps safety features I love, use, and access every time I go skiing.
1. Location Sharing
One of the most helpful safety features of Slopes App that provides peace of mind to my friends and family that know I often ski alone, is the ability to share my location. Every day that I head to the mountain to ski, I enable location sharing in the app. This allows me to email anyone a web-browser link to my live location, so they can follow me even if they don’t have the Slopes App installed on their device. The link automatically expires as soon as you end your recording in the app, at which point you can contact your loved ones directly and let them know you’re finished skiing for the day.
One day last season when I was skiing alone in Zermatt, I had sent a Slopes App Location Sharing link to my mom who began tracking me as I made my way around the mountain. On one particularly scenic run, I stopped to set up my tripod and stage a few photos with the beautiful Matterhorn views, and after about 30 minutes or so I received a call from my mom. She said she was contacting me to see if I was ok, because when she was following my location she noticed I was stopped beside a run and that I hadn’t moved in some time. It was reassuring to know that someone was looking out for me, even if it was from the other side of the world. (Love you, mama— thank you!)
2. Easy to Call Ski Patrol
Another helpful safety feature available in the Slopes App is the ability to call the local ski patrol for the resort or station you’re currently skiing. Instead of having to look up the number online, or regret having forgotten to save it somewhere before starting your day, you can easily access the number directly in the app if there’s an emergency and you or someone needs assistance.
3. Download and Access “Paper Trail Maps” in App
Before visiting a ski station or resort, you can download the trail map directly in the Slopes App so you can start getting familiar with the layout and various areas. Having the map available offline is also helpful so you don’t have to use an excessive amount of battery or cell service when you open the app to orient yourself or continue planning your day.
4. Track Realtime Movement on 2d/3d Maps in App
When recording your ski day on the Slopes App, you can see all the movements you made throughout the resort on a 2d map (or a 3d map if you have the premium version). This is a helpful safety feature because if for whatever reason you needed to confirm where it was exactly that you started, you can easily reference your starting point in the app’s map. Especially if you’re traveling abroad or visiting a new ski resort with unfamiliar lift and trail names that might also be in another language, it can be easy to forget the name of the area that you’ll eventually have to return to. Once you’ve stopped recording your ski day, you can still access the outline of your movements in the app’s maps afterwards.
5. Consult User-Reported Conditions
Weather conditions can change quickly and often, and can vary across different areas within the same resort. You can use Slopes App to review user-reported conditions from the past few days before heading to the mountain, and insights into conditions like thin coverage, ice, or wet and heavy snow may help you prepare for your day.
6. Battery Performance
While I don’t have another app to compare it to (because Slopes is the only ski tracking app I’ve ever used), I think it’s still worth mentioning that I’ve never noticed any ill-effects to my phone battery’s performance when using the app. I’ve been able to track my location with the Slopes App while skiing big mountains, in cold temperatures, for many hours at a time, and my battery doesn’t seem to die at a faster rate than normal. Something I do notice that tends to kill my phone battery is taking many photos and videos while skiing, so if battery performance is a big concern for you, I suggest limiting using your camera usage.
Aside from these safety features, the Slopes App is also great for a number of other features that I love: tracking my speed, vertical, and distance; compiling season and lifetime stats; keeping track of all the ski resorts I’ve visited since I started tracking; and also integrating all the photos and videos I took while recording and making them easy accessible within the app. But above all else, I mostly love the Slopes App for helping me quantify and really see how much my skiing has improved over the years. I can use the app to see how much faster I ski on average, and it’s been helpful in strengthening my on-mountain navigation skills.
Do you use the Slopes App or have any questions about my personal experience using it while skiing? Let me know in the comments below!
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About the author
Meet Carina Otero, avid skier and the creator of She is Not Lost, an online community for celebrating female travelers and a blog providing helpful tips, useful information, and inspiration for your future travels. Carina’s passion for skiing and love of writing and photography have inspired a new blog to share her experiences and personal favorites relating to the sport:
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