UKC

Hi,

Am going on a family ski trip which will involve my wife and myself skiing on alternate days whilst the other minds our daughter. Does anybody have any experience of doing similar and sharing a ski pass? i.e. buying a 6-day pass and we alternate who actually uses it on a day-by-day basis.

We are going to Zell/Kaprun and their website says they use chipcards, but I don't know whether or not they take a photo too (or whether this is checked, though I suspect not). To be honest it has been ages since I've been on a resort skiing holiday so I can't really remember how these things work.

Thanks
Niall

In reply to niallk:

I am sure your plan will be fine. Chipped passes just sit in inside pocket and aren't visible.

In reply to niallk:

we've done exactly this - in Zermatt. I've never had a chipcard for any less than 10 days that has required a photo and, as already said, chipboards just stay in your pocket all day.

In reply to niallk:
Not been in Zell for a couple of years, but then 7days plus were photo. Picture on database triggered by code on card, image then displayed on big screen so everyone could see. I'll ask about and see if system has been extended to 6day tickets, though web site will probably tell you.

In reply to niallk:

just come back from Val d'Isere and there too a 6 day pass didn't have a photo

In reply to niallk:

with chip cards you don't have photos on them, but every time you use them the lift pass scanner takes a photo of you and the lift attendant can compare them with previous photos taken.

we discovered this skiing in tignes this year, when a couple we were skiing with tried sharing a pass. When caught the lift attendant just assumed he had picked up the wrong pass, they blocked it for the rest of the day and they had to go and get it unblocked (and they bought an additional pass, so they didn't have to share anymore)

In reply to niallk:

Zell/Kaprun cards don't have photos on them. Not sure if they have a similar photo system as described at Tignes (have never noticed cameras at the gates...).

However, one thing worth knowing for Kaprun is that passes may only have one uplift per day from the valley. They don't tell you this. It's certainly the case for day tickets, not sure about multi-day. I found out a few years back after buying a pass from someone in the car park who had finished for the day mid-morning. Only an issue though if you try to swap within the day, which is probably too much faff at Kaprun.

In reply to niallk:

Pretty sure in the dolomites this year that my wife caused different lights to light up when we she went through a reader, so I presume it's identifying Male or Female, but obviously some resorts will have different checks to others

In reply to niallk:

People very regularly get caught doing this in NZ - the lifties have access to photos on file too. I'd suggest not doing it...

b

In reply to ben b:

2 friends of mine recently did exactly this in samoens for a week and had no issues

In reply to niallk:

Hi Niall,

I live in Kaprun, you wont have a problem sharing a 6 day pass. As mentioned though, passes only work for one trip up the glacier per day. However, if you do want to both ski the kitzsteinhorn, say one in the morning, one in the afternoon, you can speak to the lifties before you go up and it'll be fine. As already said though, it would be a bit of a faff to both ski it the same day.

Enjoy your week out here!

Rich

In reply to rogersavery:

Roger, your post puzzles me - I have just returned from Espace Killy (ie Val d'Isere + Tignes) and don't recall any cameras on the few lifts that do have ski pass detection. I would have thought that it would be difficult for a picture to be taken in the general melee when passing through. Also lift attendants rarely seem to be looking closely at skiers let alone comparing photos on a screen. But I did once notice an attendant with a portable device standing next to the skiers queuing which might have been some sort of detector... Any one know?
I found it strange that there were only detectors on the lifts at the bottom in the resort or at the change of areas i.e. when Val only lift pass ends and Tignes only area starts. Swiss and Austrian resorts have detectors generally on every lift, IME.
We were discussing whether you could get a third person skiing free where 2 persons purchase passes and allow the 3rd person up mountain by taking down a pass once the 2 skiers are through, but this would be illegal of course.
Mike

In reply to Mikek:
I've seen a photo myself in Val d'Isere on a monitor. There was definitely a camera at La Dialle (spelling?) gondola station last time I skied there a few years ago now. What caused me to look was the sudden action of three lift attendants when a skier of the opposite sex to the photo on the monitor was stopped just prior to getting into the gondola and was taken aside. Don't know what then happened after that or indeed any the reason the photo was stored as I just went ahead to the gondola. Prior to that though the attendant at a monitor did look up and down as if they were comparing what you looked like to a stored photo so I assumed all skiers are photographed and the photo is linked to the card, but they may have just been looking at how many lifts had been triggered over how many days etc. The camera was positioned facing the electronic barrier so it is possible in theory to link photo to card number. I believe many resort store lots on info based on the cards and can monitor where and when the cards are used, how far skied, etc.

In reply to niallk:

Some resorts do use photos, and do check them at gondola stations; I saw a guy get 'his' pass confiscated in Saint Gervais this year.

In reply to niallk:
With helmet, goggles etc ,I would imagine it is pretty hard to identify anyone.

In worst case , they quiz you and you just say cards got muddled in your apartment. If necessary buy a day pass to continue.

In reply to Climbing Pieman:

The big grey boxes where you scan your lift passes have a small glass section at face height - when you scan your pass it takes your photo and it comes up on the lift attendants screen

In reply to Climbing Pieman:

It certainly happens at Tignes at the Grand Motte funicular. As you scan your card and go through the turnstile the stored photo comes up on a screen nearby where the STGM attendant checks it. You can see all this happening as you pass though and wait for the train.

Have never noticed similar at other lifts but maybe it is just not as noticeable.

In reply to Slarti B:

Unfortunately, I didn't notice this at GM Funicular but how can my image be on the card? My lift pass was purchased from the tour rep and delivered to hotel so no image could be associated with the pass. Indeed, usually 1 person buys passes for all their group. I imagine that there are checks in place to ensure concessionaire passes are not abused i.e. when a youth passes through, perhaps a light flashes so the attendant can see whether the skier is a youth? Or perhaps they carry this out more discreetly by camera?
There ought to be more checks in Val d'Isere area as all the lifts up high didn't have pass detection.
Mike

In reply to Mikek:

Your image is not on the card

When you use your lift pass a photo gets taken of your face and stored on thier system - when the same lift pass is used again the previous photo(s) is displayed to the lift attendant

No photo is need when you get the pass and no photo is stored on the card

Perhaps both wear the same colour hat and goggles? A lift attendant probably won't look for facial details, just a general likeness between images. No experience of the resorts you've asked about though, sorry.

In reply to rogersavery:

Yes, I see how this would work then. But, for the original poster, it would seem that unless lift passes are transferable, he would risk getting into trouble by facial recognition, if this were carried out in Zell. However, I think it would require a very concerted effort by the lift attendants to spot this using camera images of skiers passing through the lifts.

In reply to Mikek:

If the system works as described by rogersavery, with current and previous images displayed on a screen, it would be pretty easy for the lifties to pick out transgressions through random checks.

I imagine they would be pretty hot on this in the bigger resorts. Otherwise what's to stop someone buying a relatively cheap whole season pass and then lending or hiring it out to all and sundry on a weekly or daily basis? The resort would lose a hell of a lot of money.

I don't remember anywhere I've skied having transferable passes. If I was in the OP's situation I think I'd rather just buy daily passes and save the worry rather than risk having a 6 day pass confiscated by sharing it, just for the sake of saving a few extra quid.

In reply to CathS:

Season passes do generally have photos on them, mine has, and they do check...........

In reply to niallk:

I was skiing in Madonna D.C this January. The ski passes have a male / female figure printed on the pass (and they ask when purchasing the pass if it is for a man or a woman).

Also - on a few lifts, I did notice that when you scan in, there was something that did look like a little camera on the scanning unit (at head height).

In reply to niallk:
Been to Zell for the past 3 years and Kaprun. I have never had picture take (to my knowledge) and I am sure that I have swapped my pass with others in our group. You'll be fine.

In reply to Rummmer:

Wow, I didn't expect this would generate that many responses. Thanks everyone.

So sounds like Kaprun/Zell is probably OK, but other places possibly not so much. It feels like ski resorts are missing a trick. Given the number of responses there must be plenty of other people in a similar situation. 50+ euros extra for the equivalent day tickets seems a bit steep given we aren't going to be doubling up in day and will be spending plenty of money elsewhere in the resort over the week. I'm talking for their bread and butter week-long punters, I accept it's a different bag for longer passes. The systems resorts have could easily be used to allow different day use but prevent same day usage.

Anyhoo, cheers all.

In reply to niallk:

In some ski resorts there is a camera in the glass where you buy your pass, this is then incorporated into your pass and is available on a large screen and shown as you walk through the gate,it is not uncommon to see lifties walking about with iPads etc looking at photos of who is walking through the gates.
Many lift passes are confiscated each year especially in Morzine/Avoriaz where they have it down to fine art.
I understand they get a bonus for this...