Protected areas and wildlife zones on the ski map

Contents

Short answer

The protected-areas layer shows three kinds of zones on the 3D terrain: legally binding protected areas, voluntary wildlife rest zones and reserves. Hover a zone to read its rules. Switch the layer on when you draw a skin track or a descent, so your line stays out of zones you may not enter or are asked to avoid.

Three kinds of zones

Legally binding zones are closed or restricted by law, often for a set period in winter, and entering them can be fined. Voluntary wildlife rest zones ask you to stay out, usually between December and April, so that chamois, ibex, black grouse and other animals are not driven out of the places where they survive the winter on little food. Reserves are protected areas with their own rules, from "stay on the marked routes" to full closure.

The rules differ per country, per canton or state and per zone. The layer shows the rule as it was published for each zone; read it on hover before you plan through or next to it.

Why it matters

A single skier crossing a rest zone can cost an animal the energy it needs to get through the winter. For riders, the zones are also where conflicts with hunters, foresters and local authorities start, and in some places where the next closure of a popular tour comes from. Keeping the zones out of your line costs little when you plan the night before and see them on the terrain.

For ski areas and tourist offices we can add their own official zones to a 3D map of their area for a pilot: see for resorts.

Planning a route around them

Switch on the layer, then draw your route. Where the line crosses a zone, move it, or pick the marked corridor through it when the rule allows one. Zones often sit exactly where the good skiing is, on sheltered north-facing forest slopes, which is also where the animals winter.

What it doesn't show

The layer is as complete as the data behind it. Zones are added and changed by the authorities, and local signage on the mountain prevails.
The rule on hover is a summary, not legal advice. Check the official source for the exact period and conditions.
Some countries publish their zones in detail, others only partly. A slope without a zone on the map is not necessarily free of restrictions.

Sources

Questions

What is the difference between a binding and a voluntary zone?

A binding zone is closed or restricted by law, and entering it can be fined. A voluntary wildlife rest zone is a request to stay out, usually in winter, so the animals that winter there are not disturbed. The map shows both, with their rules on hover; treat both as places to plan around.

Do the zones apply all year?

Many wildlife rest zones apply only in winter, typically from December to April, while reserves and some protected areas apply all year. Read the rule and the period on hover and respect the signs on the mountain.

Is the layer complete?

It shows the zones published by the authorities that we have data for. Zones change, and not every region publishes them in the same detail, so a slope without a zone on the map can still carry restrictions. Local signage prevails.

Protected areas and wildlife rest zones on the map