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Lost child on the ski slopes: how to prevent it and what to do
“What do I do if I lose my child on the ski slopes?” It’s one of the questions I’m asked most, and one of the biggest worries parents bring on a family ski holiday. The good news is that it doesn’t happen often, and with a bit of preparation, your kids will know exactly what to do if it does.
I live in La Plagne and ski with my three kids, so this is the plan we use as a family. It’s in two parts: what to do before you ski so it’s less likely to happen, and what to do if your child does go missing.
Planning a family ski holiday?
Get my free Ski Holiday Planning Pack: the Ski Holiday Reset Planner, the Ski Lessons & Ski Hire Guide, the Accommodation Guide and the Transfer Guide, written by a local mum of three to help you plan your La Plagne trip.
If your child goes missing: what to do straight away
If you can’t find your child, here’s what to do, in order:
Keep my La Plagne emergency contact numbers page bookmarked, so you have every number in one place.
- Stay calm and think. Where did you last see them? Which piste, which lift, what time? Panicking makes it harder to think clearly.
- Keep one adult in one place. If there are two of you, one stays where you last saw your child or at your agreed meeting point, and keeps their phone on. The other goes to look.
- Check your meeting point. If you’ve agreed one (see below), that’s where they’re most likely to head.
- Tell the lift staff straight away. Go to the nearest lift and tell the staff your child is lost. They can contact the ski patrol (pisteurs) and the other lifts.
- Call the La Plagne piste security and mountain rescue service on +33 (0)4 79 09 67 60, or 112 in an emergency. Save these numbers in your phone before you go out.
- Give a clear description: their name and age, jacket, trousers and helmet colours, skis or snowboard, their ski level and where you last saw them. A photo of them in their ski gear that morning is a huge help.
- If they’re in ski school, call the ski school or their instructor too, in case they’ve gone back to the meeting point.
- Tell other skiers nearby, and leave your number with anyone who offers to help.
- Follow the ski patrol’s lead. They know the mountain and deal with this every season.
Before you ski: teach them the mountain
The best way to deal with a lost child is to stop it happening, and that starts before you hit the slopes. Talk to your kids about staying together, sticking to the pistes and recognising landmarks like lift names.
We make a game of it: who can name the most chairlifts, and who can come up with the silliest nickname (the Arpette chairlift is the Armpit chairlift in our house!). Look at the La Plagne digital piste map together before your holiday too. If your kids are like mine, it’s much “cooler” on a screen.
Give them an ID card
Give each child a card with their name and your phone numbers. A laminated card in their lift pass pocket works well, and some ski instructors use waterproof wristbands with the child’s name and a phone number. Make sure your kids know where the card is, so they can show it to an adult.
Add a line in French, so anyone who finds them knows what to do: “Je suis perdu(e). Merci d’appeler mes parents.” (I’m lost. Please call my parents.)
I also give my kids an emergency €5. It goes in their pocket and usually stays there all season! But if they ever had to wait in a restaurant, they could buy a drink. They found it hilarious one winter when my phone died and they had to use their €5 to pay for our drinks.
Agree a meeting point
Agree a meeting point every time you set off, and change it as you move around the mountain. Ours is usually the bottom of the piste we’re on, at the bottom of the chairlift. The lift staff are always there, and the chairlift name is a clear landmark your child can tell someone, so you can find them quickly.
The one rule we’re absolutely clear on: never get on a chairlift without a grown-up from our group. It stops them heading up and away from where you got separated.
Use a tracker
A GPS tracker or a smartwatch lets you see where your child is. Make sure they wear it all the time, that it’s fully charged, and that you both know how it works. I usually leave the tech to my husband, but I’m the one out skiing with the kids most often, so I need to know how it works too!
TOP TIP: If your child doesn’t have a phone yet, we’ve found Apple AirTags work well. They’re small enough to slip into a ski jacket pocket. Just don’t put one in the same pocket as the lift pass, as they can interfere with each other.
If your older kids ski with a phone, here’s how to keep a phone safe while skiing, including the lanyards we use.
Teach them who to ask for help
Teach your kids who to go to if they’re lost: lift staff first, then the ski patrol or ski school instructors in their uniforms. Explain that staff might speak French to them, and that’s OK. They can show their ID card.
TOP TIP: I’ve also told my children that if they can’t find any staff, they should look for another family, a mum or a dad with children, and ask them for help. My kids feel much more comfortable approaching adults who have children with them.
Talk through the plan
Before you hit the slopes, go through what your child should do if they lose you:
- Stop, and stay somewhere safe at the side of the piste, or go to the bottom of the lift
- Don’t get on a lift on their own
- Ask lift staff or a ski instructor for help
- Show their ID card
- Wait. We will come and find them
Keep it calm and matter of fact, so it feels like a plan rather than something scary. If your child tends to wander off (or loves hide and seek!), it’s worth going over it every morning.
More ways to keep kids safe on the slopes
- Teach them the rules of the piste. The Piste X Code has a great short video to watch with your kids, and I’ve shared more on ski safety in La Plagne this winter, including the new piste signs.
- Get their kit properly fitted. I always recommend renting ski boots for kids, so a ski technician fits them, and they’ll listen to the technician far more than to you! Not sure what they need? Here’s what ski gear kids actually need.
- Book ski lessons. Good technique means more control and confidence. Here’s my guide to the best ski instructors and ski schools in La Plagne.
- Don’t push them too fast. Ask their instructor which pistes they’ve skied, and stick to the family-friendly slopes until they’re ready.
- Dress them for the weather, in layers, with gloves, goggles and sun cream. Take regular breaks for snacks and drinks too: tired, hungry kids have more falls.
Ski safely and have fun!
Losing sight of your child on the mountain is scary, but with a meeting point, an ID card and a plan they know by heart, you’ll all feel much more confident. Any questions about skiing safely with kids? Pop them in the comments or send me a message on the That’s La Plagne Instagram.
See you on the slopes!
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