Lead Photo Credit: @mooserwirt_official Instagram
Last January, a skier clipped a snowboarder outside the 360 bar in Val Thorens. What followed was roughly ten minutes of grown adults kicking each other in ski boots (kind of embarrassing). Somebody filmed the whole thing, because why wouldn’t they, they had a pair of smart glasses on. (UN coverage)
There isn’t a little rulebook (like they have in golf) that comes in the mail with your lift pass. However, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Some of it is just plain old common sense etiquette, some is folklore, and believe it or not, a surprising amount of it is actual law.
We already covered the unwritten rules on the hill. This handles the other half of the day, the unwritten rules of apres ski.
Share the Tabletop
There has been a ritual running at Mooserwirt in St. Anton since 1989. Every afternoon, the blinds drop and “The Final Countdown” kicks in. Here, there is a code for table dancing: wait for the room to peak, then pull the next person up and make space.
Hog the bench and you’re sure to get called out and end up on someone else’s Instagram reel.
Look ‘Em in the Eye When You Prost
In huts in Germany as well as Austria and Italy, don’t even think about staring at your phone while clinking glasses. That’s a major party foul. Folklore says that breaking eye contact could lead to seven years of bad sex. The Local Germany calls this a superstition, but it’s not something anyone at the table is willing to test. .
Respect the Shotski
A perfect shotski pour is a good dance. When everyone lifts in unison, it works perfectly. Lift too slowly or quickly and you are sure to be wearing it. Nobody has actual proof of who invented the ultimate friend maker. Austrians call it a schnappski, but Park City just broke the unofficial record for longest shotski on October 12, 2026 with 1,430 shots, 550 skis and roughly 2,800 feet of synchronized bad decisions.
Tip the First Round
A Stowe bartender told Powder Magazine that good patrons tip on the first drink and don’t make anyone chase the bill. Always remember who is pouring. A 700 square foot unit in Park City can easily go for $2,200 + a month.
While saying “thank you” is nice, verbal gratitude doesn’t pay rent.
Know What Room You Walked Into
Cloud Nine in Aspen Highlands is certainly no dive bar with a view. You must be 21 or older for the après seating, ID checked at the door, and every guest has to ski there at an intermediate level or better. There is no way to get there by foot and the age limit was added in 2019 when the champagne spraying there started to resemble the finish line at a Formula One race.
Be advised, the cleanup snowcat is not your ride. The patrol signed up to save lives, not chauffeur your Veuve drunk asses home.
Preventing Ski Theft: Lock It or Lose It
During the 2023/34 season, Breckenridge police logged 21 reported ski and snowboard thefts from opening day to New Year’s Eve, alone. This was up three over the same stretch the previous year, to the point that Summit County’s sheriff compares it to stealing someone’s horse in the Old West.
Do yourselves a favor. Invest $15 in a cable ski lock for après. It’s way cheaper than the dumbfounded look on your face at 7 pm when you’re trying to find your skis. And, please use the rack! Skis lying flat on the ground in front of the lodge doorway are a trip hazard waiting to happen.
Does Alcohol Hit Harder at Altitude?
No. But, it will certainly make you feel the altitude more and more quickly. The idea that you get drunker faster at higher altitudes is a myth, according to Dr. Peter Hackett of the Institute for Altitude Medicine in Telluride. There is no such evidence to support the whole “two drinks up here equals four at sea level” theory.
There is one small catch though. A 1995 study in the Annals of Internal Medicine found drinking at 3,000 meters lowered blood oxygen and slowed acclimatization. So while your Blood Alcohol Concentration doesn’t know that you are at 9,000 feet…your headache certainly does.
Is It Illegal to Ski Drunk in Colorado? (Ski Safety Act Penalties)
Skiing drunk in Colorado is, in fact, a civil infraction. The Colorado Ski Safety Act bars anyone from riding a lift or skiing a trail while impaired by alcohol or drugs. Skiers and riders be wary, because it could cost you civil infraction fine up to $1,000.
The best advice is to ski down first, then drink. The chairlift is not your Uber.
Ischgl Ski Boot Ban: No Ski Boots After Dark
The Austrian town that sold après to the world bans clomping through the village center in ski boots, or carrying your skis, between 8pm and 6am all winter. Fines for this somewhat interesting offense can run up to €2,000.
Looks like Cinderella made this rule, except the glass slipper is a Tecnica Mach 1.
The Drive Home Is the Last Run
Remember, you still have to get home. So for the sake of all of us, assign a designated driver or take an Uber. In 2023, Colorado’s Winter Blitz DUI crackdown produced more than 370 arrests statewide. There were also 218 impaired crash deaths that year. Bottom line, Interstate 70 doesn’t care how good the pow was.
Last Call
At the end of the day, every rule on this list points back to one thing. Everyone has to get down the mountain including those who are pouring your drinks.
So stick to the following: drink water throughout the day, lock your skis, and be sure to look them in the eye. Because who the hell wants bad sex? Then watch the alpenglow slide off the peaks, and remember every second of it tomorrow when you are doing it all again.
About the Author
Rich Stoner is the founder of the après-ski lifestyle clothing and media brand, All About Après. He is also the co-host of the Après All Day Podcast. No stranger to the ski and après-ski scene, Rich has been a long time contributor for many publications on topics like skiing, travel, gear, beer and food. However, his passion is on the slopes and enjoying good times with good people. You can find him perfecting his craft carving turns and drinking beers in the Green Mountains of Vermont. @allaboutapres