The man most skiers want on their chair lift
Prince Harry is the celebrity with whom most people would like to share a ski lift, according to a poll by Monarch.
Some 37% of those questioned named the Royal as the one they’d like to ride next to, with 13% saying his sister-in-law’s sister Pippa Middleton would be their favourite chair lift companion.
Prime Minister David Cameron came in third place, with 12% of the votes. Perhaps skiers would relish the chance to rant at the PM while he’s literally stuck in mid-air.
Oddly, potty-mouthed chef Gordon Ramsay was in fourth place, ahead of even Brad Pitt and Angelina Joli (who seem to be only one person, according to the poll). Even Posh and Becks (again, just one person) only managed sixth place.
Pop princess Taylor Swift and DJ boyfriend Calvin Harris (yes, just one person) got only 6% of the votes, but they were still more popular than some Z-list reality TV characters TravelMole has never heard of.
Almost two-thirds of skiers said they would happily strike up conversation with fellow ski lift passengers, proving that a winter sports holiday can be a very sociable activity. The majority are keen to chat about the quality of the slopes while of course the weather is another hot topic. Chit chat on the chairs has also included why snails come out when it rains, frozen nasal hair and American rap music, apparently.
Don’t worry though, a fifth of skiers would prefer not to make small talk on the lifts and would happily let a chair go empty than have to sit with a stranger.
In fact, more skiers prefer to take selfies on the chair lifts, 39% use the time to have a drink (soft, we hope), and more than a third snack during the ride.
Etiquette is still very important to British skiers and a third of those polled said the British were most polite nation on the slopes, well ahead of second-placed Austrians (17%) and the Swiss (15%).
Passing dangerously was considered the worst breach of slope etiquette (30%) ahead of queue jumping (14%) and being pissed on the piste (13%).
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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