Off-Piste Skiing Travel Insurance

Off-Piste is defined for Travel Insurance purposes as when you are skiing or snowboarding in an area designated safe by the Resort Management.

Never go off-piste alone and always carry an avalanche transceiver, shovel and a probe.

Popular Areas:

Off piste skiing is usually done to take advantage of fresh, untouched snow.

The legality of off piste skiing depends entirely on the area and often ski resort you are travelling to.

Some countries allow the sport, while the regulations vary at others and it is often down to the policies of the individual ski resort, as in much of America.

Some popular areas for off piste skiing include:

• Canada - Weather in Canada
• France - Weather in France
• Austria - Weather in Austria
• Switzerland - Weather in Switzerland

Common injuries:

As off piste skiing is done on ground that is untouched and not regulated or patrolled, it comes with inherent risks and dangers.

Some of these include:

• Avalanches
• Unexpected weather
• Rock falls
• Tree wells
• Cliffs

These hazards can result in a number of traumas to the skier. It is not uncommon for serious injury to occur as a result of a fall.

Common injuries occurring as a result of the sport can include:

• Exhaustion
• Hypothermia
• Dehydration
• Breaks
• Fractures
• Concussions
• Suffocation
• Death

For this reason, if you are planning on going off piste skiing whilst on holiday, it is important that you first purchase travel insurance that covers the sport before leaving the country.

Useful Websites: Back Country Skiing Wikipedia - Mountain Spirit Guide - Verbinet.com - Ultimate Ski.com - Planet Fear.com

To get a quote by telephone or email, please contact us on 0844 848 1500 or chris@jsinsurance.co.uk