Winter travel and tours include many possibilities which may require you to take ski travel insurance . When picking your resort you would be offered a myriad of choices. Some require some skills others though may require you to be with a licensed guide who holds International Mountain Guides carnet (IFMGA) or be members of the British Association of Mountain Guides (BMG) or any other recognized body. This article tells you more on:

• What is ski insurance?
• What does typical ski insurance cover?
• What determines the premium in ski insurance?

Winter travel and tours include many possibilities which may require you to take ski travel insurance. When picking your resort you would be offered a myriad of choices.

• On-piste skiing
• Off-piste skiing
• Ski mountaineering
• Ski touring
• Snow boarding

Some require some skills others though may require you to be with a licensed guide who holds International Mountain Guides carnet (IFMGA) or be members of the British Association of Mountain Guides (BMG) or any other recognized body. In spite of the many precautions ski accidents take place and financial cover is essential. Some hotels/Chateau offer their own ski travel insurance policy. You can also take a policy from any major insurance company. There is a wide variety of winter sport and with each come specific requirements. Having a look at them will give us an insight into the various policy cover needed.

Skiing/Snowboarding

On-piste skiing is the safest and is usually crowded as most first timers would be within the recognized standard track provided by the tour operator. Off-piste is for more experience skiers who look for adventure and would like to try an off beaten track. Only some insurance policies provide cover for off-piste skiers. Snowboarding is relatively new compared to skiing but is catching on fast. Look up your winter sport cover to find out if snow boarding is covered. You could obtain adventure travel insurance in case it is not covered by ski travel insurance.

Ski Touring/Ski Mountaineering

Ski touring is travel on snow and does not require any specialized skills. Ski mountaineering is a journeys over snow covered mountainous areas and requires technical climbing skills which include glacier travel, crevasse rescue, avalanche awareness, knowledge of the use of route finding, navigation and ski mountaineering equipment. Some travel operators offer either a tour or a course where a grading system is used in helping you learn or go for advance options.

Levels of Skill for ski, ski mountaineering

The resort or chateau to which you are booked offers course depending on the levels. You could look at where you stand and choose an option. These operators offer their own insurance services and the level to which you are booked decides the premium of the ski travel insurance.

• Basic for those wanting to learn
• For those who have some basic skills but cannot go on steep slopes
• For those who can go steep slopes but at a faster pace
• For steep slopes with bumps this is mostly off piste, some experience of ski mountaineering needed skiing slopes of angles of up to 35 degree and ability to ascend for 4 hours with a 10Kg pack
• For more risky or experienced off-piste slopes, mountaineering ability to ski slopes with angles of up to 45 degree and ability to ascend for 5 hours with a 12Kg pack

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Continue to: Safety Gear for Winter Sport

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