Winter sports insurance

Ok, I spoke to Columbus tonight to confirm a few things:-

1. No cover outside resort boundaries - I queried what if I was on a bus outside the resort, got off, slipped broke my leg. Am I covered? They said that as long as I was not skiing I would be covered. So it looks like I will have to wobble around on my boots!

2. No cover for search & rescue - If off piste they will cover you for the repatriation to a hospital if they know where you are. If you are reported missing and there has to be a full blown S&R I will not be covered for that. That does not bother me as I dont go off piste - I have enough trouble on piste!

3. An avalanche(or similar) hits a pisted area and I need too be rescued or again am reported missing I will be covered as it is on piste.

Off piste skiing is classed as any area that is outside the markers of the run. I am guessing that if I ski round posts on the run I would be ok, but if I go in a big off piste bit between runs I would not be covered.

I am now happy with what I have.

Really appreciate your input. It is good to get opinions from people that know their stuff and know what to query!

That is somewhat restricting. There are plenty of resorts with cut runs, the runs are cut zig-zag style down the section of the mountain, and where there is great potential for jumping between two legs of the run. You can clearly see the run coming in below, and ski off piste between the run legs. In the event of an incident, you are in full view and easily reached by the Alpingers.

I think Bandit has expressed many views on people in offices who have never skied off piste.

Well done on getting the clarifications Iceman :thumbup: As your co. seems a bit restrictive, you might choose to top up your cover with the local recovery on the lift pass.
AFAIR you are going to France, where it's quite common for recovery teams to only accept cash/cc or the local assurance. Your insurance will pay eventually, but typically payment is slow, and locals want the money sooner!

One year, I made the mistake of buying an insurance that didn't cover off piste, it drove me nuts in resort concentrating on deciding what was the piste or not. This issue became way too prominent and affected our enjoyment of our skiing.

Dave Mac, I have been checking out the cover and small print on the policy offered by these folks:

http://www.hbinsurance.co.uk/

So far, quite promising, but have asked for and not been given, sample policy docs covering exclusions for skiers. Only the Key Facts are online.

bandit wrote:
Dave Mac, I have been checking out the cover and small print on the policy offered by these folks:

http://www.hbinsurance.co.uk/

So far, quite promising, but have asked for and not been given, sample policy docs covering exclusions for skiers. Only the Key Facts are online.

I just chucked their name into google along with "problems". Check out http://www.ukskydiver.co.uk/cms/index.php?/topic/18050-problems-with-harrison-beaumont/

Read the Op and then look further down for an add on. On the way, enjoy the banter. These are guys that are falling through the sky at 150 mph, and taking the p*ss out of each other! Itmakes our off piste issues seem tame!

[Post removed in light of other news]

Admin, I have skied with many J2skiers. None of the guys, including myself, would have passed the physical for a wing-flying medical.

All of the ladies would - )

Dave Mac wrote:Admin, I have skied with many J2skiers. None of the guys, including myself, would have passed the physical for a wing-flying medical.

All of the ladies would - )

ermmmmmm ....
Dave !!! Dodgy :roll:
Surely the main criteria for a medical is the lack of cognitive capacity, inability to assess risk ...... etc etc :oops:
Surely you aren't suggesting J2Skiers of the feminine persuasion are a bit lacking in the brain department?????
:wink:
Or is it just that the J2ski ladies who ski with you are?

Dave Mac Good Digging!!, and it's a recent problem! It's the only one I can find though.

I do have reservations about this co. Having asked for the policy docs via email, I received general travel policy docs, skiing is not mentioned. I asked for policy docs for skiing via email. I then phoned them after no response. I was invited to verbally ask the questions to which I needed answers, and they would phone the Underwriter.
Which is just not the same. I won't buy until I see Policy wording from them with at least the word "skier" somewhere in the text.

I did ask I ask How many days skiing on the annual travel policy. I was told 60 days per trip. I think that detail would make this policy unique in the UK.