Off Piste Insurance??????

It would appear the cover has been updated since i purchased my 12 month policy last march . . . like i said most "quote & buy" products change wordings regularly depending upon the insurers experiance and targets . . . read policy wordings carefully before buying if you want to be sure of cover . . . or alternatively use a broker rather than an online provider or travel agent, you might pay more but you'll receive advice from a suitably qualified expert and take advantage of the protection of an advised sale rather than a non-advised sale.

Sorry, i'm a compliance officer, its in my nature to advise people to read the cover!

It is bad mountaineering to ski alone off piste.

It can be bad for your health to ski in the trees in BC Canada, (called "Noodling"). Bears hibernate in snow holes at the base of trees.

My ski buddy Mel & I have an agreement that if either of us comes a cropper OP, but close to the piste, the other will drag him back on to the piste, prior to calling in the Alpingers. In the event, if it involves concussion, thats OK, if involves breakage, I'll kill him.

I suspect I have broken the terms of insurance every year for the past thirty seven years

i'm lucky in that out in Newfoundland a mate of mine runs the local cat skiing enterprise so i get to always ski off piste with a guide which satisfies my insurers but in reality its just skiing with the boys!

You need to check the small print carefully re. off piste cover. We use Insure&Go who are one of the cheapest insurers I have found. Their small print for off piste cover says something like 'covered for off piste skiing except in areas designated as unsafe' in other words as long as you don't ski past warning signs or on slopes covered by high avalanche risk warnings you are covered.

Interestingly, the insurance from the Ski Club of Great Britain says something like 'covered for off piste in areas designated as safe by the resort'. I have never been to a resort which issues a list of safe off piste routes !

I would recommend always using a guide when off piste - in resorts such as Flaine and Tignes there are crevaces within a few yards of the piste !

Safe skiing :D