J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by AllyG

Well, if you were lost alone on the mountain in bad weather conditions it wouldn't be long before you were a medical emergency - hypothermia, dehydration etc. etc. and then if it got dark you might very well fall off a cliff etc. so it is ridiculous to me that an insurance company should say they won't pay for search and rescue unless it is already a medical emergency.

And if a skier/snowboarder is late returning from the mountain then the family might wait before informing the rescue services if they thought they'd have to pay for it, which could possibly result in the unnecessary death of the missing person if it got dark and the rescue services couldn't find them.

I live near the coast and I know it is vitally important to inform the rescue services as soon as possible if a swimmer/diver etc. is missing as every minute can count in these cases.

And last ski holiday I was following the Leader of the Ski Club of Great Britain in very poor visibility (heavy snow) when he accidentally went the wrong side of the piste marker and disappeared up to his chest in deep snow. So I reckon pretty much anyone could end up lost and accidentally off-piste in conditions of poor visibility.

Ally

noddyh wrote:Convinced, called local dealer and have ordered 4 new rims with winter tyres to be fitted at the start of December, had the bonus that they will store my summer wheels for me.

Which tyres did you buy? (I haven't bought mine yet and I'm wondering which ones to get).

As I said, a long time ago on another thread, I think the costs of insurance for search and rescue and medical assistance 'on the mountain' should be added to the price of a lift pass and hence compulsory for everyone.

It should work out that we don't actually pay any extra because the cost of our 'normal' ski holiday insurance should be reduced by a similar amount as we wouldn't need two lots of cover for the same thing.

Ally

I'm afraid not Tony :D

I still fall over quite a lot, but I don't think I can blame my boots.

I did two classics last holidays - one on an almost completely flat piece at the bottom of a blue run when I was following the instructor over a tiny jump (I have no idea what went wrong). And the second one was a face plant off-piste in the powder in another lesson when I temporarily lost concentration (must remember to bring paper tissues to wipe the snow off my glasses afterwards so I can still see!). Fortunately the guy ski-ing behind me was a real gentleman and stopped to dig out my ski which had come off and disappeared in the powder.

Ally

This is getting too technical for me now :shock:

The boot technician at Profeet did something to the canting of my boots to correct the way I stand (turning my right foot out slightly) but I have no idea what he did or how he did it! However, as a result of all the things he did to the boots I can now turn equally well left or right, which I couldn't do before. And my ski-ing has definitely improved.

I wouldn't dream of trying to alter something like the canting myself, although I suppose other J2skiers might well manage it themselves.

Ally

Hi Iceman,
I have my own ski boots and orthotic insoles as well :D

I put my boots on as loosely as I can whilst still able to walk in them, in order to get from the boot locker room and up the ski lift to wherever I'm actually going to start ski-ing. And then I tighten them, but not really tight tight for the first run. When I'm back up the top again for the start of the second run I tighten them a bit more but not so much that they feel uncomfortable.

And when I stop for lunch I loosen them as well and do them up tight again for the first run of the afternoon.

I think everyone has to find what suits them and their boots, but I have seen plenty of ski instructors doing the same as me. And I don't get any pain in my feet, shins, or calves by taking these simple precautions.

If I'm going down a really scary icy black run I make sure they're extra tight, and if I'm going down an easy blue run I might loosen them off a bit.

You also have to remember to do your boots up at night, when you leave them in the boot locker room - I find this very hard to remember when I come in exhausted after a busy day of ski-ing.

I found getting fit and doing specific ski exercises for a couple of months before I go ski-ing had the greatest effect on the standard of my ski-ing as it improved my strength, flexibility, balance and endurance. I was very surprised to learn that the better skier I became the fitter I had to be!

Ally

I am thinking about buying some winter tyres just to use in the U.K.

Last winter I had a couple of nasty frights when I put my foot on the brake coming up to a busy roundabout and nothing happened! We seemed to have an awful lot of days when the roads were very icy and it was often black ice which I couldn't see. I am hoping that winter tyres would help with this problem.

Plus, they would be handy in the snow as well. I bought snow chains last year so that I could get my car out as the year before I couldn't get out for a week because they don't grit or snow-plough our narrow country lane.

The cheapest tyre fitters near us will fit tyres for a cost of £5 per tyre, and I can get winter tyres for my car (small 14 inch wheels) for £50 each, e.g. Falken HS 439. This is about the same as I pay for my 'normal' tyres so I suppose if I keep changing them over every winter and spring then it will save the wear on my 'normal' tyres and the cost will even out.

If I was going to drive to La Rosiere I would definitely buy winter tyres and snow chains and do lots of practise with the snow chains before I got there. I have had to help lots of people in ski resorts (including La Rosiere) trying to get in and out of car parks whilst their cars are sliding about and seen several cars which have gone off the road. We went there at Easter and there was masses of snow. And last year we went to Tignes in October and the mini-buses nearly failed to get there because of unexpected heavy snow and they hadn't fitted their winter tyres yet.

Ally

Thanks Bandit that's very reassuring about flexicover :D

Iceman, I think Flexicover will cover you for pre-existing conditions but you will have to declare them all and I expect pay a higher premium.

The Ski Club of Great Britain's ski insurers will also cover you for pre-existing conditions but I got a bit lost trying to fill in their forms on-line and gave up :cry:

I even phoned them and they just told me to have another go on-line. So I found another insurer (Flexicover).

Ally