Posted on Friday, 22 January 2016

As the ski season gets well underway in both Europe and North America, thousands of Britons are heading overseas to enjoy the on-piste action. But as pleasurable as skiing and snowboarding are, the high-speed nature of these activities do bring some inherent risks.

The risks

Thankfully, of the injuries that do occur, very few are life-threatening. According to Ski-Injury.com, based on the Injury Severity Score (ISS) only 1 per cent of all injuries are potentially fatal.

Backing up the notion that as a skier or snowboarder the risk of picking up a life-threatening injury is extremely low, in the 2012-2013 season in the USA, of 53.7 million ski visits, there were 25 fatalities.

So, unless you indulge in particularly risky behaviour, enjoying these sports is relatively safe.

How common are winter sport injuries?

That said, less serious injuries are more common. Injury rates range from two to seven per 1,000 days on the slopes.

The key issue here is not the availability of high quality rescue services or medical care – since all European and North American resorts have professional rescue and medical teams on standby – but how much that assistance is going to cost you.

Counting the cost

Taking a ski or snowboard trip without adequate cover is unwise, to say the least. Medical bills can be especially high in the USA, or where an injury is sustained in a remote location – due to additional medical transport requirements. A helicopter can cost from £20 per minute of operation, which can quickly mount up to thousands of pounds. In Europe such an airlift costs around £2500. In North America airlift costs could be four times as much.

And even if you are traveling under the EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) system to a European ski resort, you could face huge bills for medical transport off the mountain or repatriation, which aren't covered by EHIC. Not all medical bills will be covered by EHIC either.

In short, winter sports cover is as essential as your skis and salopettes.

Won't my regular travel insurance cover me for winter sports?

The vast majority of basic travel insurance policies will not cover you for winter sports activities. You will need to take out a specific add-on to cover any medical costs. Insurers require a separate premium for winter sports due to the potentially large costs associated with winter sports accidents.

Is winter sports cover expensive?

While a separate add-on is required, getting winter sports travel insurance protection for your next ski or snowboard trip is very affordable. For example, starttravel.co.uk's Winter Sports Cover costs from £9.75 for a 5-day single trip – or £48.20 for an annual policy.

Here are some of the key benefits our winter sports cover:

• 24-Hour Emergency Assistance
• Up to 40 days of winter sports cover available on single trip policies.
• Cover for ski equipment up to the total amount of £750 for the value or repair of your own ski equipment, or up to £500 for hired ski equipment.
• Cover provided for Piste Closure up to £300 when there is a lack of snow and your resort closes between 1st December to 30th April.
• Cover is provided if your trip is disrupted due to a direct result of an avalanche up to £300.
• Cover up to a total amount of £1,000.
• Available for customers up to the age of 64.

And when you purchase this option in addition to our general travel cover, you're protected against all manner of unwanted events – such as baggage loss, theft, cancellation and curtailment.

Cover Your Winter Sports Trip Now

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