Off Piste Skiing Guide Quote

Off Piste Guidelines for Skiers and Snowboarders 

We do provide Travel Insurance for Off-piste without a Guide (but not against local advice) but this should only be for advanced skiers and snowboarders 

To contact us by telephone or email, 0800 043 0020 / 01273 092 757 support@jsinsurance.co.uk

'Skiing on pistes unmarked and ungroomed within resort boundaries that are considered safe by resort management, where ski lifts and emergency services are easily accessible ending back at a ski area lift. Not including backcountry or areas marked or prohibited from entry

You should ensure that you check with the Local Piste Authorities before you venture Off Piste that you are entering designated areas; on no account should you be going into Prohibited Areas.

Always ski or snowboard in off-piste areas with at least one other person, never by yourself. Also, it would be best if you were Skiing or Snowboarding within your ability.

Safety Equipment 

We cover Off Piste Skiing (without a Guide) outside of Resort Boundaries, but you should still observe restrictions, such as Avalanche Warnings and Safety Instructions.

A good range of Avalanche Safety Equipment is on the market these days. If you do decide to go Off Piste (or "out of bounds" as they say in the States), you should be equipped with, and have been trained how to use, an Avalanche Transceiver (often referred to as a "peeps", because one of the major brands is the Austrian Pieps). This is a combined Transmitter and Receiver.

These can be purchased at our website, www.snowsafe.co.uk

While Skiing or Snowboarding, everyone has their peeps set on "transmit." Suppose there is an Avalanche; those not buried by it turn their peeps to "receive". In that case, they can then receive the signals sent out by their buried companions and, by gradually reducing the receiver's sensitivity, track them down under the snow.

Reccos 

Recco Reflectors are a simple, cheap precaution as well, though they are not, by any means, a substitute for a proper avalanche transceiver.

Most major Resorts are now equipped with Recco Detectors, which emit a directional signal.

When the signal hits a Recco Reflector, even under 10 metres of snow, the frequency is doubled and sent back to the receiver in the detector.

Recco Reflectors can be stuck onto your boots or sewn into your clothing. But Recco Detectors (as opposed to Reflectors) are specialised and expensive pieces of equipment carried by the rescue services. So, the search doesn't start until the rescue personnel arrive.

Other Equipment 

Other essential equipment includes Avalanche Probes and a collapsible Shovel - to locate buried people and dig them out.

It is also sensible to take a whistle, flares, a length of rope and a survival bag. This can be carried in a small day pack or rucksack - many also come with a water storage pack.

Extra clothing (gloves, hat, goggles) and high-energy food should also be kept in your rucksack.

All our policies cover Off Piste as long as you are with a Guide or/and another insured Adult and are Skiing / Snowboarding in Areas designated safe by Resort Management.