Nov 23, 2023
Planning a winter sports holiday? Ensuring you plan and prepare before you book your trip is essential. We’ve created this guide with our advice and tips to ensure you have the best holiday possible and stay safe on those slopes!
Make sure you’re fit to ski
Don’t forget that winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding are physical activities, make sure you consider your health and fitness before you travel. If you’re not physically prepared for the slopes, you’re more at risk to injure yourself. Therefore, if you have not skied in a while, joining a refresher class would be a good idea for when you arrive.
Know your limits and routes
Always be sure to look at the piste map, and understand what it shows you before taking off. Be aware of how pistes are classified to indicate their difficulty and choose the right routes or pistes that will be best suited to your ability. This will help ensure you do not exceed your limits and get into a difficult situation. Know your limits and do not attempt slopes beyond your level of ability. If you aren’t sure, always ask the ski patrol for help.
Don’t forget your SPF!
You might assume that because you aren’t in a sunny seaside location you don’t need your sunscreen, but actually you do! Be sure to bring a SPF with factor 30+ and lather this on before hitting the slopes. We also recommend a spf lip balm to avoid those dry crusty lips and sunglasses or goggles to protect your eyes.
Wear appropriate clothing
Multiple layers of clothing works best to avoid frostbite injury. The first layer should keep moisture away from the skin, such as thermal underwear. The top layer should be wind and water proof. A layering system is a great way to ensure you are prepared for changing conditions and skiing intensities.
Safety equipment
It is so important to wear your helmet when you are on the slopes. Wrist guards, knee pads, and elbow pads also help protect bones and joints from damage so we would always recommend having these with you. Insulated clothing and accessories are important as they protect the body from exposure in freezing temperatures.
Off-piste skiing & roped areas
Stay within the roped areas of the ski resort. Going outside of the designated resort boundaries can put you at risk of getting lost or caught in an avalanche, especially if you're inexperienced. Usually any off-piste skiers who get lost are responsible for any expenses involved in search and rescue so be sure to always check this with your travel insurance before heading off!
Travel Insurance
Having travel insurance is an absolute must and making sure you are covered for winter sports is even more important! Winter sports are high-risk activities, so any medical costs you incur on your trip won’t be covered by regular travel insurance policies.