 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi,
I have annual travel insurance inc winter sports with my bank but it doesn't include "Off Piste - without a guide", they don't offer any upgrade path.
Does anyone know of any insurers that can offer the the off piste part only?
Many Thanks,
DK
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@dklemm, never heard of any insurer offering a part of the cover on its own. You probably need to take out a separate policy which includes what you need- we get travel ins through our credit card but I still need to have a full policy to cover us for skiing as standard travel cover isn't sufficient for what we do. We have Ski Club of GB policy but if you search this forum there are a lot of other products which people recommend.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Thanks @lynnecha. I'm thinking of getting the Ski Club policy, not the cheapest but it looks very complete and has extras.
Is a bit of a pain because I won't do much real 'Off Piste' but do dip in and out where I can and don't want to get caught out with my insurance should the worst happen. :/
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I would consider the Austrian Alpine Club - their membership includes skiing off-piste without guide. Some ski off-piste with only the AA cover but my understanding is that it is really intended to be a top up to existing insurance as it doesn't include stuff like no snow/cancellation/theft/damage. But sounds like it would be fine for you. Membership varies on age but the max price for the years is currently £46.50.
http://aacuk.org.uk/p-membership-2016
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I've found a ridiculously cheap annual cover (£15.59) via moneysupermarket.com.
The only clause is : "off piste skiing/snowboarding (except in areas considered to be unsafe by resort management)"
I assume this is areas specifically marked as unsafe, areas taped off or with high avalanche risks. I think this is ok for me because I defo won't be going far or any high risk areas.
https://cheaper.travelinsurance.co.uk/agg/msmphoenix/documents/documentviewer?res=3&pt=510&dt=pw
Disclaimer: I work for travalsupermarket.com but I'm not advertising, am genuinely looking for off-piste (without a guide) insurance for myself.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Just noticed after buying winter sports is restricted to 10days. Never mind, it might cover my 2 planned trips. Policy does't say if it 10days per trip but not sure how they can tell how many trips you have been on 
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We're looking at this too since Snowcard have recently tightened up their policies. They have introduced a 3000m elevation limit for their normal off-piste insurance. We want to be able to go higher than this which takes us into the 'Pro Adventure' policy. One of our group has been quoted £828 for annual cover!
Looks like we'll be going for AAC plus bog standard travel insurance.
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MPI - no faffy limits
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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This might be of interest to some - was in an email from Skiers Lodge LG
CARTE NEIGE INSURANCE
Carré Neige and Carte Neige insurances are both types of French winter insurance cover that can be purchased by anyone living in the EU.
The Carré Neige insurance or similarly named ‘Carte Neige’ insurance are highly effective methods of insuring for accidents in winter sporting activities.
Both types of cover differ from your average ‘winter policy’, since a host of sporting activities, including skiing both on and off piste skiing are covered at no additional premium.
Costs for the annual Carte Neige vary from resort to resort. When skiing in La Grave - La Meije the cost is €62 per year and can be purchased at "SKISET" one of the local ski shop and is valid from October to October, regardless of what time in the year you buy it. On and off-piste skiing and boarding are covered as are many other sports.
In general a Carte Neige and a valid UK EHIC should be sufficient for most on-snow accidents costs, but medical costs are not extensive and it should not be seen as a replacement for insurance cover. Valid travel insurance is still recommended.
So what are the advantages?
A Carré/Carte Neige is instantly recognised by the French rescue and medical services and so any rescue costs incurred are automatically covered (i.e. you do not need to pay up front and claim back later)
If you loose your lift pass during your stay, you can immediately take your Carré/Carte Neige to the lift pass office who will replace your pass immediately for you, no questions asked
Refunds for lift closures and lost lessons due to an accident are also possible
Carte Neige and Carré Neige may give limited cover for some of the transportation costs back home.
For more information visit: www.carreneige.com
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| dklemm wrote: |
Hi,
I have annual travel insurance inc winter sports with my bank but it doesn't include "Off Piste - without a guide", they don't offer any upgrade path.
Does anyone know of any insurers that can offer the the off piste part only?
Many Thanks,
DK |
Probably the same policy as mine, RBS group. I use MPI and was impressed at the cover. The policy is easy to understand and simply described with no "hidden" get out clauses.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@MadMountainMan is spot on, I use AACUK for exactly this situation. Cancellation / bags / illness etc all covered by bank account policy, off piste, touring, hiking etc all covered by AAC. Note that medical cover has a fairly tight limit so would *not* work in N America, but it is plenty enough to cover rescue and emergency care in Europe.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| dklemm wrote: |
I've found a ridiculously cheap annual cover (£15.59) via moneysupermarket.com.
The only clause is : "off piste skiing/snowboarding (except in areas considered to be unsafe by resort management)"
I assume this is areas specifically marked as unsafe, areas taped off or with high avalanche risks. I think this is ok for me because I defo won't be going far or any high risk areas.
https://cheaper.travelinsurance.co.uk/agg/msmphoenix/documents/documentviewer?res=3&pt=510&dt=pw
Disclaimer: I work for travalsupermarket.com but I'm not advertising, am genuinely looking for off-piste (without a guide) insurance for myself. |
Ski resorts have no responsibility at all to mark off piste areas as unsafe. They close pistes if they are unsafe and put tape up to keep you away from cliffs or rocks on or very close to the piste, but they will not do anything like this in an off piste area. This policy sounds like it was either focussed on N America or was written by someone who did not know what off piste skiing was.
£15.59 for an annual policy sounds too good to be true, and when something sounds too good to be true...
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Definitely written by someone who doesn't know what off piste skiing is. I once started a conversation with an insurance company with a similar clause about what Avalanche risk level they would regard as unsafe, and what organisations or people in the resort they would regard as "resort management". They had absolutely no idea what I was on about. And these are the people you are going to be speaking to when you are trying to find out whether they will cover the cost of the helicopter....
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You know it makes sense.
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I would vouch for the Austrian Alpine club (uk). This is not restricted to Austria as it includes alpine Association worldwide service providing helicopter rescue and repatriation. cancellation etc can be concerned under standard travel insurance if you are bothered about that. For people skiing off-piste, especially those doing multiple trips this is the best value you can get at around £47 for a year. I would avoid any cheaper deals. you can also access winter huts and lots of summer hiking included. They have an office in UK, i just renewed membership which includes insurance. I work for Pistetopowder (off-piste guides) in St Anton and we recommend this insurance. www.aacuk.org.uk
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@Antonfreerider, Welcome to snowHeads!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Looks like MPI is no good to me:
| MPI wrote: |
GENERAL EXCLUSIONS
...
j) mountaineering usually requiring the use of guides and ropes, potholing or heli-
skiing if pre-booked other than pre-booked heli-skiing day trips , not exceeding 2
consecutive days,
... |
...even if it does offer hole-in-one insurance 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Emailing my travel insurer now to see if they cover offpiste (with and without guide).
I also have travel insurance through my bank card - translation from Swedish but covers sports that are a leisure activity to a normal level, but excludes competition, expeditions, or particularly hazardous activities such as... offpiste skiing... So presumably covers on piste.
What sort of costs do think you looking at, for say, a broken leg offpiste (near the lift system is skidoo and ambulance)? I presume once you are in the hospital its ok through your EHIC? Then a new plane ticket home (maybe a row of seats.
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Tue 26-01-16 14:22; edited 2 times in total
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| Themasterpiece wrote: |
Emailing my travel insurer now to see if they cover offpiste (with and without guide).
I also have travel insurance through my bank card - translation from Swedish but covers sports that are a leisure activity to a normal level, but excludes competition, expeditions, or particularly hazardous activities such as... offpiste skiing... So presumably covers on piste.
What sort of costs do think you looking at, for say, a broken leg offpiste (near the lift system is skidoo and ambulance)? I presume once you are in the hospital its ok through your EHIC? Then a new plane ticket home (maybe a row of seats. |
If you break your leg, even on the piste, they may still call in a helicopter, and you won't have a choice in this! A friend was rescued by helicopter after rupturing her ACL on a piste. This could be very expensive.
Hospital - yes EHIC will cover you if you are taken to a regular hospital but, depending on the country, there could still be a lot of costs involved, e.g. some countries will charge for drugs. For anything very serious you'll likely end up in hospital. However for other injuries (even serious fractures) you may be taken to a private clinic in the resort which could be a lot closer than the nearest hospital. Or, you may be taken to a private clinic because it's closer and then transferred to a hospital later. This could be very expensive.
A ticket home might be more than a row of seats, if you are seriously injured you may need a nurse to accompany you or even air ambulance. This could be very expensive.
So, to put it bluntly the costs you may incur could include a helicopter and private health care and air ambulance home...
To give you an idea of the costs you are likely to see, the AAC insurance mentioned above is targeted at the costs of European rescue and medical care and assumes you have an EHIC card. This covers up to €25,000 for rescue and €10,000 for medical care. Repatriation costs are not limited. These numbers should be fine for Europe, they will be no where near enough for major medical care in the US, or medical care in the EU without EHIC.
Rescue and medical costs are only part of your risk though, you also need to consider legal and liability costs. If you are involved in an accident with other people someone is bound to sue someone else at some point, regardless of what you did or did not do, so make sure you factor this in too.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Sounds like £47 could be money well spent
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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And just one more thing to consider, @dklemm, one inherent problem with the concept of 'top-up' policies is that they are fine for the additional cover they are often purchased for (e.g. AAC or Carte Neige for heli rescue) but any claims you might think are covered under your 'normal' policy will actually not covered as you were partaking in an activity that was not allowed under the main policy.
So in an extreme case the top up cover might get you off the mountain but any ancillary claims (that were not covered under the top up policy) that you might have expected to be covered by the main policy (baggage, repat, medical or whatever) are not, simply because of the non-covered activity.
Im not suggesting this will ALWAYS be the case but its often the main reason you should have a main policy that covers all the activities you intend participating in.
My personal choice (for last 5+yrs and x3 claims) is Snowcard, comprehensive cover, competitive rates and most important, sweet to deal with when claiming!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Themasterpiece, my view is to insure losses that I could not cover but I don't go for any expensive cover I don't need (e.g. I max out my voluntary excess on my car insurance - if I have an accident that will cost me £500, but over the last 20+ years it's saved me thousands in reduced premiums). AAC has a reputation in the ski industry (e.g. from folks like PisteToPowder) of covering the essentials at a reasonable cost. The thing I really like about it is the policy is clear, you are covered for hiking/climbing/skiing etc in the mountains, no "if's" or "buts". OK, there are exclusions - such as racing or working as a guide etc, but there's no quibbling about on piste versus off piste.
Having said that there are a couple of nice perks on the AAC cover, as you are actually buying membership of the Austrian Alpine club you get discounts at various places (e.g. Cotswold Outdoor) and reduced fees if staying in an alpine hut. I occasionally use these, one year the hut deal pretty much paid for membership. In fact, I now pay a voluntary extra amount on AAC membership toward the hut fund, but I see that as a charity donation apart from the insurance aspect. This is not a reason for buying insurance but it's nice to have.
I completely understand that some people want a policy that covers a lot more, for this I would look at MPI (in the past they have found very good off piste cover for me when I was shopping around). Snowcard and DogTag seem to get mentioned a lot, I've never looked at these in detail. BMC insurance seems to be very expensive, I can only assume it has levels of cover far in excess of the others, but I've not looked at in detail for many years.
@andyman, AAC will cover repatriation and medical costs, it's not just rescue. Same for Carte Neige I think?
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| sah wrote: |
....
[b]@andyman, AAC will cover repatriation and medical costs, it's not just rescue. Same for Carte Neige I think? |
Yes you are correct they both include some cover in that respect but my point was that the main policy is to all intents and purposes invalidated as it occurred during non-covered activity - hence better to have a policy that covers everything (I currently use AAC as a top up, used to use CN, it gives me access and discount to Huttes but also that 'at the moment' heli and rescue reassurance)
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You can buy insurance to cover all sorts of things, so you have to make decisions and take risks. If the worst happened and I had to pay for a helicopter, private hospital costs, and repatriation, I'm not going to be destitute. But for £50 I'll definitely look into one of the above mentioned policies.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I have AAC UK membership and their insurance. But does not cover racing at provincial/national and international level, or race training. I needed cover for national training and racing and got a top up for hazardous activities via www.skicover.com/
Turns out to be Voyager Insurance. 2 weeks racing top up with just cover for rescue, medical repatriation, third party, legal expenses and equipment damage was £69, which I though was quite good considered the Inferno day rate race insurance is CHF40.
Skicover seems to offer off piste with the caveat "Off piste skiing covered within resort areas(providing local safety guidelines and warnings are observed)" Whatever all that means?
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I didn't include insurance when i pre-paid for our PDS ski pass. Only need insurance for a 1-week trip in Avoriaz (otherwise we are skiing in my home country of Sweden). Should i just go to the ticket office in Avoriaz and buy Carre Neige, or is there a better way?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Themasterpiece wrote: |
Emailing my travel insurer now to see if they cover offpiste (with and without guide).
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Travel insurer provided the information below. I checked with the seller of the ski pass in Avoriaz and they said I can buy Carre Neige from the ticket office. But it seems I am pretty well covered with my regular travel insurance and EHIC, so is there any need to buy Carre Neige (or similar)?
Svar: Off-piste skiing
Hi!
A) Yes.
B) Yes.
C) Yes.
Ski safely!
Med vänliga hälsningar,
Peter Ericsson
Länsförsäkringar Stockholm
115 97 Stockholm
08-562 833 42
peter.ericsson@lansforsakringar.se
Tänk på miljön innan du skriver ut detta e-postmeddelande.
------
Hi, Does the travel insurance cover costs related to injury from:
a) skiing on marked pistes
b) off-piste skiing with guide
c) off-piste skiing without a guide
Kind regards
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Just about to renew my insurance, either with MPI or SCGB but have read a few positive things on here about AAC cover. I'm still a little confused, despite my reading, though, so I'm hoping some kind person could explain in simple terms what the practical differences would be between going for someone like MPI or SCGB, and using AAC as a top-up for existing travel insurance which I have through my bank. Any gotchas I need to be aware of?
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@J2R, @andyman mentioned this a few posts above. Basically if your bank does not cover off piste but offers better medical cover than AAC you would not be able to claim the better cover if your accident occurred off piste.
Also, as I've said a few times AAC cover is only adequate for Europe (anywhere where an EHIC card is recognised), the limits will not be sufficient for serious medical care in N America for example.
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You know it makes sense.
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Thanks, sah, I did read that, but I'm not sure what other cover might be required in these circumstances? If it's just a question of amounts, then that would be fine, because I suspect that is more than enough to cover anything within Europe. The N America question is not pertinent to me, because I have no plans to ski over there in the next year, and I would only be taking out European cover from the other insurers anyway.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@J2R, bear in mind that the AAC insurance is specifically targeted at AAC members so it is designed to cover mountain rescue and associated medical costs. In fact you can't actually buy AAC insurance on it's own, you join the AAC and get the insurance as part of the membership. The maximum medical costs they cover are lower than most other policies, but so long as you have an EHIC they should be enough in Europe. You can look at the small print on their website - http://aacuk.org.uk/p-faqs-insurance then you need to decide if that's enough for you. For what it's worth I and a lot of people do use it, I've never heard of anyone having any problems, but no one can say for certain if it's right for you.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I've just insured with MPI. I used to be with Direct Travel - but they seem to have closed. The good thing about the MPI insurance is that it covers off-piste with and without a guide. I'll only see how good it actually is, if I have to make a claim!
https://www.mpibrokers.com/travel-insurance-products/off-piste/
"At MPI we understand the confusion that can arise when skiing and snowboarding. There are many occasions where as a skier you could unwittingly ski off piste, therefore at MPI we include off piste automatically with all our Wintersports policies.
Many policies either exclude this or limit skiing "off piste" to be with a guide.
It is our view that this is impractical as one can ski "off piste" unwittingly and in certain circumstances it is possible to ski on a "pisted" run which is designated "off piste".
It is due to this type of confusion that we at MPI Brokers have negotiated with underwriters that there is no such exclusion or limitation in this policy. There is, however, a general requirement, common to all insurance, to behave in a reasonable and sensible manner."
HTH,
Rich
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Jumpin Jack, thanks for that. I did actually insure with MPI last year, because I'd heard good things about them and their off-piste cover looked very sensible. I've decided to go back to SCGB this year, though, because the upgrade to Platinum membership works out as a very good deal.
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FAQ
