 Poster: A snowHead
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Now i know u hav to pay up front & claim back in France, is this also the case in Austria if u need bringing down off the mountain ?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hi Kes, most Lift passes in Austria come with the option of insurance for a small additional cost, which will ensure all of your costs of evacuation off the hill are covered.
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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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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 bought local insurance in Solden this morning with my lift pass. €11 for 6 days.
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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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Thats very interesting, going next sun so will look into the additional insurance. Of course i do hav winter sports cover (post office) so will quiz the reps when we get there. Cheers guys 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Kes, Are you sure you are talking about additional insurance and not just paying again for what you are already insured against? Do you feel your PO wintersports cover is inadequate in some way?
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| I bought local insurance in Solden this morning with my lift pass. €11 for 6 days. |
That's good news, as per Alastair Pink, I've never seen the carte neige equivalent in Austria before. I got suitable travel insurance via my work but always prefer to top up with the lift pass.
Anyone knows if Kitzbuhel does the same?
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I've never seen the carte neige equivalent in Austria, and from my experience they evacuate first and figure out the money later. From what rob@rar says there is one available in Solden, but it's the first one I've heard of.
For hospital treatment, there is a reciprocal arrangement with the EHIC card so you usually only ever have to pay about EUR50 when you leave hospital, everything else is covered.
Still need proper insurance for all the other things though!
D
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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 feel a bit nervous about my 'bold claim' above, as although I have definitely seen the 'carte neige' equivalent in Austria - as rob@rar points out - I have been looking on the Planai website for this option, for my trip to Schladming next week, and it does seem to be immediately apparent. I'm just checking the Kitzbuhel website Kruisler, and again, not immediately apparent...maybe it's something that you have ask for specifically at the Lift Pass office ???
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Thanks for looking it up Timberwolf.
I'm off on the 27th, I'll ask at the lift office.
What I mostly tryin to cover is a bad injury on the mountain and having to be evacuated from the mountain side.
In December I snapped a tendon in my finger while boarding in Ischgl,
I went to the local clinic, handed my EHIC card, saw a nurse, had 2 x-rays done, saw a doctor, had splint put on, was given a CD with a copy of the x-rays and was sent on my way. All done in 25 minutes. And it cost me £18 (mainly due to cost of splint).
I have not bothered claiming from my insurance..
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Kes, certainly for Ski Amade the trip to the bottom of the mountain is covered by your lift pass. Your hospital treatment is covered by your NHS card. Your trip from bottom of mountain to hospital you must pay/will be billed so either pay or get the insurance.
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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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Kes, just to update as our knowledge is now first hand! A trip in the ambulance was charged at €57, taken to a private hospital which the NHS card does not cover so private insurance has taken the bill for the op and stay. Another person on a different mountain waved his NHS card and the ambulance was free and was taken to a diffent hospital where the NHS will take the bill.
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You know it makes sense.
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Right, off to read the fine print on the PO insurance ! 
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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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The other alternative is to join the Bergrettung (Austrian Mountain Rescue) - http://www.bergrettung.at/ENGLISH.484.0.html
For only 22 euros it covers all of your immediate family members for the whole year for Search And Rescue costs up to 15k euro. Plus you'll be contributing to a very worthy service!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Right then, having read the small print i am in peace of mind and now completely set for St Anton on sunday !.Dont c the point of any additional cover as the PO seems 2 hav everything covered. THANKS ALL 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Here's another first hand update....
Another chappy has just done their leg at reiteralm (next to planai)... got taken off the mountain (which is covered by lift pass) then ambulance to a state-hospital.
No charges at all - all covered by the NHS card.
Airlifting is another story though - you should have insurance for that!
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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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flangesax, hard pistes causing a few more accidents at the mo?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Kes, I believe lift pass insurance covers losing your lift pass too and I would think that if you turn up with your receipt they would replace it without charge. I too had PO insurance and and it did not seem to cover any off piste IIRC, so no idea what the situation is if you ski off the edge of the piste in a white out and break a leg, would you be covered ? Not sure either if the lift pass insurance covers that too.
rob@rar, as you are out there, any chance finding out what the lift pass insurance actually covers if you get the chance ?
I will be in Innsbruck on the 5th feb myself
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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 would reckon that heading off the edge of the piste in a white out could not be defined as skiing off piste, the latter being a deliberately chosen activity. Assuming you don't go over the handlebars into the soft stuff deliberately ( well it wasn't deliberate when I did just that in December when my googles froze up and I couldn't see a thing  ) if you then hurt yourself, the accident effectively started on piste in much the same way as a foul tackle in football just outside the box should result in a free kick not a penalty even if the victim slides into the penalty area.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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ccl, I agree with that and to be honest I thought about it as I was writing it, but what if you did pop off the side of the piste deliberately, which is more probable because a lot of us do that, or even accidentally/unknowingly ?
I suppose it is best to crawl back on to the piste and then get rescued 
All the same it would be good to know what the ski pass insurance covers and whether it fills any 'holes' in our other insurances
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e.g., nah... just crap skiing!
The first accident was very, very slow into a bank of powder at the side of the piste... she got stuck and the skis didn't release as there wasn't enough torque.
The second was 'of course I can ski with the rest of the group on my day 8 of skiing'... tumbled on a red run.
The pistes are in A1 shape. We had quite a lot of snow a couple of days ago.
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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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flangesax,
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The pistes are in A1 shape.
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Good to hear that!
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| rayscoops wrote: |
| ....but what if you did pop off the side of the piste deliberately, which is more probable because a lot of us do that, or even accidentally/unknowingly ? |
I am sure that going off the marked piste deliberately whether it is just to drop down between the bends of the piste, play in the bumps between pistes, go for a wee tree run down the side of the piste is "off-piste" in insurance terms.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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RAYSCOOPS, The PO insurance does cover off piste as long as u hav a instructor or guide with u. The lift pass insurance will be considered on arrival !
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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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Bear in mind Kes, the answer I got from my insurer (Saga) whose off-piste cover is also limited to skiing with a guide: if I covered rescue from an off-piste accident without a guide under other insurance like carré neige, Saga would not cover any subsequent costs. So I couldn 't claim recovery from the one and medical costs from Saga for example (the CN medical cover being rather limited). So if the Post Office held to the same view as Saga, and you had an accident off-piste without a guide or instructor this lift pass insurance would be all the cover you had.
Also be aware that not all levels of instructor are qualified to take clients off-piste.
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Cheers ccl, will bear that in mind !
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You know it makes sense.
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Kes, unfortunately when I have been off piste in the past I have neither been with a guide nor an instructor  hence my interest in what the Ski Pass insurance covers in conjunction with the EHIC card
Edit - In Solden for example there is the Sölden Slope Rescue Card which give free rescue ........ otherwise you pay the costs below
Sölden Slope Rescue Card € 11,00 per person Rescue service is free for injured persons within the entire Sölden Ski Area (Gaislachkogl, Giggijoch/Hochsölden and the Glacier Ski Area). Depending on the gravity of the injury, the rescue card includes transportation by ski lift, Akja sleds, ambulance or the Sölden Rescue Helicopter (Alpin 2) to the nearest doctor in Sölden or if necessary to the next hospital.
COST OF RESCUE SERVICES:
Pre-Winter/Winter (with the opening of the winter skiarea):
1. Transportation by piste rescue/rescue services to the nearest docor in Sölden: Rescue from zone 1(Gaislachkogl-Mittelstation, Giggijoch-Bergstation, valley areas) € 100,-
Rescue from zone 2(Heidebahn, Gampe, Golden Gate) € 150,-
Rescue from zone 3(Glacier ski areas) € 250,-
2. Transportation by the Sölden rescue helicopter (Alpin 2) to the valley and transport to the nearest doctor in Sölden:from all zones € 1.360,-
Last edited by You know it makes sense. on Sat 30-01-10 18:25; edited 1 time in total
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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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Back before some of you were born, I always carried a season Carte Neige. It was valid anywhere in the world for an entire year. The only time I was helicoptered off the mountain my Australian travel insurance company were not interested in how I was. I was smashed up in hospital 20,000km from home. They provided no help. They were only interested in how they didn't have to pay. The only question they forgot to ask was the only question that would get them off the hook. They didn't know I had Carte Neige insurance as well. I made them pay all my bills and didn't claim anything against my Carte Neige. 
The lesson I can pass on, insurance is only useful if you can make the insurance company pay. They will always try to wriggle out from a large bill. Always make sure you have valid insurance not only for mountain rescue but also for hospital treatment especially if you are NOT a European Union resident.
Virtually all insurance policies for sale in Europe have a clause in the fine print or not printed at all, that the policy is only valid for EU residents. British travel companies will attempt to automatically sell these policies to anyone using their package holidays but the policy is not valid if you are resident outside the EU like myself.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Quote: |
super-snowHead
Posts: 357
Location: EdinburghBear in mind Kes, the answer I got from my insurer (Saga) whose off-piste cover is also limited to skiing with a guide: if I covered rescue from an off-piste accident without a guide under other insurance like carré neige, Saga would not cover any subsequent costs. So I couldn 't claim recovery from the one and medical costs from Saga for example (the CN medical cover being rather limited). So if the Post Office held to the same view as Saga, and you had an accident off-piste without a guide or instructor this lift pass insurance would be all the cover you had.
Also be aware that not all levels of instructor are qualified to take clients off-piste.
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Guy killed in an avalanche on Grand Vallon at Val d'Isere this week  . The party was led by a ski instructor not an off piste guide. You pay an instructor for his ability to teach you to ski. You pay an off piste guide for his snow and mountain knowledge.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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one important point with all insurance is to inform your insurance company about the accident as soon as possible and then follow their instructions to the letter. If you sort it all out, pay up, get taken to hospital/clinic etc etc and then send a big bunch of receipts when you get back to the UK (as my brother in law did, here) then you might have a big hassle getting them to pay up. He was particularly dopey, even turning up at Geneva airport, with wife in full leg brace, and expecting easyJet to get her on a full plane...... If you are travelling solo, make sure someone else knows what is going on and can liaise with your insurance company.
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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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rayscoops, are you sure the PO insurance does cover search and rescue? I can't find mentioned in the fine print?
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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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nickbnf, no idea but some one above said it covers 'off piste with a guide', but if you buy lift pass insurance (as referred to above) it is annotated on the lift pass and it would be good to know that as they strap me in to the stretcher (with my shin bone poking out above my snowboard boot) for my heli lift off the mountain that I will not badgered for my credit card or a copy of my insurance, and that the bill for that will be dealt with 'in house' by the lift company and the mountain rescue company.
I left my PO cover lapse because I have travel insurance through my bank account now ... mental note ..... must read policy 
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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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FAQ
However, that was in Canada at Banff (Sunshine Village), and that was totally free, the service being part of the standard lift price. 
