A ski or snowboarding holiday often entails a lot more than purely grabbing your boots and taking to the slopes. The resorts are always looking for alternative options to offer visitors to enjoy themselves. Après ski fun is a highlight for many and, whilst the Cresta Run in St Moritz is approaching its 140th anniversary, many activities are much newer on the scene and now widely available.

It is interesting, though, that many policies do not cover things that you may have taken for granted would be covered. You may not even have thought they might invalidate your insurance. Should you have an accident whilst participating in an activity that your insurer does not cover, you could face a rather hefty medical bill. It is because of this that checking your insurance fully covers you is so important, as it can provide peace of mind so you can enjoy your trip.

Research is especially important for those who like to pack in as much as they can on their break and, if you count yourself or your family in this party, do look for comprehensive cover. Resorts are ever more innovative in getting you to part with your money - and some organise activities as diverse as night skiing, torchlit descents or even the opportunity to spend the night in the cabin of a piste basher repairing the slopes. When you see the angles that those machines work at you can understand why budget insurance providers might exclude them from their standard cover.

So, to help make it easier for you to find the appropriate policy for you, we detail below some of the extra activities - or more adventurous pursuits - and the companies on the MoneyMaxim travel insurance panel who offer cover for them. Please note that the table lists the sports that are covered if winter sports cover is taken out or added onto your travel insurance and this may be at an additional premium.

Before taking out the policy though, do check with the insurance company yourself as things do change from time to time and we cannot be held responsible for errors.

Voyager Travel Insurance

Voyager are a specialist Travel Insurer who will cover many high risk sports and activities that other insurers will not.

For instance, off-piste skiing and snowboarding with or without guide is covered providing you follow all local ski patrol guidelines. If winter sports cover is taken big foot skiing, cross country skiing (Nordic skiing), glacier skiing, glacier walking (under 2000m), recreational racing, snowmobiling, mono skiing, off piste skiing or snowboarding (providing local safety guidelines and warnings are observed), on piste skiing or snowboarding, snowblading, sledging, tobogganing are all covered, whilst glacier walking (2000-4000m is included if their Action Pack upgrade is purchased. Cat skiing (with a qualified local guide), Heli skiing (with a qualified local guide) and Ice Hockey are also covered if the Action Plus upgrade is taken.

insurewithease.com

Insurewithease.com cover a wider range of activities than many insurers do when their winter sports option is taken, although oddly there is no cover for off piste skiing (even with a guide) or tobogganing unless an upgrade is taken. Skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, big foot skiing, cross country / Nordic skiing, dry slope skiing, sledging, snowmobiling, snow kiting and snow shoeing are, at the time of writing, all automatic inclusions. They also have an upgrade system though that will allow cover for other activities such as big foot, glacier skiing, ice hockey (with full body protection), ice skating (on a rink), dog or reindeer sledging, glacier walking, off piste skiing or snowboarding (with a professional guide/instructor within recognised resort areas), ski run walking, ski yawing, ski-dooing, sledging, snow bobbing, snow carting up to 125cc, snow decking, snow go karting, snow kiting, snow mobiling, snow parascending, snow scooting, snow shoe walking, snow shoeing, snow tubing and snow zorbing are amongst the activities covered.

Columbus Direct

Columbus Direct offer winter sports cover at an additional premium. Their cover is comprehensive covering, as we write, air boarding, big foot skiing, cross country skiing, glacier skiing/walking, ice cricket, ice windsurfing, kick sledging, langlauf, mono-skiing, nordic skiing, off-piste skiing/snowboarding (within resort boundaries),ski randonnee, ski run walking, ski skimming, ski touring, skidooing, sledging, snow blading, snow shoeing, snow tubing, snow zorbing, snowcat skiing (with a professional guide), snowmobiling, and tobogganing.

It does not cover as many resort based activities such as ice skating but is a good choice for a standard intermediate skier.

The Post Office

The Post Office have another pretty good policy for the keen skier where most activities will be partaken on the slopes - their standard winter sports upgrade covers broadly similar activities to Columbus.

InsureandGo

InsureandGo offer ski insurance and winter travel insurance that will cover a whole host of activities away from the ski slopes as well as on them. From off-piste skiing, to snowparks, non-professional ski racing and even ski stunting, InsureandGo may provide you with the wintersports cover you have been searching for. Some of the activities are covered but have an increased medical excess and may have no cover for personal accident or personal liability.

Please be aware that whilst all insurance policies will cover medical bills and repatriation as a result of an accident involving a permitted activity some may exclude cover for personal accident or personal liability for specified areas - so do read the policy terms carefully to ensure you are going to be covered.

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This content was last reviewed on 21/02/2024