This week, due to the heavy snowfall, there has been a number of dramatic and dangerous incidents. First if all, a friend of mine, who is a very experienced snowboard instructor, was caught in an avalanche on a very popular off piste run in Bruson. This only goes to emphasise the potential dangers of skiing or boarding off piste. It is essential that you personally are an experienced and competent skier and it is also highly advisable to have a guide with you with full knowledge of the area and snow conditions.

Winter sports travel insurance including repatriation cover for snowboarders and skiers

My friend Rob was trapped under one metre of snow. Luckily he was riding with some friends who had been on an avalanche course and thus knew what to do and how important it was to work quickly. When someone is buried in an avalanche, they have approximately 10-30 minutes in which to be rescued before the possibility of freezing becomes an extremely high risk. They were all wearing transceivers and could therefore pick up the signal from Rob's transceiver to find the spot where he was. Of course, when buried in an avalanche, without such equipment it is virtually impossible to find the person within 10 minutes.

Once found, they used a long probe to establish how far under he was buried and then started digging with shovels. Carrying these three pieces of equipment is essential for safety when riding in areas with an avalanche risk. Because of their advanced knowledge, Rob's friends thankfully rescued him within 4 minutes. Luckily he had no other injuries and was just shaken up.

The second incident of this week was when a very good friend of mine, Olle, fell over a tree stump when also skiing off piste in fresh powder. His knee was so badly damaged that he had to be taken down the mountain on a blood wagon. He has since been to the doctors twice and had an MRI scan. Now he has to have an operation within the next week. Knee injuries are extremely common, though rarely this serious.

I know at least 6 seasonaires who have injured their knees seriously this season. The frequency of these injuries highlights further the importance of good insurance. If properly insured, one can pay little to nothing for doctor's and even physiotherapist's time. However, when not insured, or basically insured, doctor's bills are enormous, especially in this area. If Olle had not been insured, payment for his treatment would have been vast. Instead, however, he is covered and won't pay a thing.

Ski and snowboarding insurance for winter sports enthusiasts travelling on holiday.Although perhaps slightly more expensive, I cannot emphasis more the importance of a holiday insurance for both the unfortunate event of an accident or just for piece of mind. I pay approximately £400 insurance per month which is written into my work contract. My company know the importance of insurance and therefore give us no choice but to pay this. If it were voluntary however, very few would object to paying these prices.