Ski touring travel insurance

Cover for ski touring and splitboarding — ascending under your own power and skiing down, inside resort boundaries or outside them.

What is covered

• Ski touring, guided or unguided
• Splitboarding
• Touring outside resort boundaries
• Hut-to-hut tours and multi-day routes
• Off piste, with a guide and without — included, as is your ordinary skiing

Emergency medical and repatriation is £10,000,000, with mountain rescue up to £50,000.

Ski touring is a higher activity level than recreational skiing and carries an additional premium, and everything below it is included.

Personal liability

Personal liability does not apply to ski touring.

You are covered for injury to yourself.

You are not covered for claims made against you.

Two conditions that apply

You cannot ski tour on your own

Ski touring must be done with at least one other insured adult, or with a guide.

Touring unguided is covered.

Touring alone is not.

You must carry avalanche safety equipment

Transceiver, shovel and probe. All three, on you, and know how to use them.

This is a condition of the cover, not a suggestion.

A transceiver on its own is no use — it tells your partner where you are, and they need a shovel and a probe to reach you.

Ski touring and backcountry are not the same thing

This is the question we are asked most, and the answer is not about where you are.

The policy covers named activities, not terrain.

Ski touring is an activity on the schedule.

It is covered, and it is covered outside resort boundaries.

Backcountry is not an activity on the schedule.

There is nothing to select and nothing to buy.

So touring outside the resort is covered and backcountry is not, even though both take you to the same places.

If what you are describing as backcountry skiing is in fact ski touring — skinning up and skiing down — then it is covered under ski touring.

If it is lift-served skiing beyond the resort boundary, or terrain reached by other means, it is not something we can write.

P J Hayman write that kind of risk.

Off piste is already included

Ski touring is a winter sports policy at a higher level, so everything below it comes with it.

That includes on piste skiing and snowboarding, and off piste with a guide and without one.

You do not need to add off piste separately.

Do I need a guide?

No.

Ski touring is covered guided or unguided.

You do need to be with at least one other insured adult, and you do need the safety equipment, as above.

Not against local advice applies here as it does anywhere.

When touring becomes mountaineering

The main aim of ski touring is to traverse the mountains, not to climb them.

Once the objective is the summit rather than the route, and once you are using crampons, ice axes or ropes to get there, it is ski mountaineering — a separate activity at a higher level, with an altitude ceiling.

See ski mountaineering insurance.

A tour that crosses rock with the occasional rope for safety is still touring.

A tour where you are climbing is not.

What ski touring is

Ski touring combines cross country skiing, ski mountaineering and downhill skiing.

It means travelling across snow-covered landscapes on skis, with the route taking in ascents and descents, usually off piste and away from the busy resorts.

The skis have free heels, which is what allows the range of movement to walk uphill.

Types of ski touring

Nordic. Free-heel bindings throughout.

You do not change your skis between uphill and downhill, which suits rolling terrain.

Traditional Nordic. Lightweight, simple skis, close to cross country skis.

Best on groomed trails and good snow, and fine on mildly hilly ground without changing setup.

Back country Nordic. A midpoint between Nordic and telemark skis.

Broader and stouter, designed for more control over turns and speed on steeper slopes.

Telemark. Usually done in ski areas or away from them on steeper slopes, with skis adapted for downhill control.

Telemark boots are easier to walk in.

Alpine, or randonnée. Ideal for descending, heavier and stiffer than the others, and harder work on long uphill sections.

Most people swap alpine boots for hiking boots on the way up.

Snowboard. Touring on a board means swapping it for snowshoes, a splitboard or short skis on the uphill traverses.

How much off piste should you do first?

The general guideline is at least 20 days of off piste skiing before you start ski touring.

Terrain assessment. Off piste teaches you to read ungroomed snow and varying terrain — identifying rocks, stumps and cliffs, and picking the safest line down.

Ski control and technique. Touring demands you are comfortable in every kind of snow, from powder to crusty hardpack, and able to adjust quickly on unpredictable ground.

Navigation and route finding. Touring takes you through unfamiliar terrain.

Off piste builds the skills — reading topographic maps, using a compass, and deciding a route from snow conditions, weather and terrain.

Fitness and endurance. Touring is physically demanding, with long climbs and long descents.

Off piste builds the endurance and teaches you to pace yourself across a full day in the mountains.

Equipment. It is also where you get familiar with touring bindings, skins and avalanche safety gear, and learn to use them properly.

Useful sites for ski touring

• Backcountry Skiing Canada — avalanche conditions, routes and gear reviews
• Backcountry Magazine — dedicated to ski touring and backcountry skiing
• Powder Magazine — gear, destinations and technique
• Teton Gravity Research — ski touring films, plus technique, gear and destinations

Common questions

Is ski touring covered?

Yes, with ski touring on your policy.

It is a higher activity level than recreational skiing and carries an additional premium.

Is it covered outside resort boundaries?

Yes.

Ski touring is covered inside the resort and outside it.

What is the difference between ski touring and backcountry skiing?

Ski touring is an activity on our schedule and it is covered.

Backcountry is not an activity on the schedule, so there is nothing to buy for it.

Do you cover backcountry skiing?

Not as backcountry.

If what you are doing is skinning up and skiing down, that is ski touring and it is covered.

Do I need a guide for ski touring?

No.

Guided and unguided are both covered.

Can I ski tour alone?

No.

You need at least one other insured adult with you, or a guide.

Do I have to carry a transceiver?

Yes, and a shovel and a probe.

It is a condition of the cover.

Is splitboarding covered?

Yes, on the same basis as ski touring.

Are hut-to-hut tours covered?

Yes, including multi-day routes.

Is the Haute Route covered?

Ski touring covers the route itself.

Sections requiring crampons, ropes or climbing are ski mountaineering, so tell us what the itinerary includes.

Does ski touring cover include off piste?

Yes.

Ski touring sits above off piste, so off piste with and without a guide is included, along with your ordinary skiing.

Is cat skiing covered?

Yes, but as its own activity rather than under ski touring — access is by snowcat rather than under your own power.

See heli-skiing and cat skiing insurance.

Can I add ski touring after I have bought the policy?

Call us before you travel and we will sort it.

Can I cover only the days I am touring?

No.

The activity sits on the policy for the whole trip rather than for chosen days.

Does an annual policy cover ski touring?

Yes, with ski touring added to it.

Is ski touring covered on a season policy?

On a Longstay season policy it is Activity Pack 4.

See ski season insurance.

Am I covered ski touring in Japan or Turkey?

Yes we do 

Is my touring equipment covered?

Yes.

Own equipment up to £2,000 with a £1,000 single item limit, hired equipment up to £750.

Can I get cover with a pre-existing medical condition?

Yes, where the condition is on our accepted list.

See medical conditions.

Get a quote

Ski touring cover is on the quote on this page.

Off piste and your ordinary skiing are included with it.

Full terms, conditions and exclusions are in the policy wording.

Useful Sites for Ski Touring 

1. Backcountry Skiing Canada: This website is a great resource for Canadian ski tourers. It provides information on avalanche conditions, ski touring routes, and gear reviews.

2. Ski Tou​ring Magazine. This magazine is dedicated to ski touring and backcountry skiing. It provides inspiration, education, and entertainment for skiers of all levels.

3. Powder Magazine: This magazine covers all aspects of skiing and snowboarding, including ski touring. It features articles on gear, destinations, and techniques.

4. Teton Gravity Research: This website is home to some of the best ski-touring films in the world. It also features articles on technique, gear, and destinations.