The British consular service in Bern is offering UK travellers to the Alps a set of safety tips – David Moran, British ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein says that ‘with our Top Tips to Stay Safe on the Slopes’ we hope to make as many people as possible aware of specific dangers linked to winter sports so that their trip remains fun and trouble free.” Some 700,000 British tourists visit Switzerland each year, many of them to ski. The embassy helps injured skiers each winter, and the tips are designed to reduce the number of accidents.
They are useful tips for any visitors to the Alps in winter.
Keeping passports and belongings safe while travelling in Switzerland is also part of the campaign; the British Embassy in Berne is also working together with Geneva Airport and the transport police of SBB, the Swiss Federal Railways to help British travellers keep their passports and belongings safe when travelling in Switzerland.
More information on the embassy’s Twitter account @UKEmbassyBerne and website, but here is the list.
Top tips for a safe ski holiday
- Take out insurance – and check what it covers. It might not cover off piste skiing unless you are with a qualified guide.
- Have a medical check-up before you ski – one of the major causes of hospitalisation and death on the slopes is heart attacks.
- Don’t drink and ski. Alcohol can affect you more quickly at high altitudes and dangerously limits your awareness of risk and cold. Drinking and then skiing also risks invalidating your travel insurance.
- Most skiing injuries are caused by collisions with other skiers – watch your speed and distance.
- Don’t attempt slopes you’re not experienced or fit enough to tackle, even if you’re encouraged or pressured to do so by friends.
- If going off piste, carry a shovel, a probe and a transceiver in case of an avalanche. Also remember that you need proper training on how to use a transceiver.
- If you are going out on a glacier, you must wear a harness. If you fall into a crevasse, this will help the rescue team get you out.
- Make sure someone knows where you’re going and tell them of any changes to your plans.
- Only go off piste skiing or climbing with someone you have met previously and can trust. You need to know their capabilities, what you’ll be doing and where you’ll be going.
- Many insurers insist you wear a helmet. Protect your head and your policy.