How to get sledging cover for your holiday

If you’re planning to go sledging during your trip, you can get cover by including our Winter Sports add-on to your travel insurance policy.

Winter Sports covers you for skiing, snowboarding and sledging, as well as other activities such as snow tubing, mono-skiing and tobogganing.

The cover includes full medical assistance, equipment protection and lift pass cover during your holiday. Helicopter ambulance is also part of the policy if it is needed, providing cover for costs if you need to be taken off the side of a mountain.

You can get single trip travel insurance if you are only looking to get cover for one holiday, while our annual multi-trip policy means that you can get protection for multiple trips over a one-year period. This includes a maximum 17 days of Winter Sports cover per year if you get the add-on.

We also provide cover for various pre-existing medical conditions, and you can find out if your conditions can be protected by completing our medical screening process when buying a policy. If we confirm that you’re eligible for cover, you will then be able to receive all of the benefits that are included with our standard policies.

Winter Sports cover includes:

• Full medical assistance if required
• Lift pass cover
• Piste closure cover, to compensate for lack of snowboarding
• Avalanche delay cover
• Snowboarding and skiing both included under the plan
• Snowboard and ski equipment cover
• Pre-existing medical insurance available

How to stay safe when sledging

As with many activities, there are risks involved when you go sledging, particularly if you do it on steeper hills. Sledging has led to injuries in the UK during snowy weather, and there have been other accidents reported around the world.

Ski resorts provide a safer environment for sledging, as you are usually away from roads and other dangers, while the snow is often maintained to provide smooth surfaces to travel along.

You should avoid using sledges on ski slopes and should instead do it in areas that are specifically designated for these sorts of activities. Travelling down ski slopes could cause you to lose control of your board, and you could also clash with skiers and snowboarders. The safest hills to use won’t be too steep and they should have a long flat area towards the bottom so that you can stop safely. You should also avoid travelling towards potential obstacles and hazards such as rocks and trees.

You can often rent equipment at ski resorts, and there are different types depending on the age of the user. Having suitable sledging equipment can help ensure that you and your family are safe on the snow.

What to wear for sledging

It has been advised that you should wear a helmet when sledging, to protect yourself from injury. You should also sit or lay on your sled with your feet pointing downhill, instead of travelling headfirst.

As with skiing and other winter sports, you should wear the right equipment for the snowy weather. Wearing warm clothes, including gloves and boots can keep you comfortable while you’re outside and they can also provide extra protection.