If you are planning a skiing holiday this is the time to spare a thought for how dangerous the mountains can be whether you are a first timer or a veteran at skiing and snowboarding, you need to know how to prepare yourself to be safe before you go. Over 100,000 people are injured needlessly in skiing and snowboarding accidents, so making sure your protected before you start is imperative.
Firstly if your either taking your own equipment or renting while you’re on holiday you need to make sure you have the correct equipment, suitable for your needs and fitted to the right size for you. Among some of the essentials needed are boots, bindings, protective clothing, goggles and helmets, if you have the right equipment it will drastically improve your performance and lessen the chances of you having an accident.
It’s advisable to take skiing and snowboarding lessons no matter what your level of experience as terrain varies from resort to resort, obviously the less experience you have had the more lessons you will need. It also helps to have guidance from experts who have been into these sports for years so that you can improve your performance and safety on piste.
Many skiers and snowboarders now venture off-piste however it is essential you have specific safety equipment and knowledge of mountain safety before embarking on this cool’ free-ride movement, you can anything from steep, narrow chutes to wide open, moderate gradient bowls offering a mix of ice, crud or powder, one thing to be aware of is that when venturing off piste is that you are putting yourself at risk. If you are intent on venturing off-piste a way to ensure safety to hire a qualified mountain guide, who in most cases will provide the equipment necessary and you do need to gain as much experience as possible with the equipment beforehand.
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Picture Courtesy of iwona kellie
