Insurance

Let’s get the boring bit out of the way. Before you get on the plane, ensure you have holiday insurance in place specifically for skiing. You need to pay attention to what you’re covered for, as not all companies cover you for going off-piste or into ski and board parks. It’s best to get protected for everything – just in case. You don’t want to be held back from hitting some fresh powder off-piste just because you didn’t pay the extra £5 cover.

Ski pass

This is crucial. Make sure it covers the whole mountain range that you intend to ski, and if you’re changing between ski jacket, don’t forget to transfer over your ski pass. There’s nothing worse than getting all the way to the lift and discovering you are unable to get going because your ski pass is in yesterday’s outfit.

Kit

The obvious ones you’ll need are ski boots or snowboard boots followed by skis or a snowboard. If you ski with poles, you’ll want to take those along with you too. Make sure everything is comfortable and in good condition before you head out. If your boots start hurting after just a couple of runs, it’s usually a sign that something isn’t right and you’ll want to head back to the fitting shop to try a different design or size. If you fall and your skis aren’t coming off when they should, get their fit checked as soon as you get down otherwise you run the risk of injury.

Safety 

Mostly everyone wears a helmet skiing now – it’s safer to do so and with the great options out there there’s no reason why you shouldn’t. The Times says that in Europe the number of skiers and snowboarders now wearing a helmet is increasing. Strangely, injuries don’t seem to have decreased in response to this, so don’t go over big jumps just to test your helmet. 

The range of helmets now include headphone adaptable ear pieces so you can zoom around listening to your favourite tracks. They also come in some awesome colours to make you stand out on the mountain. If you’re a hero and ski around with your GoPro, a helmet is the best option as you can fix the camera to the top of it. 

The little bits

Even when it appears cold on a clear day, the sun can still can leave you with a burnt face if you aren’t wearing any protection. We recommend two-in-ones that have a chapstick on one end and cream the other for full coverage of your face. It’s best to go for the 50+ SPF so you don’t have to reapply it often. The cream should also give you a little protection against windburn. Finally, to keep your energy and enthusiasm, pack a few cheeky snacks for the lift.