22 February 2008 Off-piste skiers 'should take guide'
British skiers planning on practicing their parallel turns off-piste should hire the expertise of a guide before venturing off the groomed track, it has been reported.
According to Post Office, excellent conditions currently experienced by ski resorts in Europe means great news for winter sports enthusiasts.
However, it notes that heavy snowfalls in the past few months coupled with high winds in some resorts can increase the risk of avalanches.
"This year the conditions are very good. Many people enjoy the challenge of skiing or boarding off-piste but it carries more risk so most travel insurance policies ... require the policyholder to be accompanied by a qualified guide or instructor when going off-piste," commented Post Office head of travel services Helen Warburton.
She added that skiers should be fully prepared and aware that off piste areas carry a "high risk of avalanches" as well as concealed hazards underneath deep snow.
Avalanches occur when the load on the upper snow layers becomes far greater than the bonding forces of a mass of snow, usually snowpack that is overly large and unstable for its supporting slope.
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