This is a very interesting story about how a large travel insurance company is refusing to honor an insurance claim by the families of two off-piste skiers killed at Tignes, France:

http://pistehors.com/news/ski/comments/mountain-of-debt-for-tignes-avalanche-families/

The moral of the story is read your travel policy very carefully if you intend to engage in off-piste skiing, either out west or Europe.

Quote:

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The bottom line is that when taking out winter sports insurance you are only covered for what is in the policy and watch the fine print. You should ask your insurer how they define terms such as "off-piste" and "exposure to danger". This clause could cover skiing a black run under icy conditions if a warning was posted by the resort. Any communication should be via fax or registered letter. Oh, and hire a good lawyer!

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Interesting that skiing on ice could be considered an extreme risk.