Faster and smarter in the app... Download now

Mobile Phones On The Ski Slopes

Isn't a winter sports holiday meant to be the ultimate get away from it all? Nestled in the mountains, with only the gentle swoosh of skis and snowboards breaking the silence, do you really want to be the one to get out your mobile phone and spoil it?

Whilst skiers and boarders are vociferous in condemning those people who take over the lifts and queues with their loud and overbearing phone conversations, they are grudgingly admitting that mobiles do have their place on the slopes and, on some occasions, could even be life savers.

Coupled with the fact that many of us use our mobiles as our main camera or even video camera nowadays, it's no surprise that more and more of us will be taking our phones to the powder.

How a Mobile Phone Can Help In a Winter Sports Emergency

"If you get separated from your companions and end up in an accident, your phone can help others locate you and get to you fast"

If you're skiing off piste, get separated from your companions and end up in an accident, your phone can help others locate you and get to you fast. Likewise, if you see someone in trouble you can summon help for them.

It also comes in handy for locating everyone at the end of a morning's run, and is perfect for parents who want to be able to communicate with their kids without feeling they have to spend every minute skiing with them. Ski journalist Patrick Thorne says:

We allowed them to have cell phones as soon as old enough to use them as most resorts have mobile coverage over the mountains. If we got separated there was a better chance of being able to find each other quickly. I can't remember ever needing to use until they were older teens and skiing on their own anyway.

Even if your children are being taken care of in ski club or with a ski nanny, you'll find that they will want to you be contactable.

It makes sense to programme the emergency numbers into your phone - double check these before you leave. Finally, do remember that mountain coverage can be good but you cannot always rely on a signal. if you are skiing alone, do tell people where you are going and when you expect to be back.

How to Protect Your Phone on the Slopes

Whilst breaking a bone on the slopes is probably anyone's nightmare, ending up with a lost or broken phone can still be pretty traumatic. Top tips for keeping phones safe include:

  • Keep phone in a ziplock bag to protect from moisture. Some even say their phones can use the touch function without even taking it out of the bag!
  • Store within a zipped pocket in an inner layer (fleece for instance)
  • Use as many layers as possible to protect the phone from both knocks and insulate it from the cold which may affect battery life
  • You can also invest in a hard wearing case designed to protect your own make of phone
  • Use a bluetooth headset so you can leave your phone in your pocket

Why not take an old phone anyway and keep your latest pimped up model for when you get home?Or even better, use an old phone and a local sim? You can find out about local sims and how to save on phone charges

Phone Etiquette on the Slopes

Apart from getting it out for photography, there are some unspoken rules about using your phone on the mountain.

  • Leave phone calls until you get to the top or bottom of the mountain
  • If you really have to take a call, get away from everyone else and make sure you have found a safe place
  • Keep use to essential calls and video and camera functions
  • Never just stop to answer your phone. This is extremely dangerous

And of course, taking your mobile on a ski holidays means that, once you are down from the slopes, you can check out your favourite ski and snowboard apps!

Skiing further information

If you're looking to get the most out of your skiing holiday, look no further than our supporting articles.


Holiday Extras Travel Insurance is sold and administered by Holiday Extras Cover Limited who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under registration number 828848.

Holiday Extras™ is a Trading Name of Holiday Extras Cover Limited

Holiday Extras Travel Insurance is provided by Taurus Insurance Services, an insurance intermediary licenced and authorised in Gibraltar by the Financial Services Commission under Permission Number 5566 and authorised to passport general insurance intermediary services into the UK and registered with the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK under registration number 444830.

The insurance is underwritten by Great Lakes Insurance SE. Great Lakes Insurance SE is a German insurance company with its headquarters at Königinstrasse 107, 80802 Munich. UK Branch office: 10 Fenchurch Avenue, London, EC3M 5BN, company number SE000083. Great Lakes Insurance SE, UK Branch, is authorised and regulated by Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht. Deemed authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority. Firm Reference Number: 769884. Subject to regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and limited regulation by the Prudential Regulation Authority. Details of the Temporary Permissions Regime, which allows EEA-based firms to operate in the UK for a limited period while seeking full authorisation, are available on the Financial Conduct Authority’s website.