Safe And Sound Skiing: The Children’s Magnestick

The Three Valleys is a great spot to take your kids for a family ski holiday. With good value for money, suitable skiing for beginners, family-friendly accommodation options and a special safety device for children on the slopes, you can’t go wrong with the Three Valleys! There are eight resorts to choose from within this ski area, so there will be something for every preference, budget and ability. Courchevel has the most lifts with the new Magnestick safety feature, so this resort is a top pick for parents.

The Magical Magnestick

The Magnestick system essentially ‘sticks’ the child skier to the lift via a set of magnets which are integrated into the back of the seat. These prevent children from falling off the lift when it is in transit. Upon arrival, the magnet is automatically deactivated so the child can safely get off the lift.

All kids need to wear is a protection vest for the system to work. These light 200g colourful vests have the added benefits of back protection in the event of falls or collisions while on the slopes, and ease of identification of your child should you be separated from them.

The Journey

·         Once your kids are sitting with their backs against the back of the chair lift, the system kicks in and sticks them to the seat. Even if the safety bar is not immediately lowered, they’ll be safe and securely attached to the chair.

·         During the ride up, the magnets hold your child safely in place while allowing them some room for movement. They will avoid the risk of slipping under the safety restraining bar as the lift is moving.

·         Even if the safety bar is lifted up before the child has safely arrived, they will remain ‘attached’ to the seat until the moment their skis are on the snow. This means that human error won’t affect your child’s safety as they get off the lift.

Not All Lifts Support It

There are plenty of resort in the Three Valleys with lifts supporting the Magnestick safety feature. Courchevel boasts 8 chairlifts fitted with the new technology, which make it the best-equipped resort for this. Méribel has 4 chairlifts, and La Tania has also invested in the system.

Before You Go

It simply cannot be exaggerated how important it is to have the proper skiing travel insurance in place for you and your family before you go away. It’s best to have peace of mind and the appropriate coverage when your kids are swishing their way down snowy mountains. Invest in good skiing travel insurance to cover you in the case of any eventuality so you can enjoy yourselves as much as the kids will!

Patrick Chong is the Managing Director of InsureMore, an award-winning team of specialists in global single trip, family and annual travel policies including comprehensive skiing travel insurance. Besides offering great deals on travel insurance, Patrick also collects and shares the best free travel competitions to help his clients get the most out of their holidays.