Brits warned over 'drink-skiing'

Skiers looking to enjoy the first snow of the new year are being urged to remember the dangers of consuming too much alcohol while on the slopes.

Drinking is a major part of many people's ski holiday overseas, but experts have warned holidaymakers of the dangers of heading out onto the piste with too much alcohol in their system.

Perry Wilson, spokesperson for InsureandGo, said: "People forget about certain things at altitude…people tend not to have one [drink] – they're topping up from last night. So they might have a couple of pints and feel fine, but they're probably not."

Research from the company last month found that 11 per cent of people – around 1.38 million – have skied or snowboarded drunk while on the slopes.

And around 154,000 skiers admitted to being "very drunk" while taking part in winter sports.

And Mr Wilson added that ski travel insurance is vital for any winter sports trip, but that people may invalidate their policies if they are drunk.