Ski holidays can be expensive, but there are a number of ways to keep costs down. Shopping around on the internet can seriously save you money. Another way you can cut the cost of your ski holiday is to learn some basic maintenance skills. 

Your ski poles are important from a spring, balance, and turning ability point of view, so you want to make sure that they’re in tip top shape before you take them to the slopes. Cross country ski poles are usually pretty lightweight affairs, made from bamboo or aluminium, whereas downhill ski poles are altogether a more heavy duty affair, usually made from fibreglass, metal, or solid wood. 

You can repair most types of ski pole fairly quickly yourself, as long as you have the right tools and materials for the job. All you need are a pair of pliers, a pocketknife, a hammer and/or a vice, fine-grit sandpaper, lubricant, waterproof glue, fibreglass tape, and any replacement parts that you might need. 

To fix broken handles, you need to twist the broken handles off with pliers, sand the ends of the poles, wipe the sanded ends clean, attach glue to both the parts that need to be joined, and press them together firmly until the glue takes.

To fit new wrist straps, you have to cut out the old strap with a pocketknife, throw away the metal wedge that held it in, push in the new strap so that the loop end sticks out, jam in the new wedge to hold it in place, and pull the loop end of the wrist strap to tighten it. 

Replacing baskets is simply a matter of removing the old basket with pliers, applying a lubricant (such as household oil or hand lotion) to the inner ring of the replacement basket, and pressing it onto the ring groove on the body of the pole.

Tips are easy to lose, so you’ll be pleased to learn that they’re easy to replace, too. All you have to do is add a little waterproof glue to the base of the new tip, and screw it into place with pliers. 

If you break your pole, you should replace it, but if you need a temporary repair, just wrap it up firmly with fibreglass tape and don’t try any rough stuff with it! Bends are more common, and can be put right by clamping it in a vice or hammering it back into shape. Remember that ski poles are fragile, and whether you are clamping them or hammering them you need to do it slowly and gently.

If you are looking to book a ski holiday then try igoski.co.uk – they are adventure sport specialists who offer ski weekends in France.