Overseas Rescue Insurance

Although we maintain a clean safety record with regard to serious injuries, the mountains are nevertheless a hazardous environment, where even minor incidents such as illness or a fall whilst skiing may result in the need for a costly helicopter evacuation or medical treatment. For this reason, we stipulate that for all overseas courses you MUST purchase specialist mountaineering  rescue, medical and repatriation insurance to cover the dates, areas and activities involved as a condition of your booking. 

Details of your insurance, including the provider and policy number must be sent to the office by the final payment date.  We advise you to purchase cancellation insurance for all UK and overseas courses (most insurance packages include accident and cancellation insurance together). You are strongly advised to buy insurance immediately you book the course, rather than last minute - as cancelllation cancellation cover is only effective from the date you take out the policy.

If you don't already have a new European Health Insurance Card to replace your old E111 form, then you need to go down the post office and apply for one - as most E111's are now invalid - having now been replaced by the new card scheme. Insurers insist you have one of these to go with your insurance package, so it is important to get hold of one.

A word of note about Austrian Alpine Club insurance: although this is one of the cheapest ways to get rescue cover in the Alps, we hesitate to reccommend it as the premium limit is not enough to cover any serious incident - we know of people who have had to sell there houses to cover the shortfall after a £10,000 rescue, plus a spell in a Swiss hospital at £2000/day! The following companies provide appropriate mountaineering insurance.

If you use another provider, then please check terms and conditions very carefully - as many standard travel insurance packages specifically exclude 'high risk' activities such as off piste skiing and roped mountaineering, but some allow them in the company of a guide. We always need evidence that you have sufficient insurance in place before we can take you out on the hill.