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Frozen waterfall · falling ice · recovery costs
Ice climbing and your insurance
Climbing a frozen waterfall is alpinism in remote terrain. On ordinary travel and accident cover that is excluded in virtually every case.
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Deze pagina in het Nederlands: IJswatervallen beklimmen en uw verzekering.
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A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
An ice waterfall is frozen running water. Its quality varies with the temperature and the sun: in a thaw whole ice columns can come away, and with every swing of the axe the leader knocks ice down onto the belayer below. The routes usually run over several rope lengths in a couloir with snow lying above you.
Insurers place this under mountain sports off the beaten track and usually exclude it on travel, accident and liability cover. The approach through avalanche-prone terrain and the descent by abseil are part of the route as well. Cover is sometimes possible after a declaration in advance, usually only with a recognised mountain guide.
What is covered when climbing frozen waterfalls?
Three things determine your position: the declaration, the conditions and how accessible the place is.
Thaw, falling ice and avalanche
The ice and the terrain together determine the risk.
- The avalanche bulletin for the approach
- Falling ice hits the belayer
- A helmet and a belay at the bottom
Recovery from the couloir
Help from a steep gorge calls for a specialist team.
- Call the emergency assistance centre about costs
- A helicopter cannot always land
- Keep the recovery report
What is covered
| Situation | Standard | With extension |
|---|---|---|
| A climb over several rope lengths in a remote couloir | No | Provided that |
| Injury from ice breaking off from the climber above you | No | Yes |
| Search, rescue and recovery costs | No | Yes |
| Permanent disability after a fall | No | Provided that |
| An accident during the abseil descent | No | Yes |
| Setting off despite an avalanche warning or a thaw | No | No |
What is actually covered is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) that you receive in advance.
Where things go wrong in practice
Two points that determine whether your policy pays after an accident on the waterfall.
The whole trip counts, not just the climb
Travel and personal accident policies generally exclude mountain sports off the beaten track, air sports, deep diving and speed contests . With an ice waterfall, not only the climb falls under that exclusion but also the approach through the snow and the abseil descent. An avalanche on the way back is therefore not covered either.
Carrying on in poor conditions is reckless
If the sport is covered, then Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code apply: intent and recklessness are not covered. Setting off in a thaw, during a high avalanche risk or on a route about which a warning has been given is treated in that way. Keep the avalanche bulletin for the day so that you can support your judgement.
What does your premium depend on?
- Risk class of the sport — ice climbing is high up
- Difficulty and length of the routes — several rope lengths count
- Accompaniment by a mountain guide — often a condition of acceptance
- Destination and remoteness — the Alps, Norway or Canada
- Duration of the trip — a single route or a whole week
- Sums insured — mainly recovery costs and disability
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is why comparing pays off.
How we arrange it
- You request a quoteWe take stock of your situation, risk and wishes.
- We compareseveral insurers, on premium as well as conditions.
- You receive a proposalWith an explanation of the differences and the exclusions.
- We arrange the switchIncluding cancellation, so there is no gap in cover.
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Customers rate our service on four aspects: personal service, service delivery, availability and the outcome. The reviews are collected and published by NH1816 and come from customers who have actually taken out a policy with Finass Advies B.V. or reported a claim.
Frequently asked questions
The questions we are asked most often about this.
Why is this rated more heavily than climbing in an ice park?
Because the terrain counts. A waterfall is often in a couloir with snow above it, the routes run over several rope lengths and the descent is by abseil. Help does not arrive quickly, and a helicopter cannot always land there.
Is a guide enough for cover?
Not by itself, but it helps with acceptance. Insurers that include this sport usually require a recognised mountain guide. Without a declaration in advance the exclusion stands, even if you climb with a guide.
What if I am hit by ice from the climber above me?
Your own injury is covered if the sport is included. If you want to hold the other person liable, that runs under Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code, but in a sporting situation that threshold is high. Falling ice counts as an accepted risk of the sport.
What does a recovery from a couloir cost?
That differs by country and rescue service and is not fixed in advance. Reckon on a specialist team and usually a helicopter. Call the emergency assistance centre before you call out a service yourself; they arrange the guarantee of payment.
Read more
Similar pages
Heading onto an ice waterfall?
Have it recorded before departure whether the climb, the approach and the recovery are included.
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About our service
Finass Verzekert is a trading name of Finass Advies B.V. We advise on and arrange non-life insurance on the basis of an objective analysis of several insurers, and receive commission for this from the insurer, which is included in the premium. You pay no separate advice fee. Before you take out cover, we establish your wishes and needs.
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This page was written and checked by an adviser at Finass Verzekert. Last updated on .
The information on this page is general in nature and is not personal advice.