With climbing, it is not the difficulty of the route that determines where your cover stops, but the altitude, the terrain and whether a guide went with you.
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Work out for yourself what it would cost.
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We compare the offerings of several insurers
An adviser checks whether the cover suits your situation
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
In reality, climbing covers three very different activities: sport climbing on a rock face with fixed protection, alpinism across snow and glacier, and climbing in an indoor centre. Insurers usually draw the line at climbing with rope and protection in the open air. Everything beyond that, such as high mountains and glacier tours, often appears as a separate category in the conditions.
Two concepts determine your cover: the altitude limit and the expedition clause. Above the altitude stated in the policy there is no ordinary cover and separate expedition cover is needed. That limit is rarely in the brochure but in the special conditions, and it often applies to the whole trip and not only to the day you climb.
The cost item that sets climbing apart from most other risk sports is mountain rescue. Mountain rescue teams and helicopters charge separately from the hospital and in a number of countries want a guarantee of payment on the spot. So always call the emergency assistance centre first. Rope technique during the descent is a separate subject; see abseiling.
Mountaineering and rock climbing: what is covered?
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
The essentials
Declare in advance
What you do not declare is not covered.
Notify before departure
Surcharge or separate module
Also for one-off participation
Note all three
Three covers
They do not always run in step.
Medical expenses
Accidents and disability
Liability
Emergency assistance centre
In an accident
Call before you incur costs.
Arranging a guarantee
Salvage and repatriation
Keep all receipts
What is covered
Situation
Standard
With extension
Medical expenses after an accident
No
Yes
Rescue and salvage costs
No
Yes
Permanent disability
No
Sometimes
Liability towards third parties
Sometimes
Yes
Taking part in competition
No
Sometimes
Taking part without the required qualification
No
No
This overview is general in nature and is not personal advice. What is actually covered, including exclusions, limits and the excess, is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) of the insurer; you receive both before you take out cover. Taking out cover without advice? Then read what execution only means for you.
Where things go wrong in practice
Four points that make the difference between a policy that pays out and one that does not.
The altitude limit is the sharpest provision in your policy
Virtually every insurer that includes mountain sports attaches a maximum altitude to it. If you go above it, the cover falls away for the whole stay, so also for an ordinary hospital admission down in the valley. Anyone planning a trek with one high pass exceeds it sooner than expected. Ask for the limit in advance and have it confirmed in writing up to what altitude you are insured.
Via ferrata and glaciers are named separately
A via ferrata feels like walking with a set clipped to a steel cable, but appears in the conditions under climbing. A glacier tour brings crevasse risk with it and calls for a roped party. Several insurers cover precisely these two only if you go with a certified mountain guide. If you do it independently, that is a different risk and you must declare it as such when you apply.
Mountain rescue is a section of its own
Rescue and recovery costs stand apart from medical expenses and have their own limit. In some countries the mountain rescue service sends you the bill and you claim afterwards. In others the helicopter operator wants a guarantee from the emergency assistance centre in advance. Declare the sport in advance, because without that declaration it is not only the treatment that is refused but precisely also the rescue that got you off the mountain.
What is in no climbing cover
Usually excluded are: climbing without protection, taking part in climbing competitions and the training for them, expeditions above the policy limit, and climbing in areas with a negative travel advisory. If you cause rockfall that hits a climber below you, your liability is judged under Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code; that runs through your liability insurance and not through the travel cover. Check that this policy does not exclude risk sports.
What does your premium depend on?
Type of terrain. A rock face, high mountains and a glacier are each placed in their own category.
Maximum altitude. The altitude you declare determines whether you fall within the ordinary cover or under expedition cover.
With or without a mountain guide. Being accompanied by a certified guide lowers the risk and with some insurers widens the cover.
Destination and assistance. The distance to an organised mountain rescue service counts, as do the costs of repatriation from that country.
Climbing experience and training. Demonstrable courses and years of experience are taken into account in acceptance.
Length of the cover. One trip, a climbing season or continuous annual cover lead to a different set-up.
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
How we arrange it
You request a quoteWe take stock of your situation, your risk and your 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.
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.
Most insurers count indoor climbing on an inspected wall as ordinary sport, because there is supervision and the fall distance is limited. The exclusion is aimed at climbing outdoors with rope and protection. If you also boulder or climb outdoors, declare both; acceptance is based on the most demanding activity you practise.
Who pays for a mountain rescue?
That differs by country. Sometimes the state bears the costs. Often the mountain rescue service or the helicopter operator invoices the casualty directly. The cover for rescue and recovery costs on your travel insurance is intended for that and has its own limit. Always call the emergency assistance centre before a helicopter takes off, so that the guarantee of payment is arranged.
Does a mountain guide change my cover?
With several insurers it does. Glacier tours, ice climbing and routes above a certain altitude are sometimes insured only when accompanied by a certified guide. If you go independently, that must be stated in the application. Keep the guide's booking confirmation. When you claim, the insurer asks for it to establish on what basis you were climbing.
I caused rockfall and hit someone. Who pays for that?
That is a liability question under Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code and it runs through your personal liability insurance, not through the travel policy. Check two things: whether that policy applies in the country where you climb and whether it excludes risk sports. Injury to a climber can lead to a substantial claim, certainly where permanent injury remains.
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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