UKH

Hi,

Currently planning my first trip to the Alps this August - looking to probably split time between Switzerland (Arolla/Saas area) and potentially France (Chamonix).

In terms of rescue insurance and getting a discount on huts, is joining the Austrian Alpine Club the best/most cost effective way to go? It seems you get both of these as a benefit of membership. Whilst I'm already a member of the BMC, I believe insurance would be an additional cost, as would a reciprocal rights card.

Any other hints/tips appreciated, particularly regarding lifts. I understand in the Saas area if you're in paid accommodation you can get a citizen pass which makes almost all the lifts free.

Many thanks,

Phil

I started to use AAC some years ago when the BMC rates increased significantly and as an older climber I had to pay even more. With the AAC the cost for age actually decreased. Bear in mind however that AAC is rescue and repatriation only, any other costs incurred may not be covered. I had to claim last year and I found their service excellent. I have heard of climbers getting hut accommodation discount with just a BMC card but the official position is that you should pay for the reciprocal rights card so they have been lucky.

Thanks for the info.

I was thinking that the AAC membership would be combined with regular travel/health insurance, with the AAC covering what is likely to be excluded activities from a 'normal' holiday type policy. Is that what you have done when using the AAC?

Obviously need to research this in more detail but trying to get a vague idea what arrangement may be best as there are so many options.

Yes but you need to take care that your regular travel insurance is not invalidated by the fact that you are on a climbing holiday.  I was unable to check this when I made my claim. I had thought that my house insurance covered the "normal travel insurance" element.  It did but I wasn't covered as I had just turned 70.  It's easy to get caught out by the small print. I ended up paying for taxi fares and additional accommodation, the latter because to all intents and purposes I discharged myself from hospital.

I managed to get discount with just my BMC card last year in one hut. She just asked if I was a BMC member and I said yes, it wasn't until later on that I realised I paid a lot less than I should have done! I looked into a reciprocal rights card but for my two week holiday it wasn't really worth it.

I have the OEAV (AAC) membership (in addition to my club membership, since I want to support their work locally), and with the alpine huts discount (and reciprocity with the French and Swiss and other clubs), in my case it usually pays for itself. As the discount is usually around 30-50%, paying 13€ instead of 25€ for one night at a hut adds up quickly (although some alpine huts are privately - not club - owned, without any discount). It highly depends on where you go and how many nights you stay there, so do the maths yourself.

The rescue costs coverage (I think around 25 000€, a must, as in most Alpine countries, mountain rescue services are paid, and a heli flight is costly) and Europe-wide third party liability coverage (again a must, I think 3 000 000€, as with third party injury the damages can be very high) is a welcome bonus that I have had the fortune of not needing yet

Although, as others noted, the insurance is mostly rescue, repatriation and liability coverage. The health insurance is very basic (10 000€), since most of the OEAV members have their own EHIC national coverage. And even with the EHIC or equivalent, you could possibly (?) exceed that if you had to be flown to a private hospital with the public one out of reach due to weather conditions (while they would probably transfer you to a public one via ambulance asap, you might not want a transfer while severely injured).

Better to get a separate travel health insurance as well (which might negate the savings on the huts, since some travel insurances have good mountaineering rescue and liability coverage anyway). It really pays to read the fine print and do the maths. There are many options and combinations. Even some other alpine clubs with favourable insurance coverage (although navigating them as a foreigner could be quite difficult).