UKH

I'm heading to the Cordillera Blanca in June for two months and had a bit of a shock getting a quote from BMC insurance. £1269 for me and my girlfriend and another £705 for the third member of our team. 

I've been trying to shop around for other quotes but can't find any other companies (snowcard, dogtag, sportscover, etc.) that will provide cover up to 6500m non guided. 

Is this just the way it is now and insurance is one of the major costs of an expedition like this? 

What companies have you used to get cover in similar situations?

Thanks

We used True Traveller when we went, cost us around £1500 for a years cover as we were in south america for 11 months. 

Sounds a lot, but such is life nowadays, at least where insurance is concerned. It's going up for everything, all over.

So you're saying 635 quid for each of you for two months of 6000m climbing? That's a lot but it's not super-outlandish in expedition terms. Depends what it covers of course.

But I'd ask yourself some hard questions. What exactly do you expect from such insurance if you get into trouble high on an Andean 6000er? Who is actually going to rescue you and bring you down? On Huascaran and Alpamayo there might be guides of other groups who *might* help, but...

Global Rescue will cover any actual rescue, but you need to read and be clear on the fine print of what they actually do and do NOT do.

If you break your leg on a mountain but get yourself back down to the roadhead but you need medical care, do you actually need to fly home? And anyway, were you actually climbing a 6000m mountain, or were you trekking and unfortunately slipped down a ravine?

It all depends on your attitude to risk. 

Big mountain insurance has rocketed in cost (I'm paying £310 for 3 weeks in Pakistan this year) but I find it best just to regard it as part of the trip cost and move on. Needless to say the earlier you take it out the better in case any accidents come pre-trip to kibosh it all. At least you'll get the air fare back.

No helicopter rescue available in Peru, so not sure what you'd be getting from Global Rescue if you took out their rescue cover. And it's unambiguously rescue cover - not search and rescue. 

As Damo says, mountain rescue is organised through the Peruvian Mountain Rescue Association (Socorro Andino Peruano S.A.C) This group is made up of experienced and qualified mountain guides holding IVBV – UIAGM/ IFMGA certificates.

It seems there's very little appetite in the travel insurance market for covering mountaineering, hence there's little choice available. 

Thanks, I'll check them out. I can't remember if I have yet or not 🙃

You're bang on. Which is why it's grating a little. But I think the insurance is more for the medical side rather than the rescue. 

This is kind of what we are thinking we'll need to do. We could look at just getting trekking insurance but it gets a little risky in my eyes. Insurance companies will look for any reason not to pay! 

Global rescue was more expensive and just covered the rescue so not a goer for us. 

Thanks for the responses!

"Self guiding" sounds an interesting concept!

You're bang on. Which is why it's grating a little. But I think the insurance is more for the medical side rather than the rescue.

The other reason it's so high is that you're deemed to be in the Americas. If you're vacced to the US, it's big numbers. 

I've just done a quote and they only cover mountaineering up to 6000m.

Is that the same as what you have got? Or did you manage to get insurance above that height? 

Thanks!

You may want to check out joining the Austrian Alpine Club (UK branch). Membership costs £65 and includes worldwide rescue insurance and repatriation.

You will definitely need to check the small print to make sure it covers you for what you may actually need and intend to do (don't know if there's an altitude limit for example). The total sums covered are a lot smaller than with the BMC and Snowcard but then if there's no meaningful search and rescue anyway it won't cost much!

I know when I was in Huaraz last I ended up in hospital for four days with severe food poisoning and the bill only came to about £400. That was about 15 years ago but still, a night in a Swiss hospital cost me £2,000 about 20 years ago so stuff is a lot cheaper over there.

I think a lot of people combine AAC membership with normal travel insurance for baggage and medical cover etc as it's really only rescue cover. It would be worth doing some research to see if this would fit the bill.

Edit. Just found this which suggests there's a normal altitude limit of 6000m but you can buy an add on for single trips of up to four months for above 6000m

http://www.alpine-club.org.uk/eic-insurance

ÖEAV (AAC) £65 doesn't cover above 6000m, plus the medical is only €10,000 (totally fine in Europe with EU healthcare and reciprocals, wouldn't get you even an X‑ray for a broken bone in the US). Though the basic £65 deal is something I consider mandatory for the Alps, just for the rescue coverage.

You need to buy the premium for above 6000m or increased medical coverage, and even that isn't valid for unguided expeditions, unless explicitly approved in writing prior (generally only to longstanding members with at least two years of previous coverage).

Sure, AAC is generally a pretty nice deal, even the premium is, but check the conditions.

Are you an Alpine Club member by any chance? A thorough spreadsheet was put together for members earlier this year that compared all the high Alpine insurance covers. It was shared in one of the AC WhatsApp groups. I can help direct you to the person who compiled it if you are a member.

Personly, I use the Garmin InReach annual high altitude insurance, although that relies on each person having an activated InReach. It's been the best solution for me for the places that I visit, although I haven't climbed in Peru.

FYI, here are ÖEAV Premium latest terms in English (AAC doesn't link them directly):

https://www.europaeische.at/pip/en/oeavrs

Premium AAC insurance is only available to residents of Austria.

Huh. My apologies then, I totally missed that! Damn, me stressing the importance of reading the fine print and missing that fine print

Might it have changed during the last few years, after they changed their insurance provider?

Because I distinctly recall it not being tied to a residence in Austria before that, just in Europe overall. Of course, it could well be that my memory is just getting sloppy...

Thanks for the correction.

It changed a few years back, according another UKC thread I read. I have never used it myself.

Good to know, though, thanks. They did have a change of their insurance provider a few years back, which was somewhat debated in my circles, but I must have totally missed that new "premium only available to the residents of Austria" part. Sucks! I have used it before for some travel to a few less traveled countries, but that's off now I guess. I still get the basic plan nearly every year just for the rescue coverage, though.

Still, I think their £65 basic insurance plan is still a really good deal for all over the Alps in Europe, as it also gives one some pretty good club deals in refuges all over, including their cheap and hearty "climber's meal" at their huts, as it used to be called (just some carb‑heavy cheap bolognese usually, is that still a thing on their menu?) and a very nice discount on the night mountain hut rates, but it's pretty sad the premium is no longer available outside Austria.

Oh well...

Honestly, £317 a month/pp for HA non-guided cover seems pretty reasonable. 

Yeah, maybe I was optimistic but talking with friends it is at least three times what they paid in 2018 so it's at least worth checking that I'm not missing something! 

I am not! But that sounds like a useful spreadsheet! 

We are taking an inreach mini, but just one between three so probably still cheaper getting the BMC insurance. 

Thanks!