UKC

So I am looking at a couple of trips at least this year; week in Spain in Feb, bolt clipping and maybe some trad. Cheap flight booked, car bunk house etc. Second trip is looking like a hut to hut hike, possibly Tour de Mont Blanc. Anything else is a bonus !

I will probably get Austrian Alpine Club for mountain rescue and also hut discounts, and have BMC membership. I also have whatever the new equivalent of the E111 is.

Should I bother with travel insurance as well ? What exactly does it cover ? I have seen prices from £20 to £120, rather a worrying variety.

No horror stories ! I have enough in the bank to get a flight home if family crisis, and if stupid enough to loose my pack, slap me ! Not going to any war zones etc !

Thanks

In reply to sarahkeast: Go look on the snowcard or BMC websites for details of what they cover. Essentially if you don't have climbing specific cover then any other insurer is going to wriggle out of paying out. Does the OAV cover you for ongoing treatment/repatriation as well as the chopper? Repatriation is mega expensive, as is treatment overseas.

In reply to Toerag:

Says it covers Repatriation too.

In reply to sarahkeast: Your E111 does not entitle you to the same level of care that the NHS provides. It will only entitle you to the same level of care as a national of the country - I believe that in Spain emergency care is covered, but you may find there are things which you would expect to get for free on the NHS which you will have to pay for. I think there is some limited medical cover with the AAC insurance. You should check carefully before deciding whether this together with the E111 is adequate.

Besides covering health costs, travel insurance will also cover things like cancellation, loss of baggage etc. Only you can decide whether this worthwhile.

I usually get BMC insurance for cragging (includes rescue, medical and travel cover for about £36 for a week). In the Alps I usually get AAC for the hut discounts and rescue cover, and don't usually bother with travel cover.

In reply to sarahkeast:

I have always been insured by BMC or snowcard but got totally put off by massive prices, Just got insured by LV and the price and cover is excellent. Inc trekking up to 6000m, rock climbing, kayaking up to grade 5 etc and good cover, cost us £99 for joint cover for a year on the premium option. Good thing about this policy too is that the maximum number of days in a trip is also very long.

Recommend checking them out, E111, get reduced priced heath cover in some european countries.

In reply to sarahkeast: I usually combine the Austrian Alpine CLub membership with an Insure and Go travel policy.

In reply to peas65:
Just got insured by LV and the price and cover is excellent. Inc trekking up to 6000m, rock climbing, kayaking up to grade 5 etc and good cover, cost us £99 for joint cover for a year on the premium option. Good thing about this policy too is that the maximum number of days in a trip is also very long.

So I checked, and for Rock Climbing it says on the LV site..
"Rock climbing wearing a helmet and fully supervised or qualified"
Hmmmm......

In reply to scott titt:

Well i am an instructor and i wear a helmet

I mostly climb at home though as i live in the lakes and so thats not a worry for me.

In reply to sarahkeast:

AAC and EHIC will be fine for rescue, medical etc, but won't cover cancellation or curtailment due to injury or illness, missing your flight, loss or theft of luggage, gear etc. If these are important to you it makes sense to take out travel insurance as well.

In reply to craigloon:

Thanks everyone, it was really the rescue and medical that worried me, as they could be financially devastating. If my gear is knicked/flights delayed, that is more an inconvenience and not ruinous !