In reply to psaunders:
> (In reply to Simon4)
>
> I'm not saying there aren't circumstances which could lead to that level of medical bills but it's important to think about what the level of risk actually is. The probability of incurring medical bills substantially over €10k seems so unlikely that I don't think it's worth it.
This, to me, is a perverse argument. As climbers/skiers/mountaineers/whatever we engage in activities that carry with them a certain level of risk. The probability of the risk occurring is slight but the outcome is high. Therefore, we insure ourselves to pay for medical bills if the worst should happen. By your argument, you may as well not insure yourself at all because the 'level of risk' is so low. Personally, I would argue the exact opposite, i.e. that insurance is there for big expenses and big accidents.
£10k is not a lot for medical bills. I had an accident in the Alps in 2010. My medical bills were more than £250k, excluding repatriation, rescue and then further costs in the UK.