UKC

I am looking to arrange critical illness cover for myself for an upcoming mortgage application. My mortgage broker has attempted to find decent deals and initially some of them looked fairly attractive, however, when progressing the application process further, my climbing has caused issues with multiple providers.

I currently have no dependents so critical illness cover is more of a concern than life cover (although adding life cover seems to have a negligible effect on the cost anyway). I am young and healthy and there are no other issues that would lead to providers viewing me as high risk.

I usually climb outdoors most weekends with 2-3 climbing trips abroad each year. My climbing time is split approximately 80% bouldering, 15% sport climbing, 5% trad. My headgame isn't great so I have little interest in pushing my trad grades so my trad climbing is likely to be limited to no more than about E3, a grade well within my physical capabilities. Almost all of my sport/trad climbing is low altitude single pitch climbing, however I tend to do a handful of multipitches per year. I have no interest in free soloing, ice climbing or mountaineering.

The problem is that due to my rock climbing, multiple providers have now done one of the following:
1) Refused to offer cover due to rock climbing
2) Loaded the premiums significantly (generally about double the cost)
3) Insisted on exclusions that I cannot claim on anything climbing related (or in one case, on anything related to any sport)

Some providers have gone for a combination of options 2 and 3 which seems like having their cake and eating it. Some providers have asked for further details of my climbing (grades, locations, frequency etc) and when finding out that I intend to climb "Extreme" grades or that I intend to climb abroad (with separate travel insurance), the premiums shoot up.

Does anyone have any advice on achieving a reasonable level of cover as a climber without having to spend a fortune? Given the relatively low levels of risk relating to the types of climbing I do, I would expect there would be some providers out there who would be willing to provide cover without breaking the bank?

If there is no alternative, then going for cover that excludes anything climbing related would be an option but it would be nice to have it included.

In reply to SDM:

Speak to Summit financial sevices

Life Insurance Cover for Rock Climbers & Mountaineers.
http://www.summit-fs.co.uk/

In reply to DerwentDiluted:

Cheers. Despite having had their travel insurance in the past, it somehow hadn't crossed my mind that they would do life/critical illness cover.

In reply to SDM:

The wife sorted mine out but she is asleep now.
If I remember I will ask her in the morning.
I'm covered for life and accident that prevents me working and declared that I am a climber and motorcyclist.
There are restrictions on the climbing though, I'm only covered if I am wearing a helmet and have something stupid like a 25 or 30 mtr restriction on hight and only single pitch.

In reply to SDM:

Apparently I'm not covered anymore for climbing. The price started going up so she knocked it on the head a couple of years ago.
Sorry.

In reply to SDM:

When we brought our house 4 1/2 years ago I took out insurance with Summit for my activities including MTB, kayaking and climbing (Trad and Ice). They asked about grades etc and were knowledgeable on what was involved in the activities. They quoted a rate I was happy with so I am insured through them.
Funny thing was the Bank quoted my partner more for her cover than I was quoted. We went back to Summit and asked them to cover her as well. She doesn't climb. Summit quoted cheaper for her as well.

My experience is of a good service, no aggressive aftersales and competitive costs.

HTH