Which of our 5 policies is right for you?
Trek
For hill walking, trekking, backpacking and scrambling up to 6,500m.
What's covered:
- Mountain walking in Britain – including the use of crampons and ice-axes.
- All mountain-walking trips including adventurous treks in the Alps and Himalayas up to 6,500m.
- Via ferrata.
- Recognised trekking routes with simple glacier crossings and scrambles.
- Non-technical ascents of easy trekking routes on peaks that do not require the use
of technical climbing equipment.
Examples: Tour du Mont Blanc, Walkers' Haute Route Chamonix -Zermatt, Vie ferrate in the Pyrenees
and Dolomites, Mt Toubkal. Kilimanjaro (except Umbwe/Western Breach, Mt Kenya (except
Batian & Nelion). Baltoro Glacier-Concordia and K2 Base Camp trek, Annapurna Circuit,
Gokyo Lake & Cho La Pass, Everest Base Camp. Normal trekking routes on: Kala Patar,
Naya Kanga, Pisang, Ramdung, Stok Kangri, Mera Peak and Island Peak (Imja Tse) but
if combined via Amphu Labsta is ‘Alpine & Ski’. Inca Trail, Machu Picchu. Normal
trekking routes on: Cotopaxi, Illiniza Norte.
What’s not covered:
- Ascents of graded climbs.
- The crossing of high-altitude passes with snow
covered crevasses.
- Trekking above 6,500m (for this you'll need our Alpine & Ski policy)
Examples: Biafo-Hispar route, Amphu Labsta (Mera Peak-Island Peak), Gondogoro La, Tent Peak
(Tharpa Chuli), Paldor, Parchamo, Pokalde, Lobuje East, Chimborazo, Aconcagua.
Other sports covered:
Canoeing and Kayaking (inland and coastal waters only), Cycle Touring, Horse Riding
(excluding racing and jumps), Rowing, Snorkelling, Swimming, Surfing.
Rock
For rock climbing and bouldering – indoors and outside up to 6,500m.
What’s covered:
- Bouldering
- Sport climbing
- Trad climbing
- Abseiling
-
Multi-pitch climbing
- Big walling
- Soloing
- Deep-water soloing
(including the use of leader-placed gear & all forms of fixed equipment)
-
Indoor climbing walls
Examples: Fontainbleau, El Chorro, Kalymnos, Colorado, Wadi Rum, Troll Wall, Yosemite, crags
in alpine valleys with no glacial approaches, Val di Mello, Dolomites, Marathon
des Sables.
What’s not covered:
- Rock climbs with crevassed approaches or descents
- Any snow or ice climbing.
- Climbing and abseiling above 6,500m (for this refer to our Alpine & Ski policy)
Other sports covered:
All ‘Travel’ and ‘Trek’ activities are covered, plus: Mountain Biking, Orienteering,
Yachting (inland and coastal waters only, excluding racing). Mountain and cross
country running
Alpine & Ski
Most types of skiing plus climbing most peaks of up to 6,500m.
What’s covered:
- Most types of skiing including on-piste, off-piste, cross-country, touring, downhill,
telemark, nordic, dry slope, heli-skiing and ski-mountaineering
- Snowboarding
can be covered on payment of additional premium
- Scottish winter climbing, ice
climbing, alpine climbing
- All climbing in Europe and most peaks worldwide up
to 6,500m
- Trekking above 6,500m eg. standard trekking routes on Aconcagua, via Horcones-, Vacas- and Guanacos- Valleys.
Examples: Technical Winter climbing in Scotland. Mont Blanc and
all the European Alps, Climbers' Haute Route Chamonix-Zermatt. Kilimanjaro (Western
Breach route), Mt Kenya (Batian & Nelion routes). Southern Alps (New Zealand & Australia).
Denali (Western Buttress only), Mt Foraker, Mt Hunter & Mooses Tooth. Chugach, Bugaboos,
Cascade Ranges, Wind Rivers & Canadian Rockies. Amphu Labsta & Gondogoro passes,
Tent Peak (Tharpa Chuli), Parchamo, Lobuje East. Sajama, Antisana, Cayambe, Illiniza Sur,
Ojos Salados, Illimani, Aconcagua (except Polish Glacier & other technical routes).
What’s not covered:
- Climbing in remote or inaccessible regions
- Exploratory expeditions and new
routes on unclimbed peaks in very remote areas
- High-altitude technical climbing
over 6,500m, especially in the Greater Ranges (Himalaya, Tien Shan, Karakoram, Andes
etc)
Other sports covered:
All ‘Travel’, ‘Trek’, and ‘Rock’ activities are covered Cycle racing,
Rafting, Scuba Diving (limited to 30m depth), Winter Sports including Ice Skating,
Dog Sledging and Tobogganing.
High Altitude and Remote Areas
For all mountaineering and climbing activities including climbs and expeditions
to very inaccessible regions and difficult or extreme high-altitude peaks anywhere
in the world.
What’s covered:
- Expeditions attempting new routes or exploratory mountaineering in the high mountains
of Asia, South America, the Arctic and Antarctic.
Examples: Everest, Cho Oyu, Ama Dablam, K2, Denali, Aconcagua (Polish Glacier routes etc),
Shishapangma, Mt Vinson.
Other sports covered:
Covers all activities under other policies plus any other activity declared to and
agreed by us.