Mountaineering Travel Insurance

Are you a keen mountaineer? Or perhaps you’re wanting to complete your first ever climb? Well, here at DOGTAG, we specialise in protecting keen adventure seekers during their travels. So, whether you’re planning on climbing Mount Fuji or Kilimanjaro, we’re likely to have the policy for you.

At DOGTAG, our sports cover levels vary depending on the height you’d like to climb, so bear this in mind when getting a quote. And if you’re planning on climbing over 6,000m, you will need to click here, to see if we can offer you tailored protection to your trip.

To get a quote, simply select mountaineering during the quote process pick the height in which you will be climbing to, and answer a couple of questions about you and your trip. Easy!

Some of the cover available to you:

At DOGTAG, all our single and annual multi trip policies include cover for events that may happen during any holiday, for example, lost or damaged luggage, emergency medical costs and trip cancellation. More specifically, the policies we offer include:

  • 24/7 emergency medical assistance team
  • Up to £10 million medical expenses, including bringing you home if it is medically necessary
  • Automatic policy extension if you cannot travel home as planned due reasons covered by the policy.
  • Cancellation cover
  • Cover for your personal belongings

For even more protection opt for a specialised mountaineering extension during the quote process, you will make sure you are covered for any events and risks that may occur during a mountaineering adventure. For example, protection for lost, damaged or stolen mountaineering equipment, emergency medical assistance and mountain rescue cover (only if medically necessary), trip delay, or trip cancellation due to adverse weather preventing you being able to climb. Explore the extensions here.

Why do I need specific cover for mountaineering?

Listing mountaineering as an activity on your travel insurance policy and adding our mountaineering extension will ensure you get the correct cover for your specific needs, for this specific sporting activity.

Usually, this will include trip cancellation (due to the reasons listed in your policy), which can be specific to mountaineering, such as due to severe or unsafe weather conditions. It will also include cover for lost, damaged, or stolen mountaineering equipment, which we understand can be expensive.

Depending on how high you plan to climb, mountaineering can be one of the higher risk sports. For this reason, any climbs over 6,000m will require you to fill out our referral form to see if our team is able to offer protection. For the heights below 6,000m, you can simply select the activity at the beginning of the quote process and proceed with your travel insurance quote as usual.

What does the mountaineering extension specifically include?

The mountaineering protection includes an array of benefits specific to a mountaineering trip, including:

  • Emergency medical expenses and medical repatriation
  • Trip disruption – if you cannot go mountaineering due to reasons listed in the policy, such as unsafe weather conditions
  • Replacing lost, damaged, or stolen equipment
  • If you need to hire equipment needed for mountaineering due to it being lost, damaged or stolen

As well as the benefits included in the mountaineering extension, you will also benefit from everything included in the base policy such as lost luggage, emergency medical costs and trip cancellation.

What will a mountaineering extension not cover?

Although a mountaineering travel insurance policy includes cover for many different things, including emergency medical expenses, trip delay and lost, damaged or stolen equipment it won’t cover for the following:

  • If you have travelled against government restrictions
  • If you have travelled and are partaking in mountaineering against medical advice
  • If you are found to not have disclosed your full medical history
  • If you were under the influence of alcohol or drugs during the time of an incident that later led to a claim
  • For more information on what circumstances are and are not covered under a DOGTAG travel insurance policy, click here.

How much does mountaineering travel insurance cost?

The cost of a mountaineering travel insurance policy will vary depending on the level of cover you have chosen, how much cancellation cover you need, as well as any additional activities you plan on taking part in during your trip. The length of the trip, any medical conditions you need to declare, your age, your trip destination and, more specifically to mountaineering, the height of the mountain in which you are climbing to, can also affect the overall price of the policy.

At DOGTAG, we split the different mountaineering heights into several different categories; climbing up to 2,000m, up to 3,000m, up to 4,000m, up to 6,000m and then anything above 6,000m. This forms the type of sporting cover level you need to make sure your trip is protected. If you are planning to climb over 6,000 metres then you will need to complete a  referral form to see if our team are able to offer cover for your adventure.

To protect your next mountaineering adventure, simply select which height you plan on climbing at the start of the quote process and we’ll show you the cover most suited to your trip, varying from Sport+ to Super Extreme. It is essential to select the height you plan on climbing to, in order to prevent the chance of a claim being declined and not having the correct cover in place for your chosen activity. You should also consider adding the Mountaineering extension for extra protection.

Can I buy mountaineering cover with a pre-existing medical condition?

In most cases, yes you can! At DOGTAG, we don’t believe that having a medical condition should stop you from enjoying your passions!

However, it is essential that you let us know about any medication that you take and any medical conditions that you have during the quote process so that we can get a better understanding of your overall health and, where possible, offer cover.

During the quote process, you will be asked a few questions in order for us to get an overall picture of your health. Once we have this, where possible, we will then be able to offer you suitable travel insurance options. That being said, if you would prefer to discuss your medical history over the phone, then simply give our customer service team a call instead.

It’s really important that you let us know about any medical conditions you have, as failure to do so may lead to a claim being declined, meaning you’re left to foot the bill.

What destinations does mountaineering travel insurance cover?

At DOGTAG, our travel insurance policies offer cover for most destinations around the world! To make sure you have cover for the destination you are planning to travel to, simply select the country you are travelling to during the quote journey and we will automatically select the destination group that this falls in to for you.

If you are planning to visit more than one destination during your travels (and therefore need an annual multi trip policy) simply click here to check the geographical zone(s) that your planned destinations fall into! Please note, there may be an additional cost if your chosen destinations fall into multiple geographical zones, but we’ll work that out for you!

When should I buy mountaineering travel insurance?

Ideally, you should protect your holiday with suitable travel insurance as you’ve booked your trip. By doing this, if something were to happen before you went away that meant you needed to cancel your trip, you’d be covered for any reasons detailed in your policy. You can read the policy wording in more detail here.

Please note that you aren’t covered for any cancellation reasons until you have purchased the policy and have the cover in place. This is why it benefits you to get your travel insurance policy as soon as you’ve booked your holiday!

You will be covered for cancellation from the date of purchase for single trip policies, and the start date of the policy for the annual multi trip policies.

What level of cover do I need for mountaineering travel insurance?

Mountaineering comes under a few different sporting levels, depending on the height of which you are planning to climb. These are broken into climbing up to 2,000m, up to 3,000m, up to 4,000m and up to 6,000m. These range from the cover levels of DOGTAG Sport to DOGTAG Super Extreme. However, if you are planning to climb over 6,000m, you’ll need to fill out a referral form to see if we are able to cover your adventure.

Once you’ve let us know a few details about what type of activity you’ll be taking part in during your trip, our system will show you the sports level most suited to your needs (for example, whether that’s DOGTAG Sport, DOGTAG Extreme etc). You will then be able to choose between base, pro and max levels of cover, depending on how much cancellation cover you need.

Don’t forget, you will also be covered for any additional sports within the sports level you have selected. To see other sports and activities we cover please click here.

Can I buy an annual multi trip for mountaineering travel insurance?

Yes, you can! Generally, an annual multi trip policy provides better value for money if you’re planning on travelling more than once within 12 months. Not only this, but it also saves you from having to get a new quote each time that you go away!

If, at any point, you need to change or amend your policy, the customer service team are available to help! You can contact them via live chat by clicking here (available from 9am – 6pm Monday – Friday), or alternatively by using our contact us page.

Can I go on a mountaineering trip without mountaineering travel insurance?

It is extremely important to get the correct travel insurance to cover all the specific risks involved in a mountaineering adventure. Any activity, including mountaineering, of course comes with some risks. This could include requiring emergency medical assistance, such as air rescue, due to the heights you are climbing. Medical bills abroad can be very expensive so it is vital to have the right travel insurance in place, to cover any unexpected costs.

Mountaineering travel insurance at DOGTAG will cover the cost if the trip is disrupted and the climb is no longer able to happen as a result of reasons covered within the policy wordings, such as adverse weather conditions making it too dangerous. It also covers the cost of equipment that is lost, damaged or stolen and the cost to rehire equipment. You will also benefit from the standard protection offered in most travel insurance policies, such as lost luggage and a trip delay, as an example.

Does mountaineering travel insurance include mountain rescue?

Yes! Your mountaineering travel insurance policy will include mountain rescue as long as it is medically necessary and you have correctly selected the height of the mountain that you plan on climbing to when buying your policy. The cost of mountain rescue, should it be needed, is very expensive, especially when abroad. So, it is very important to have this protection in place from the get-go.

§ Coronavirus cover includes cover if you need to cancel within 14 days of your trip or curtail your trip early as a result of a positive COVID test, and cover for medical expenses related to a coronavirus diagnosis during your trip. Any further cover can be purchased within the optional COVID-19 Extension. More information can be found here.