Summit Financial Services has been providing Life Insurance, Income Protection and Critical Illness Cover for climbers and mountaineers (and many other outdoor activities) for over 22 years.
Rock climbing has developed over time in various UK places and locations, for example:
England
- Peak District
Burbage
Curbar
Froggatt
Horseshoe Quarry
Millstone Edge
Stanage Edge - Lake District
Borrowdale – Shepherds Crag
Coniston – Dow Crag
Ennerdale & Buttermere – Pillar Rock, Grey Crag
Eskdale, Scafell & Wasdale – Heron Crag, Scafell, The Napes
Langdale – Gimmer Crag, Bowfell, Hodge Close Quarry
Thirlmere – Castle Rocks - Cheshire & Merseyside
Anglezarke Quarry
Craig Y Longridge - Yorkshire
Almscliff
Brimham rocks
Malham Cove - London
Harrisons Rocks - Devon
The Dewerstone
Hay Tor
Dartmoor - Dorset
Portland Bill
Swanage - Cornwall
Bosigran
Sennen
Lizard Point
Land’s End
Scotland
- Arran
- Arrochar
- Assynt
- Ben Nevis
- Cairngorms
- Glen Coe
- Glen Etive
- Glen Nevis
- Isle of Skye
- Orkney Islands
Wales
- Anglesey – Gogarth
- Snowdonia – Llanberis Pass
- Pembroke – Huntsman’s Leap, St Govan’s Head
- Gower Peninsula
Internationally climbing has also developed in many regions and areas, for example:
- Greece – Kalymnos
- France – Verdon Gorge, Fontainebleau, Chamonix, Les Calanques
- Italy – Dolomites
- Spain – Costa Blanca, Costa Daurada
- Switzerland – Zermatt
- USA – Yosemite, Joshua Tree
- Thailand – Krabi
Wherever you travel speak to Summit Financial Services about financial protection to meet mortgage commitments or provide for a family should an accident happen whilst climbing.
Life insurance for rock climbing
Having developed a deep understanding of the needs of climbers over the years we have used this knowledge to engage with underwriters to represent the needs of climbers and the types of climbing they pursue. Some insurers now make a more detailed assessment of climbing needs based on climbing grades (trad, sport, UIAA, Bouldering, Via Ferrata), geographic location of climbing activities, altitude and climbing styles.
We are happy to discuss many different types of rock climbing styles, for example:
- Alpine rock
- Bouldering
- Deep water soloing
- Indoor climbing
- Sport climbing
- Top roping
- Traditional (single pitch / multi pitch trad climbing)
If you like to engage with other activities in the outdoors, please feel free to chat to us about other activities, for example:
- Sailing, canoeing or kayaking
- Skiing (e.g., telemark, cross country, piste, ski-mountaineering)
- Cycling (e.g., road, cross country, mountain biking)
- Paragliding
- Skydiving
This list is not exhaustive and we can offer cover for a wide range of other sports as well – just contact us to discuss your needs. Such requests for cover, for other extreme outdoor sports, led us to develop a service for scuba divers (www.scuba-fs.co.uk) and later a wide range of other active outdoors sports under the umbrella of Sports Financial Services (www.sports-fs.co.uk) over the years.
Similarly, if you carry your rock climbing skills into a hazardous occupation (e.g., IRATA/ rope access work) please speak to us to discuss the options available to you in relation to financial protection for hazardous occupations.
Insurance company for rock climbing
Our long history of working with and on behalf of climbers has meant we have built a strong understanding of climbers’ needs and are happy to discuss the technical aspects of climbing including grades, climbing styles, climbing locations and altitude.
Such discussions will help us understand your needs and determine the various financial protection products available to you.
Even if you have existing cover in place, it may be worth a quick conversation with Summit Financial Services. Different insurers come to the market over time and others may change their terms. This may mean that different terms are available in the market place than when you first applied for cover. We will be happy to discuss rates and the availability of cover for life insurance for climbers, critical illness cover and income protection even if it only to provide you with peace of mind that the cover you have in place is comparable with current market offerings.
Life Insurance options for rock climbing
As a climber you may have different needs based on your lifestyle, level of climbing, type of climbing, occupation, mortgage protection and family needs.
There are commonly three types of financial protection that rock climbers like to discuss:
- Life Insurance – typically a lump sum to pay off a mortgage, bills or support a family in the event of death
- Critical Illness Cover – typically cover to provide financial peace of mind in the circumstance that you are diagnosed with a specific condition detailed in the policy
- Income Protection – if you have concerns that an accident or illness may stop you from working for a period of time then an Income Protection policy maybe something to discuss with Summit Financial Services
Subject to the type of rock climbing activities (or other sports) or occupational activities that you pursue there may be loadings, restrictions or exclusions applied to certain types of cover.
We work with the whole of market to find cover and are not restricted to a captive or select number of financial protection products. This includes working with many insurance companies to identify where your requirements and higher risk activities (e.g., climbing above certain heights, climbing grade, type of climbing, professional engagement with climbing, maximum altitude, climbing in remote areas and ice climbing) impact on the type of policies that are available to you.
Applying for life insurance for rock climbing
Here we’ll take a quick look at how an application for rock climbing life insurance, critical illness cover or income protection is processed. Typically, we’ll discuss your type and level of participation including discussion on grade(s), geographic locations and altitude limits of your climbing.
As with any enquiry for life insurance cover, we’ll also ask some common questions to better understand you, your climbing and your life, such as:
- Your present occupation
- Your need for cover in relation to any outdoor instructional work or hazardous activities
- Your type(s) of climbing (e.g., trad, sport, bouldering)
- Your climbing grade/s (e.g., sport grade, trad grade, French grade, UIAA grade, Alpine grade, Scottish Winter Grade, Via Ferrata grade)
- Where you participate in climbing (e.g., UK, Europe, Worldwide)
- Maximum climbing altitude
- Sports governing body membership (e.g., British Mountaineering Council, Mountaineering Scotland, Mountaineering Ireland)
- Current income (if enquiring about cover for Income Protection)
Further to questions about your lifestyle, health, climbing and occupation we will also discuss the duration that you require cover for and the amounts of cover required:
- Amount (£) of financial protection required
- The duration of policy – number of years cover is required for
- The type of policy you required – e.g., increasing, decreasing or level term cover
This combination of your climbing, lifestyle, health, recreation, occupation and other factors (such as those detailed above) will assist in the determination the financial protection options that will be available to your particular circumstances and the associated premiums.
Even if you have a policy in place elsewhere, we will be happy to hear from you even if this is only to provide you with the peace of mind of knowing how your cover and premiums compare with current market products.
To discover more about the benefits of cover for rock climbers please call and speak to an experienced adviser today. You can call us for a free, no-obligation quote, on 0345 565 0937. Alternatively, to enquire online, please click the link above and complete the online form.
Finally, we work closely with our parent company, Suttons Independent Financial Advisers. So, if you require any further information about other financial services such as pensions, investments, mortgages or financial planning please visit www.suttonsifa.co.uk . Your adviser at Summit Financial Services will also be able to refer you to a contact at Suttons who best suits your interests.
Yes, rock climbing can be covered by life insurance policies. However, it is important to note that certain factors such as the difficulty level, frequency, and safety precautions taken during rock climbing can affect the availability and terms of coverage. It’s advisable to discuss your specific rock climbing activities with the insurance provider to determine the coverage options available to you.
In general, engaging in high-risk activities like rock climbing can result in higher life insurance premiums. Insurance providers assess the level of risk associated with your activities and adjust the premiums accordingly. Rock climbing is considered an adventurous sport with inherent risks, so insurers may charge higher premiums to compensate for the increased likelihood of accidents or injuries.
It is crucial to disclose all relevant information about your rock climbing activities when applying for life insurance. Failing to disclose your participation in high-risk activities like rock climbing could result in a denial of coverage or the invalidation of your policy in case of a claim. It’s important to provide accurate and complete information to ensure that your policy covers you adequately.
Yes, life insurance policies may have exclusions or limitations regarding rock climbing or other high-risk activities. These exclusions or limitations can vary between insurance providers and policies. Some policies may have specific clauses that exclude coverage for rock climbing injuries or accidents, while others may impose higher deductibles or offer coverage with certain conditions. It’s crucial to carefully review the policy terms and conditions to understand any exclusions or limitations related to rock climbing.
