Life Insurance for Mountaineers

At Summit Financial Services we have been offering Life Insurance, Income Protection and Critical Illness Cover for climbers and mountaineers for over 22 years.

Mountaineering could be said to encompass many types of activities such as Scottish winter climbing, Alpine climbing and climbing in the Greater Ranges.

The types of locations typically associated with climbing in the Greater Ranges include climbing in the Himalayas and Karakoram on peaks such as:

• Nanda Devi
• Annapurna
• Mount Everest
• K2
• Choy Oyu
• Makalu
• Lhotse
• Broad
• Peak
• Annapurna
• Ama Dablam

Wherever your climbing takes you please speak to Summit Financial Services about financial protection to meet mortgage commitments or provide for a family should an accident happen whilst mountaineering.

The risks associated with mountain sports can cause potential issues when applying for insurance products such as mountaineers’ life insurance which may result in possible policy exclusions, restrictions to cover and increased premiums. To discover more please speak to our team of specialist advisers who can outline the options available to you.

Life insurance company for mountaineers

Our long history of helping mountaineers means that we have a good understanding of climbers and their needs.
In addition, we have used this knowledge to engage with underwriters to represent the needs of mountaineers and the types of climbing they pursue.

As a result, some insurers now make a more detailed assessment of mountaineers needs based on climbing grades, geographic location and altitude.

We are happy to discuss many different types of mountaineering activities, for example:

• Rock climbing
• Ice climbing
• Ski mountaineering
• Snow shoeing

Obviously, 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.

Over the years, such requests for cover for other extreme outdoor sporting activities led us to develop a service for a wide range of other active outdoors sports under the umbrella of Sports Financial Services (www.sports-fs.co.uk).

Insurance company for mountaineers

Working for a long time with mountaineers means we have built a strong understanding of climbers’ needs including an understanding of Alpine climbing and Expedition climbing.

Because of potential distance from civilisation expedition climbing may involve:

• Longer and more drawn-out trips
• Multiple camps – base camp, advanced base camp….
• Camps supplied by mountaineers using the journeys to acclimatise
• Use ascenders and fixed lines
• Possible use of oxygen
• Local porters/ guides

Environmental hazards faced by climbers include wind, rain, thunderstorms, snow, temperature, the effects of altitude and mountain conditions (loose rock, rockfall, snow and avalanche)

By understanding climbers’ needs we are better able to 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 mountaineering life insurance, 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 mountaineers

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 mountaineers 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 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 mountaineering life insurance

Here we’ll take a quick look at how an application for mountaineering 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:

• Present occupation
• Need for cover in relation to any outdoor instructional work, hazardous activities or occupation
• Range and type(s) of climbing (e.g., trad, sport, bouldering, Alpine, Expedition, Scottish Winter)
• 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, mountaineering, 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 IFA who best suits your interests.