Insurance Information

Insurance Information

Please ensure you have appropriate insurance in place before you travel

Mountaineering, climbing, skiing and other mountain activities take place in environments where risk cannot be completely eliminated. Although ISM has an excellent safety record, accidents can and occasionally do happen.

For this reason, all ISM clients are required to have appropriate insurance for their course or programme.

Required Insurance

Your insurance must provide appropriate cover for:

• Emergency medical treatment
• Mountain rescue, including helicopter rescue where applicable
• The activities included in your particular ISM course or programme
• The geographical area in which your course takes place
• The altitude involved, where relevant

If you are joining a ski programme, your policy must also provide appropriate cover for the skiing activities involved, including on- and off-piste skiing and/or ski touring where applicable.

Standard travel insurance does not always provide sufficient cover for mountaineering, climbing, ski touring or mountain rescue, so please check the wording of your policy carefully.

If you are unsure whether your insurance is appropriate for your ISM course, contact your insurer and explain exactly what activities you will be undertaking.

Cancellation Insurance

We also strongly recommend taking out appropriate cancellation insurance at the time you book your ISM course.

Don't leave this until shortly before you travel.

Unexpected illness or injury can happen at any time. Even something as straightforward as a badly twisted ankle before departure could prevent you from joining your course.

Appropriate cancellation insurance may allow you to recover eligible course fees, flights and other travel costs where the reason for cancellation is covered by your policy.

As your course approaches, ISM makes significant financial commitments on your behalf, including contracting mountain guides and, depending on the programme, committing to hotels, mountain huts, transport and other services.

Our cancellation terms therefore apply even where you are unable to participate because of illness or injury, subject to our Booking Conditions and applicable law.

Insurance Providers

There are a number of specialist providers and organisations offering insurance that may be suitable for mountaineering and other mountain activities.

For UK residents, these include:

Snowcard
Specialist activity and adventure travel insurance.

British Mountaineering Council (BMC)
Offers travel insurance designed for climbing, mountaineering and other mountain activities.

Austrian Alpine Club (AAC)
Membership includes certain rescue, repatriation and medical benefits. However, the extent and financial limits of medical and other cover may differ from a comprehensive specialist travel insurance policy.

If relying on Alpine Club membership for insurance benefits, please check the current policy carefully and consider whether additional medical, travel or cancellation insurance is required.

ISM does not guarantee or endorse the suitability of any particular insurance policy. Insurance products, terms, exclusions and levels of cover can change, and it is your responsibility to make sure that the policy you choose provides appropriate cover for your particular ISM programme.

Alpine Club Membership and Hut Discounts

Membership of some Alpine Clubs may also provide reciprocal rights and reduced rates at participating mountain huts.

If you are planning additional climbing or travelling in the Alps before or after your ISM course, membership may therefore be useful independently of any insurance benefits.

Please check the current reciprocal-rights arrangements and participating huts directly with the relevant Alpine Club.

Before You Travel

Please make sure that:

• your policy is valid for the full duration of your trip;
• the activities on your ISM programme are covered;
• the relevant altitude is covered;
• mountain and helicopter rescue are covered where applicable;
• emergency medical treatment and repatriation are adequately covered; and
• you have access to your insurance details and emergency assistance information while travelling.

Please be sure that you understand and are happy with the cover you have before travelling.

If you have any questions about the activities involved in your ISM course so that you can describe them accurately to your insurer, please contact us. We're very happy to help.