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Travel insurance for climbing overseas 18-Apr-2016 At 2:08:54 PM Jelmer

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Figured i'd add my two cents.

Am going on a trip to Mexico this week for a friend's wedding. Seeing as i'm in the neighbourhood, i figured i'd drop into El Potrero and do a few days of sport climbing. Better get some insurance too!

My credit card offers complimentary travel insurance on expenses over $500 - like a return ticket to Los Angeles. So that takes care of most travel insurance needs and it even has unlimited medical expenses. However, exclusions are rock climbing, mountaineering and motorcycling. All the things i like!

The travel plan is a flight to LAX, two days in the States (no motorcycles, no climbing) and then two weeks in Mexico. 4 days will be spent climbing, the rest of the time I will be drunk so no climbing then.

Looked at the following providers:
- NZAC:
There was a plan to offer insurance to non-NZ citizens but that seems to have been shelved

- IHI BUPA:
their policy excludes mountaineering, didn't do much more digging, it might be possible

- Insure4less Australia:
rock climbing (sport, up to 25 ewbank is what i specified) is possible to add to the insurance plan. However, only as a supplement to a single trip plan which seems to have a 5 day minimum. In my case that's just the climbing portion of my trip so 5 days of coverage excluding the USA - $42 for their most basic package. The four days of climbing were quoted as an ADDITIONAL $102. Ouch. Unlimited medical expenses though.

- NKBV:
I'm a Dutch citizen so can get the Dutch alpine club to cover me. 50 euro a year for membership plus 30 euro for the insurance. Valid worldwide, but only as a supplement to travel insurance. It has a max of 25,000 euro for medical expenses. Not bad for a full year's coverage and it also covers shorter trips in Australia (3 night minimum). The medical expenses cap is a bit low though.

- Global Underwriters Diplomat International:
The policy can be bought for part of a trip on a minimum of 5 days. Good for me as i'm only climbing for 4 days of my trip. Mountaineering is included by adding a 'hazardous sports' cover that also includes scuba diving and motorcycling. I went with this option and paid AUD 20 for 5 days of coverage (outside the USA) with a max of 1M USD medical expenses, $0 excess and $25k USD death and disability cover (the minimum). 4 bucks a day is a lot better than the 25 a day that Insure4less quoted me. On a longer trip i would halve the medical coverage and take a $250 excess to drop the daily rate a fair bit.