Mountaineering Insurance
-
Ascend to high altitudes up to 7,000m
-
Emergency medical cover & repatriation
-
Search & rescue cover
-
Save 10% online*
Award winning insurance
Recognised for our specialist approach
to sports and travel insurance.
Trusted by 75,000+ customers
Exceptional-rated cover from thousands of active travellers.
Backed by AXA XL
Buy with confidence with cover
underwritten by a leading insurer.
What does mountaineering insurance cover?
Mountaineering travel insurance combines essential travel protection with specialist activity cover for the technical, remote and high-altitude risks involved in climbing, helping protect you whilst hitting your summits.
Our full travel policy is designed for mountaineers planning a one-off alpine ascent, guided expedition, technical climbing holiday or longer high-altitude objective.
Cover can include emergency medical treatment and repatriation, trip cancellation and curtailment, baggage, personal accident, mountaineering equipment, pre-paid expedition fees, search and rescue costs, liability and more.
Cover is available for a range of mountain activities, including technical rope work, guided ascents, multi-day alpine routes, with options for expeditions reaching up to 7,000m.
Already have travel insurance but mountaineering is excluded? Our bolt-on can extend your existing policy to cover mountaineering for a one-off ascent, a week-long alpine trip or a longer expedition. It can even be added after your trip has started.
Our policies provide three different types of cover: Sports travel insurance, Sports accident, and Activity Top-Up. Please ensure you select the most suitable cover for your activity, when you get a quote and always review your policy documents.
Sports equipment is excluded under our bolt‑on cover.
Only a summary of the policy’s coverage is presented on this page. Please refer to policy documents for full details of what is and what is not covered, when you get a quote.
How much does mountaineering insurance cost?
Your mountaineering insurance premium is shaped by several key factors: age, destination, trip duration, the maximum altitude you plan to reach and the technical difficulty of your planned climbs.
It also depends on the type of mountaineering you plan to undertake and its level of risk, including activities involving rope work, glacier travel, technical climbing or high-altitude summit attempts, as well as the cover limits you choose for medical treatment, cancellation and climbing equipment.
Review the options and get a quote tailored to your mountaineering trip, alpine climb or high-altitude expedition.
Pricing example
£58.54**
Example quote is based on:
- Sport Selected Mountaineering
- Sports Group Group 7
- Package Bronze
- Policy Single Trip Travel Policy
- Duration 2 days
- Destination Europe
- Emergency Medical Treatment £10,000,000
- Trip Cancellation £1,000
- Sports Equipment Cover £200
- Search & rescue £15,000
- See more benefits when you get a quote
**This example is based on a real quote from our website on 26/08/2026 for a 2-day, single trip, adult policy. It is shown for illustrative purposes only. If your circumstances or requirements differ, your quote may be higher or lower. The quote you receive will be based on the information you provide about your activities. Get a quote for pricing tailored to your requirements.
Why do you need mountaineering insurance?
Standard travel insurance may not be enough
Technical climbs and high-altitude routes can be excluded from standard policies.
Emergencies & rescue can be complex and costly
A remote alpine incident may require emergency medical treatment.
Replacing mountaineering equipment
Damage and theft can mean immediate costly replacements.
Hear from our experts
“Mountaineering can take you into remote alpine regions, across glaciers and onto technical routes where conditions can change quickly and help may be difficult to reach.
Careful planning is essential. Checking the route, weather and altitude, carrying suitable technical equipment can all contribute to your safety.
Our mountaineering travel insurance can help cover emergency medical treatment, search and rescue, evacuation, cancellations, delays, specialist equipment and other unexpected costs if your expedition does not go to plan.
With more than 30 years’ experience supporting adventure travellers, we can help you focus on the climb with specialist protection in place.”
Chris Trotman – Head of Sales & Underwriting at SportsCover Direct
Thousands rate how easy it is
We’ve refined our process to make buying sports insurance abroad simple but thorough, with cover designed around the activities you take part in, from training trips and competitions to active holidays overseas.
Our Claims Record
Average pay out for each insurance claim
£1,599.09
How to make a claim
Choose your policy, find the forms you need
Download and complete forms
Submit your claims for review
A Recent Claim Example
“One of our policyholders became unwell while in South Africa to play Cricket. They sought medical treatment and were treated for suspected appendicitis, with symptoms of stomach cramps, high fever and nausea. Because they secured our Sports Travel Insurance, they were covered to seek medical treatment.”
Total Paid Out
£5,971.47
Claim Type
Medical Assistance
Policy Type
Sports Travel Insurance
Incident
Medical assistance
Policy Excess Applied
£90.00
Location
South Africa
Disclaimer
Data relates to all SportsCover Direct Insurance claims from Jan to Dec 2025 inclusive. Claim example from 2025.
Medical cover explained
We provide cover that considers your medical circumstances. Complete a medical declaration to ensure you’re properly protected, as part of the quotation process.*
*Please note, just because you’ve declared a medical condition or injury doesn’t mean it is automatically covered. The insurer needs to assess it first and will inform you by email if any terms apply.
Medical conditions must be declared
All pre-existing conditions considered
Cover available up to age 74
We'll review your details
Most declarations don't mean exclusion
Any terms will be confirmed by email
Browse covered sports and activities
You’ll find a wide range of climbing & hiking disciplines covered, you can add multiple activities to your policy, we cover over 500. Browse our extensive list.
- Abseiling Insurance
- Adventure travel insurance
- Bikepacking Insurance
- BMX Freestyle Insurance
- Bouldering Travel Insurance
- Bungee Jumping Insurance
- Camel Riding Insurance
- Canicross Insurance
- Canyoning Insurance
- Caving Insurance
- Cycle Touring Travel Insurance
- Cycling Travel Insurance
- Cyclocross Insurance
- Downhill Mountain Biking Insurance
- Extreme Sports Insurance
- Game Hunting Insurance
- Gliding Insurance
- Hang Gliding Insurance
- Ice Climbing Insurance
- Mountain Biking Insurance
- Mountainboarding Insurance
- Mountaineering Insurance
- Orienteering Insurance
- Parachuting Insurance
Why choose us
SportsCover Direct is a specialist insurance provider focused entirely on sport. For over 30 years, we’ve helped athletes, teams and organisations get the protection they need, whether they’re travelling, competing, or training abroad or in the UK.
Covering 500+ sports
Fast online quotes
Established over 30 years
UK-based support team
FAQs
Yes, you will be covered if you suffer from altitude sickness under medical conditions cover.
Yes, provided you follow advice and guidance from the local area including any precautions you should take.
Yes, our travel insurance for mountaineering policy covers you in the event you need search and rescue teams, provided you have taken reasonable precautions. However, if you are mountaineering in Nepal, we limit this up to £5000 for a helicopter call-out, and an applicable excess of £750 will be applied.
This will depend on the local area you are mountaineering. You will need to follow rules regarding permits in these areas.
Yes, this is covered under our policy provided this is within the dates of your policy. If you are participating in mountaineering training courses and practice climbs in the UK, you might find a Sports Accident policy more suitable.
Yes, our Mountaineering Travel Insurance can generally be taken out even if you have a medical condition. We can almost always offer cover at no extra cost, but occasionally our underwriters may apply special terms if you subsequently needed to make a claim relating to your condition.
Yes, sports equipment in included in your cover, depending on the level you select (bronze, silver or gold) up to £5600 for gold level cover.
If you are mountaineering outside of Europe there are restrictions, you are limited to cover up to 4000 metres.
Sometimes unexpected things happen and mean you can no longer take part in planned activity. Our cancellation cover can protect you in this situation with cover up to £5000, depending on the level you choose.
If you are climbing a mountain and planning to use any climbing equipment such as ropes, guides or crampons, we would class this as mountaineering. We can only cover technical ascents up to 4000m.
Generally, we can cover pre-existing medical conditions with our mountaineering travel insurance. Pre-existing medical conditions should be declared on your policy.
Get specialist cover in minutes
Covering over 500 sports with quick online quotes and UK- based support, if you need it.
Our resources
Latest from our sports insurance experts
Before booking a hiking holiday in France: Know this
France offers some of Europe’s most varied and rewarding walking. That variety is exactly what makes hiking holidays in France so appealing. It also means that choosing the right trip requires more than finding a route with good views. A walking holiday in Provence will involve very different conditions from…
Summer Sailing in Greece: Safety tips beginners often overlook
From choosing the right islands to packing smart and staying safe in the summer heat, here's what to know before your first Greek sailing holiday. Your first sailing holiday in Greece is likely to be unforgettable; but probably not for the reasons you expect. It might be discovering that the…
How to stay active and safe on sports holidays in hot weather
Another summer, another wave of headlines about soaring temperatures across Europe. From record-breaking heat in recent years to temperatures climbing above 40°C in parts of Spain, Greece, Italy and Portugal, Europe's summers are becoming increasingly hot. For travellers planning walking holidays, cycling trips or watersports adventures, it's natural to wonder…
Is it safe to play tennis in extreme heat?
With temperatures hitting the mid-30s across parts of the UK, breaking records for June, and Wimbledon putting tennis firmly back in the spotlight, many recreational players are asking the same question: is it safe to play tennis in 35-degree heat? While tennis is traditionally associated with sunny weather, playing tennis…
10 Tips for Planning a Golf Weekend This Summer
For some, summer is golf weekend season. Longer days, firmer fairways and the chance to spend a few days away with friends make it one of the highlights of the golfing calendar. But if you've been nominated as the organiser, you'll know a golf weekend involves far more than simply…
For many sailing enthusiasts, crossing the English Channel and sailing from the UK to France is one of the most rewarding boating adventures available close to home. Whether it’s a weekend trip to a French marina, a longer coastal cruise, or a solo sailing challenge, the route offers a mix…
Best places for solo travel adventures 2026
Solo travel continues to grow in popularity, with more people choosing independent adventures that offer flexibility, personal growth, and unforgettable experiences. From hiking volcanoes in Central America to exploring mountain trails in Europe, solo traveller adventure holidays are becoming a major trend for travellers looking to combine freedom with adventure.…
What to do when your passport is lost abroad
Losing your passport abroad is one of the quickest ways to derail a trip. Whether it’s been stolen, misplaced, or accidentally left behind, being without your passport can affect everything from checking into flights to proving your identity. It’s also more common than many travellers realise. More than 83,000 UK passports were reported…
Best EuroVelo routes from the UK for cycle tourers
You don’t need a flight, a complicated bike box, or weeks of logistics to cycle across Europe. From the UK, you can roll straight onto the EuroVelo network, a web of long-distance cycling routes that connect the continent. Better still, three of those routes run through the UK itself. Which means you can start close to home…
What to wear rock climbing outdoors
There’s something uniquely exhilarating about taking your movement training onto real rock, the constant problem‑solving, the way your body adapts to each hold, and the quiet test of strength, balance, and control that outdoor climbing demands. Every route challenges you differently, and what you wear can directly affect how freely…