Insurance
To join one of our trips you really should have comprehensive travel and medical insurance. We don't arrange or sell insurance.
Nepal has been in the news about heli evacuation insurance scams for several years and this is something I feel strongly about. I hate what is going on with faking illness or guides making people sick to profit from the heli rescue and wish everyone was honest instead. We have arranged two very necessary evacuations in recent years and that is all.
Trek and travel insurance Nepal
With the insurance scams over the last decade, some companies have upped their premiums for Nepal. Do check that trekking (hiking) in Nepal is covered. The requirements for evacuation have also been strengthened and you may need to be checked out at the nearest health post first.
For our treks that include a peak climb without ropes you need insurance that includes "hiking" to 7000m AND helicopter evacuation. Do get the correct policy even if we are only climbing for a day or two. Note "winter sports" is skiing; not needed for a trek.
Do read the fine print to ensure you are covered for all our activities.
Trek and travel insurance India
Ladakh is now a separate union territory (akin to a small state) and so is COMPLETELY separate from Jammu & Kashmir which is now its own union territory and so makes getting insurance easier (at least once maps are updates, which is happening slowly).
If trekking/climbing in India in theory helicopter evacuation is possible, however in practice it usually doesn't happen, although since 2018 that is slowly changing. Similarly, for our treks with an unroped peak climb do get a policy that covers "hiking" up to 7000m.
Travel advice/warnings
Do look up the relevant info, there are some useful titbits in there, although there is also a lot of detail that is of little relevance as they are covering all their legal bases:
India
Australian government smart travel advice
Nepal
US State Department alerts & warnings
First options
First, consider your household insurer, your medical insurer (especially if you live in the USA or Canada) or your travel agent. Your household insurer or your medical insurer should be able to offer a cheaper policy than a travel agent, however ensure it covers the specific activities, such as "hiking" for treks or "guided+roped mountaineering" for trek-climbs.
Trekking is "Hiking", in insurance terms, and some policies cover up to 7000m, ie the summit of Aconcagua, which means you could also be covered for our non-roped climbs in Ladakh and Nepal.
In general our hiking treks have a green (Nepal) or olive (India)-coloured title.
Expeditions (in turquoise) are either non-roped guided climbs or if the peak is more technical are called roped climbs.
Here is an advertorial on mountaineering, leading to Atlas insurance.
Here is a comparison of trekking and climbing cover specifically for Aussies, but useful reading to everyone all the same, comparetravelinsurance.com.au.
And here is an adventure travel primer, with a handy link too.
2020: Thank you to Roger Nix for additional research below.
UK citizens
UK companies will only cover residents of UK-Ireland.
Snowcard - adventure specialists, check first
Campbell Irvine Direct - who arrange for many trek operators; covers trekking/hiking to 7000m (but indicates this must be on “recognised routes”)
JS Insurance - specifically tailored for trekking up to 6000m and they have a Nepal insurance policy as well
STA Travel UK - their premier policy (no winter sports) covers guided mountaineering with ropes, and trekking to 6000m
Dogtag UK - their extreme+ covers trekking to 7000m
Adventures Insurance - trekking 4000-6000m
BMC - (for members of the BMC): Alpine & Ski, covers trekking above 5000m (i.e. apparently up to 7000m), climbing of most peaks worldwide up to 6500m (but not in “remote” regions)
Austrian Alpine Club AACUK - (for UK members of the Austrian Alpine Club): rescue, repatriation and medical expense cover for all mountain activities up to 6000m
US-Canada citizens:
HCCmis.com - for trekking and mountaineering up to 7000m
Atlas Travel Medical - also for trekking and mountaineering up to 7000m
IM Global - a broad range of options, including for expats
Travel Insured - handled one of our trekkers well in an emergency
Canadian citizens
TuGo - travel insurance for trekking and mountaineering
Worldwide
STA Travel - (Premier Policy or Premier Plus Policy): includes trekking/hiking to 6000m, abseiling, glacier crossing, mountaineering (with ropes and/or guides and when a supervised activity; up to 6000m)
Global Rescue - travel Membership provides medical advisory and evacuation, field rescue. Evacuation is only due to illness/injury (not due to requirement for rescue for other reasons). Evacuation is to nearest local medical facility if injury/illness is life-threatening, or to “home hospital” if not. Medical expenses are not covered by membership, although comprehensive travel insurance is available at extra cost.
IHI.com, based in Denmark - they used to have no exclusions; now they exclude roped climbing.
The above should cover everything but it is also possible to get separate insurance deals, and if you are a frequent flier having lost luggage, trip cancellation insurance separate from medical insurance makes sense.