The most expensive mistake a trekker can make
Insurance that actually covers a Himalayan trek
Check: altitude limit, helicopter evacuation, repatriation
Standard travel policies exclude trekking above 3,000 m and almost all exclude helicopter evacuation — a rescue from the Khumbu can run to five figures in USD, and the insurer decides afterwards, not at the time. Read the altitude clause before you read anything else.
We take no commission from any insurer and recommend no brand. This is a checklist.
What you get
- The three checks below cost nothing and prevent the worst outcome we see
- Specialist policies exist and are not much dearer
- Your guide can tell you the maximum altitude of your exact itinerary
What it costs you
- Buried in policy wording that is deliberately hard to read
- Credit-card travel cover almost never qualifies
- Some policies cover altitude but exclude the helicopter
Do not buy this if: Nobody. Three things to confirm in writing: your itinerary’s maximum altitude is covered, helicopter evacuation is covered, and repatriation is covered. If an insurer will not confirm all three, use a different insurer.
Treks we recommend this for
Not every route needs it. These are the ones where our guides would put it on your list.