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.
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
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
Not for you 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.
We take no commission from any insurer and recommend no brand. This is a checklist.