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Home » Hazardous Pastimes » Rock Climbing
Life Insurance, Critical Illness Cover and Income Protection for Rock Climbers
Popular Pastimes: Mountain climbing, mountaineering, bouldering, solo climbing, lead climbing, bottom rope climbing, top rope climbing, trekking
Possible Risks: Falls from a great height, equipment malfunction, environmental factors
Additional Considerations: Height, location, group, solo, frequency, qualifications, experience
Life Insurance
Life Insurance for rock climbers can often be sourced at standard terms provided that the climbs are not too high or severe, and there are no competitions involved. Rock climbing Life Insurance applications will need to detail the grading and regularity of your climbs, whether you climb alone or in a group, if your climbs are UK based or abroad and the qualifications that you hold. If your climbs are solely restricted to the UK then Life Insurance is likely to be available with certain companies at standard terms as the insurers can be sure that the climbs are not going to be too high.
If you are likely to be climbing outside of the UK, then insurers will want to know how high you usually go. If the climbs are not too high, cover may still be available at standard terms, if however you frequently climb to great heights then cover may be subject to a premium loading or exclusion.
If you just rock climb on artificial indoor walls then Life Insurance is likely to be accepted at normal rates.
Critical Illness Cover
Critical Illness Insurance for rock climbers can often be secured at standard terms under the same stipulations as life cover. The climbs generally need to be of a lower grading than severe and not be part of a professional competition. Where your climbs are considered to be of a higher risk you may find that your policy premiums increase to offset the risk of your hobby, alternatively you may be offered cover at a standard premium with mountaineering/rock climbing excluded from the Critical Illness Cover.
If your climbs are located just in the UK there is a good chance of getting normal terms with some insurance providers as they know the climbs in the UK are not too severe.
If you just rock climb on artificial indoor walls then Critical Illness Cover is likely to be accepted at normal rates.
Income Protection
Income Protection for rock climbers may be available at normal terms, depending upon the insurer that you apply to. Whether its outside or on artificial indoor environment, you can get Income Protection. The insurer will want to know any injuries that you have had due to rock climbing, before they offer terms.
Depending upon your circumstances, Income Protection may be offered to you with a rock climbing exclusion. If you require cover without any exclusions you may be able to take out an Accident and Sickness policy that does not exclude hazardous pastimes.
As with any hazardous activity or sport it is always best to speak with a qualified adviser to ensure you take out the correct plan.
Rock Climbers Travel Insurance
Are you going outside the UK and plan to rock climb? Have a word with a specialist travel broker to make sure that you have the correct cover in place. Find out more here.
Healthy Living Insurance
As a rock climber, you will be a fit and active individual. You may find that an insurance policy from VitalityLife, that rewards you for a healthy lifestyle, is ideal. You can lower your premiums on a yearly basis and earn highstreet rewards too, take a look here.
Fun Facts
- Rock climbing can burn up to 900 calories per hour
- The most popular knot is the figure-of-eight
- Rock climbing became popular in England in the 1880s
UK grading system
Below are tables showing the current UK grading system for rock climbing:
Traditional Routes | |
---|---|
UK adjectival grade | UK technical grade |
Moderate (M) | |
Difficult (D) | |
Very Difficult (VD) | 3c |
Severe (S) | 4a |
Hard Severe (HS) | 4b |
Very Severe (VS) | 4c |
Hard Very Severe (HVS) | 5a |
5b | |
E1 | |
E2 | |
5c | |
E3 | |
6a | |
E4 | |
E5 | |
6b | |
E6 | |
E7 | 6c |
E8 | |
E9 | |
7a | |
E999 |
Compiled from UK Grades Comparison Table, 2006, The British Mountaineering Council*
- For more information on specific health conditions, pastimes, occupations and countries please select here:
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