Mountaineering insurance. Insurance in the mountains

Do you need insurance in the mountains? No, not the system of elements “rope-hooks-bookmarks-carabiners”, but according to which, in the case of emergency situations, you will receive financial compensation for injury and treatment.

ABOUT INSURANCE

History, alas, repeats itself again and again. As soon as another high-profile emergency occurs, and even with deaths, a fuss begins about insurance, communications, etc. As if before this, the tough guys who conquer stormy rapids and steep walls had never heard of the fact that insurance or communications exist in principle.

Insurance: first experience of communicating with insurance companies:

This question interested me in Soviet times, but then it seemed not very important. No, of course, in the event of death the family could receive some money, but this had little to do with the insured person. I myself have been involved in mountain tourism for 20 years. And in my groups there were rescue operations, they also happened in the groups of my friends, but somehow they always took place without the participation of official representatives. The victim was dragged by the group members, and oncoming teams helped, but all this was on a voluntary, not official, and especially not monetary basis. Yes, I defended the route in the MKK, registered with the KSS, but I always clearly understood that they would not provide real assistance in the event of an emergency. No, the ICC usually has qualified people who can give a lot of useful advice on the route, but what can they do in case of an emergency? The maximum is to organize a search for bodies after the end of the control period.

Other groups always came to help. At the same time, our groups and groups from Eastern Europe always responded, but there was little hope for Westerners. Apparently they believed that rescue work was not their business, but the business of the rescuers. Of course, it’s better when professionals do the rescue, especially when they are in this place.

Having decided to go to Mont Blanc, I remembered this feature of the behavior of Westerners. Of course, the Alps are the most salvageable region on the planet; real professionals work here, receiving real, and not symbolic, salaries for this. And who will pay for such expenses if, God forbid, something happens? After all, regular insurance, without which you will not be allowed to go abroad, is not valid in the mountains. Thinking about this, I went to the insurance company in which the French insured me when applying for a visa - AVIKOS.

“There’s no problem,” the smiling girl assured me. “You pay extra according to the risk coefficient and get the climbing insurance you need.” “Will you pay for a helicopter for rescue work?” – I ask, remembering the terrible sums that an hour of helicopter flight during rescue operations cost in Soviet times. “Of course, don’t worry, everything will be fine,” the girl replies and takes the money. Then he enters the required days into the insurance policy.

The thought vaguely creeps in that it would be a good idea to study the contract in detail. And it’s strange that the girl didn’t give me new documents, but simply wrote the word “mountaineering” on the standard form. But maybe this always happens; I haven’t had any experience taking out mountaineering insurance yet. And it’s hard to believe that such an event will happen, because we don’t go to the mountains to be rescued.

August 2003. In Europe there has been terrible heat for two months. The snow melted, cracks became exposed, the technical difficulty of the routes increased and, in addition, heavy rockfalls began. It rained very heavily on the classic route to climb Mont Blanc, in the Great Gut Couloir, which is also called the “couloir of death” due to its bad reputation. My wife Irina was just looking at the climber climbing there when a large landslide occurred, covering the group from Macedonia, and a large stone hit the guy. The lifeless body hung on the safety net. Five minutes later, a rescue helicopter appeared and began to pull out the victims one person at a time and lower them to the Tet Rus hut. The seriously wounded (skull fracture) climber was not even dragged into the helicopter, but, secured on a cable, was lowered down to the hospital. The deceased was also transported. Irina was in shock, and I strongly doubted whether it was worth continuing the route. Death before our eyes is a great nervous shock, but the next morning we still passed the couloir, climbed to the Gute hut and a day later we went to the top. During the ascent, the situation worsened even more; rain fell not only in the couloir, but all over the slope; several people were killed and several were injured. A small red rescue helicopter was constantly circling in the air. In the end, the French authorities decided that the number of casualties was too high and closed the passage between the huts of Gute and Tete Rousse. The mayor opened an air corridor to the Gute hut for the evacuation of climbers stuck there.

Helicopters had been lowering people all day, and by the time we returned from the summit there was no one in the camp. What to do? The descent is closed, and it rains so much that you don’t want to go there. Wait until the rockfalls stop? How long will we wait, will there be enough gas (we melt the snow) and food, will we have time to catch the plane to Moscow?

There is only one thing left - a rescue helicopter, especially since the last one is leaving in an hour. This evacuation is carried out by order of the authorities, the tariff is reduced - 500 euros per board, but still the amount is not small. But why should I worry, I discussed exactly this situation with the insurance company. I'm calling on my mobile phone to Moscow. The polite boy replies that today is a day off and I need to call back tomorrow. “Tomorrow will be late, this is the last helicopter. Tomorrow there will be no air corridor here, and no one will be able to fly.” “Okay, go down, but take all the documents.”

We quickly pack up and fly down. I take an official document that says that I was evacuated from Mount Gute due to a threat to my life. I take copies of French newspapers describing the situation on Guta. I'm calling Moscow. A less friendly voice on the phone explains to me that since I was not injured, then the insured event did not occur. “However, come to the office in Moscow, we’ll sort it out.”

Returning to Moscow, I go to the beautiful multi-story office of an insurance company. A completely unfriendly aunt greets me: “What have you come for? You won't get any money. Look at the contract, clause such and such. There was no medical assistance, was there? But saving a life is not medical care. Did they kill people? And insurance doesn’t cover mental injuries either.”

“And if I refused to evacuate and walked into a rockfall, would I receive insurance in case of injury?”

“No, because the descent was prohibited, and this would be regarded as deliberately creating an insurance situation, almost like suicide.”

“So I wouldn’t have received the money anyway?”

"Yes exactly".

This case can be considered not typical. After all, sometimes they pay. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to find examples from the lives of our climbers and mountain tourists. But skiers have had such cases. For example, a skiing friend of mine was skiing in Switzerland and broke his arm. He was taken downstairs and taken to the hospital. The fracture was complex, and doctors estimated the cost of the operation at $10,000. The management of the insurance company was on Christmas break, and mid-level clerks initially refused to provide guarantees for such a large amount. I had to spend $300 on telephone calls before I managed to persuade the company to send confirmation. However, these are minor things. In the end, the company paid everything, including taxi bills and telephone bills. But the case was the simplest, and a friend was skating on a permitted track. And he did not travel on his own, but through a travel agency. What if he organized the trip himself? Would he be able to get the money so easily? What if I deviated from the route? After all, insurance is valid only on specific routes approved by rescuers, and those who like to ride on virgin soil automatically lose it.

There are many questions. But you still need to insure yourself. First of all, for traveling abroad. After all, treatment can cost an amount that you, in principle, cannot afford. And you shouldn’t rely on the altruism of local authorities.

A very recent example. Two girls were hitchhiking around the Middle East. In Egypt, one suddenly became ill, she was admitted to the hospital, where, alas, she died. The girls, as often happens with us, were not insured. The Egyptian authorities demanded payment of the debt for treatment. A short stay in the hospital cost several thousand dollars, and the remaining girl collected the required amount via the Internet through all hitchhiking clubs in Russia. Another case is that of a hitchhiker from Samara who fell ill last year in Thailand. After providing medical assistance, she was detained in a Bangkok hospital and the meter was turned on - the amount increased by the cost of each subsequent day of stay in the hospital. Again, collecting money via the Internet and paying ransom. But ordinary medical insurance for a trip abroad would not cost them much at all (in some companies - less than $1 per day).

Personally, I always take out insurance when traveling abroad, although I am not sure that it will be paid for. In any case, you can present it, get medical help, and then sue the insurers. It’s better to play it safe and take out mountaineering insurance for the period of mountain trips, although it costs twice as much. In the end, the trip is usually scheduled by day and it is known in advance when insurance with an increased risk coefficient is needed. For example, when traveling to Uganda, I took out mountaineering insurance only for the days of the planned ascent to Margherita Peak. Fortunately, I didn’t have to check my insurance, but it was somehow calmer. After all, the standard contract clearly states that the insured event is not damage to health or death of the insured associated with mountaineering, unless the additional risk was paid for by an additional insurance premium.

By the way, the contract usually includes a clause according to which the insurance does not cover the situation when a person exposes himself to unjustified risk. A very interesting point that allows for different interpretations. Is it always possible to determine in advance whether the risk is justified, whether it is necessary to hang the insurance in this particular place, hit the pitons or screw in the ice screws? In hindsight, of course, it is clear that if an accident occurred, then a mistake was made, that is, the risk was unjustified. So you don't have to pay?

It is reminiscent of an article from a car liability insurance contract, under which insurance is not paid if participants violated traffic rules. Nowadays, however, such nonsense is not included in contracts, because in almost every accident someone violates something, otherwise the accident would not have happened.

Right now I’m going to Turkey, to Ararat, and studying insurance contracts of various companies. I am looking at the ROSNO agreement. Here is an interesting point under which insurance is not paid if harm to the health (death) of the insured is associated with popular unrest of any kind and any consequences of war, including an undeclared one. There have been four terrorist attacks in Turkey over the past two weeks, the last one in Istanbul, through which I am going to travel. It is quite possible to interpret the victims of these events as victims of an undeclared war against global terrorism. And the Kurds have been fighting for their independence for many years, and Ararat is located in their zone of residence. Why not a zone of civil unrest? It turns out that the insurance will not cover us either?

I call the insurance company and ask the specialists. They reassure us that everything will be fine, there is no war in Turkey, and the victims of terrorist attacks are paid for everything. For example, now money has been paid to victims of an explosion in Egypt. Amazing. This means that Kurdistan is not a zone of undeclared war. After all, in this case, how is it different from Nepal? However, it was precisely on the basis of this clause of the contract that Ingosstrakh refused to pay for the treatment in the Kathmandu hospital of Sergei Kaimachnikov, who was wounded by a grenade, in the spring of this year. His "Adventure Team" traveled from Nepal to Tibet to climb Everest from the north. The Maoists threw an improvised explosive device into the car in which Sergei was traveling, as a result of which the climber was severely injured and was sent to the hospital by military helicopter. The Ingosstrakh company, which insured Sergei, interpreted this incident as civil unrest and refused to pay bills for the hospital and helicopter. Moreover, she refused to pay for medical transportation to her home country, which, according to the Qatar Airlines tariff, cost $15,000 (in the end we managed to negotiate for $3,000). So words are words, but it’s better to clearly state everything in the contract. And then there will be no discrepancies. And I will have no complaints against the girl from AVIKOS, who verbally promised me payment for a helicopter during rescue operations, without mentioning anything about the fact that a necessary condition for this is getting injured or mutilated.

With a helicopter and going down the mountain, everything is not obvious. For example, in the ROSNO agreement the very situation of transporting the victim to the hospital is not spelled out. We only talk about the costs of transportation to another hospital, or transportation to the country of residence. And real cases speak about this. For example, in 1997, the Military Insurance Company insured our team of climbers on Makalu. Two died, and for the removal of their bodies from a height, the locals asked for a round sum, which, however, fit into the amount of their insurance. The relatives reached the President, but to no avail. The company found an excuse, citing incorrect registration of insurance. So, most likely, you shouldn’t count on paying for the transportation of the victim from the mountain down and you just need to have the necessary supply of money. It’s difficult to answer how it will work out with paying for treatment downstairs and transportation to their homeland, but one can hope; insurance pays for doctor’s services for tourists vacationing at foreign resorts.

All of the above concerned payment under insurance for medical and transportation expenses while traveling abroad. In our country, rescue work is carried out free of charge and, in theory, you do not have to pay for a helicopter and transportation. But there is another type of insurance that is also relevant in our country - accident insurance. Then, if you receive an injury or mutilation, you will be paid a certain amount, and it increases as the disability group increases. The entire amount for which you are insured will be received by your relatives in the event of your death. However, again, I have not found any specific cases of payment of such insurance to persons involved in mountain sports.

For those who visit the highlands several times a year, another option is possible - membership in a European alpine club. An annual contribution of 80 euros will provide you with insurance for 25,000, moreover, working insurance, already tested by climbers. And the option of Western insurance companies, at least at first glance, looks more convincing. If you are already planning to climb Everest, they will not simply multiply the amount of the insurance premium by the average climbing coefficient, the same as for beginners going on a trek to the base camp (this is exactly what our insurance companies do), but will force you to fill out a detailed questionnaire, from which they will find out your experience, the experience of the company organizing the climb, the experience of the leader, statistics of accidents in his groups. Only after this will the amount of the insurance fee be announced; and don’t be surprised if the amount is an order of magnitude higher than in our companies. This, of course, is expensive and inconvenient - I would like to draw up insurance contracts where you live, and not travel to Europe for this.

What conclusions can be drawn from my first experience of such insurance? You still need to take out insurance when traveling to the mountains abroad. Preferably, from insurance companies verified by climbers; It’s best to choose ones that pay bills on the spot, since it’s much more difficult to get money back at home. It is clear that it is difficult for a non-lawyer to immediately grasp all the pitfalls that the insurance company will rely on when refusing to pay you for rescue work, but still you should not rely on a standard contract, much less take the word of pretty girls. It is better to spend several hours studying the clauses of the contract in detail and try to exclude sections that do not suit you.

On all our trips for participants, we provide traveler's insurance with the additional risks of "climbing".

Over the 9 years of organizing trips to the rocks, we constantly monitor information on insurance for tourists practicing rock climbing.

Basic information about insurance.

When traveling further than 100 km from your place of residence, travel insurance is issued, in which it is possible to indicate the additional risk of the type of sport during travel; the system identifies it as a certain coefficient by which the cost of insurance increases. For Europe this is a mandatory condition, for Russia it is optional.

When seeking medical care due to illness or accident, the insurance company will act as an intermediary between the victim and medical services in the country (doctors, hospitals) and will pay the costs of medical care in accordance with the insurance contract.

The situation now.

Today, all insurance companies equate the risk of “rock climbing” with an extreme sport with a high coefficient and often do not separate it from mountaineering.

Although climbers have completely different specific injuries, as well as the absence of difficult, expensive search work. This means that the increasing coefficient should be lower.

Now progress has finally appeared for mountaineering in the form of the appearance of phrases such as the introduction of the concepts of trekking or “climbing up to 2000m”, for which the coefficient is not so high. Which, in principle, allows you to separate some simple types of tourism and not pay the highest coefficient, calling it mountaineering.
Let's hope something similar will happen with rock climbing, with time and an increase in the number of belayers.

What to check when taking out climbing insurance:

1. Insurance RULES(attached to the policy), open the rules and search for “climbing”.
Rock climbing should be listed as a separate word on the risk list!

Many insurance companies do not have the word “rock climbing” in their insurance rules at all (they do have “mountain climbing”), but search engines (for example, Turtle) equate rock climbing with mountaineering and add these insurance companies to the selection.

When rock climbing is not listed as a separate word in the list of risks, the insurer always has the opportunity to refuse the climber an insurance payment/payment of medical expenses.

• LIBERTY (formerly "Keith Finance") - there is a rock climbing and mountaineering item on the list. Liberty divides mountain activities into 2 categories: active recreation, which includes “trekking up to 1500m” and extreme sports, which includes rock climbing and mountaineering.
• ALLIANCE - additional risk clause 9.3.16 "... mountaineering, rock climbing, sports tourism"
• CONSISTENCY - Both rock climbing and mountaineering are listed in the additional risk definitions.

Insurance companies that allow you to take out insurance with climbing risks, but in the Insurance Rules the terms are expressed in a streamlined form:

• RESO - paragraph 13.2.2 of the rules "... mountaineering and any other types that may increase the risk of injury."
• RENAISSANCE - clause 3.4.2 "...trekking, hiking, traveling through caves without the use of special equipment."
• TINKOFF - divides into light risk with the wording "9.3. Active recreation -... and trekking" and into strong risk "9.6.4. Dangerous sports - ... and all mountain sports and tourism"
• Russian standard - there is a risk of mountaineering, clause 5.1.52 of the Insurance Rules.

2. ASSISTANCE is a local insurance partner working directly on site in the country of travel
For climbers traveling to the mountains of the former CIS countries and Asia, it is advisable to choose an insurance company based on its assistance, the recommendation of which should be asked from local companies and guides working in the region.
In climbing insurance, compared to mountaineering, there is not such close attention to the assistance company, although it certainly remains important.

3. AMOUNT INSURED.
For Schengen you cannot choose less than 30,000 euros, but in Russia you can take 5,000 dollars or euros. The cost of insurance is much cheaper. Of the above-mentioned insurance companies, only Liberty offers this amount so far.

Trips to the rocks of Russia.

For Russian citizens, there is a system of compulsory medical insurance (CHI) throughout the country, according to which you can go to any emergency room or hospital for free with your insurance policy and passport.

It is also important to put local Emergency Ministry numbers in your area into your phone so that help can come faster. And carry a copy of your policy and passport to the rocks,

Therefore, travel insurance is NOT required when traveling around Russia, but it will help pay for additional medical expenses: the purchase of medicines, diagnostics, transportation of the injured person and other issues not covered by compulsory medical insurance.

In addition to purchasing travel insurance, one of the ways to protect yourself on the rocks of Russia is to take out an NS (accident) policy, which is valid not for the trip, but for a specific injury and is usually issued for a year at once.
It can also be used when climbing at climbing walls in case of injuries, sprains, or other troubles, and such a policy is also relevant for competitions and festivals on the rocks (having insurance from the NS is now a mandatory requirement).

Our friends Insurance Broker "Unity" offer insurance for children and adults against accidents resulting from harm to life and health during training and climbing competitions on all types of terrain.
Insurance policy is accepted at all competitions. The insurance is valid 24 hours a day and also covers domestic injuries.

The amount of insurance compensation depends on the sum insured and the nature of the injury and is determined according to the Table of Amounts of Insurance Payments. For example, if a shoulder is dislocated or a meniscus is damaged, the victim receives a payment at the rate of 5% of the insured amount under the contract, which, with an insured amount of 200,000 rubles. will be 10,000 rubles.

Annual insurance is issued for the selected insurance amount from RUB 30,000. and costs, accordingly, from 300 rubles. The insurance territory is the whole world. Discounts are available for groups and sports sections.
Insurance broker "Unity" also offers insurance for medical expenses of climbers while traveling around the world and Russia.

Liberty insurance - take out travel insurance for rock climbing risks. Don't forget to indicate the risk "extreme sport".

Compare insurance conditions, choose and apply online.
Don’t forget to check the insurance rules and the insured amount (when applying to Schengen countries, their default amount is 50,000 euros. You can change it to 30,000).

Insurance broker "Unity" - advises and arranges annual insurance from NS for individuals and groups at excellent prices, as well as insurance for travelers.

Air tickets AviaSales - air tickets to all points of the world: comparison, search, registration.

Be healthy and take care of yourself!

If you earn your living by performing high-altitude work using industrial mountaineering, then one of the most important issues for you is the issue of safety. If it is not important to you, then the effectiveness of this work will most likely not be obvious as a result, since you will need to spend quite a lot of money on treatment or funeral. In this article I will try to convey the main aspects of this philosophy in the simplest approximation and for the basic and simple version, working in unsupported space.

Yesterday I once again talked with the boobies who have a wrong understanding of the issue of ensuring personal safety and this is not the problem, but the fact that the boobies consider themselves to be quite successful and accomplished professionals. In addition, yesterday, hurray, I received a sample of a new belay device from CAMP, called .

In this article, I immediately want to outline the framework, we are talking about working on a rope in an unsupported space, that is, a system when the descent and safety rope are fixed at the top and you use this rope (or ropes if horizontal movements are necessary) to descend or ascend, performing insurance for a separate rope (or ropes in case of significant separation of the descents). Providing insurance when working in a support space requires a different theory and description.

Obvious

To begin with, I will once again reveal obvious and already boring, of course, banal truths.

• The safety rope should always be there, no matter 300 meters below you or 3
• The panic reflex is a reality, not a made-up theory. The greatest danger in insurance methods is associated with this concept.
• A safety rope should almost never be used for purposes other than belaying unless absolutely necessary. There are exceptions, but they are not discussed within the scope of this article. The safety rope must fulfill a strictly defined role assigned to it.
• The safety rope should not be dynamic (with an elongation greater than 6 percent at a load of 80 kg), nor should it be superstatic with an elongation less than 3 percent.
• If the main one breaks, the belay rope should not launch you into an exciting flight with an unknown pendulum ending, because it was secured to the side of the main one.
• The promalp must clearly understand what happens and happens when the main rope breaks. Most often, accidents occur at low altitudes, when the depth of the fall is greater than the reaction depth of the belay device.

Reasonableness (I urge you to turn on your brain)

You can ensure safe work using almost any type of insurance. You can successfully belay yourself using a prusik made from an 8-mm cord, properly tied to a rope, a jumar, or numerous cheap drop-type clips, which, of course, I do not encourage you to do. This is acceptable in extreme cases, it seems to me, but if this is the norm and not the exception, this method is completely ineffective from the point of view of work productivity and is dangerous because of the constant temptation to break the rule. By understanding what happens when a dynamic load occurs on the safety rope and clamp, there is every chance of remaining on the list of alive and healthy people.

Understanding the dangers of such an effect as the panic reflex gives all the advantages in the game that we all play from birth to death. The illusion of reliability is very high. There is not a single chance that if the rope breaks, you will let go of the belay device, and this fact is no longer theoretical.

Using dynamics for insurance. You can just do the math. 100 meters above you. Below you is 10 to the ground. Your weight is 80 kg. You are using ASAP, which does not cause unnecessary slippage. A break in the main rope sends you falling. Dynamics is an elastic band, so by the time it begins to try to stop the fall, you will have accumulated enough kinetics. Dynamic elongation is usually 7-9 percent for a load of 80 kg. That is, even without taking into account the kinetics of the fall in a static state, you will hang 1-3 meters from the ground. But this will not happen, because you are not made of cotton wool, but of meat, and the meeting with the earth will be such that it will not leave you a chance to go home on your own two feet.

The use of superstatic materials made from the strongest aramid, Kevlar, Dyneema and other materials is also unacceptable. Insurance triggering is always a dynamic process. Therefore, the loads when triggered by superstatics will be prohibitive for the attachment point, the device and you. The result may not be very good.

Trump ASAP

Released by Petzl not long ago with the claim of being the ideal belay device. It is mandatory with a 20 or 40 cm shock absorber when used, contrary to the common belief that it is normal without a shock absorber. ASAP solves the main problem in ensuring safety - eliminating the panic reflex. Fixation will happen in any case, whether you grab it or not. The operating depth, as far as I know, is about a meter in practice. That is, if the rope breaks, you will fly the distance allowed by the length of the shock absorber and the position of the device at the moment of the fall and the depth of slipping until it is completely fixed.

It is also necessary to mention the problem of blowing out the rope at a time when there is a lot of it above you, but not so much below you. The wind can pull the rope out of the device and the more it is pulled, the greater the depth of the fall if this situation occurs.

To summarize, I want to convince you that even such an ideal device as ASAP does not allow you to forget about the constant monitoring of this link.

Sliding devices, try to overtake

The principle of the devices is that they slide along the rope and do not require participation during descent or ascent. Therefore, they are always below the point where the lanyard is attached to the system, so when triggered, a fall to a certain depth will always be ensured. The device is triggered by a slight acceleration of the rope passing through it. All devices of this kind have the ability to manually block free sliding, in which case it can be fixed above the point and ensure a minimum fall depth. At the same time, they all have a slippage along the rope before fixing, some more, some less. Therefore, the shorter the length of the lanyard, the better. The recommended length is 40 cm. This is a quite comfortable length, which allows you to avoid the inconvenience of the clamp getting in the way during operation and at the same time providing a small fall depth. Blowing out of the rope in these devices does not occur due to sensitive operation, which does not allow the rope to slip up. The panic reflex, as a possibility of bad developments, is minimized, despite the fact that this risk still exists. You can accidentally grab the device if you fall.

The current leader in quality and reliability is obviously from CAMP. Providing a minimum sliding depth, it is also designed for use with a load of up to 200 kg. The most popular is Kong BackUp, which has gained popularity due to its adequate cost and good characteristics. It has saved the lives of more than one of my friends, and precisely due to the device’s quick response to a fall.

Clamps that require discipline, which generally cannot be used, and yet everyone uses them

For many riggers, the use of clamps that need to be moved along the rope by hand has cost them life and limb. There are two reasons, or rather dangers. The first and most important is the panic reflex. If the main rope breaks while the hand is holding the clamp, a normal and healthy person will not let go. The instinct of self-preservation is the strongest of instincts, and overcoming it with awareness of the situation requires time many times greater than the time allotted for reaction. In practice, a person cannot even remember what happened if he, of course, is still alive. The second reason is that often the clamp is too low because the climber simply did not move it when climbing the rope. In this situation, the degree of bad developments is high. A person can fly to the ground if the height is not high. The rope may be bitten, melted, or the shirt may be removed from it. There are also clamps that have become deformed and broken in practice. The most common type in this numerous type are devices called drop

Some clamps can be pulled up the rope without assistance, if the weight of the rope going down allows it. Our most common one is, and his younger brother. You can use these clips quite safely for belaying, because they have very good dynamic and ergonomic properties. The main thing is to remember the panic reflex and when descending, move the device not by taking it with your hand, but by pinching the very bottom with your thumb and forefinger. When moving upward, in order to reduce the depth of a possible fall, in practice, I place the lanyard over the crook of the arm pushing the jumar. In this case, the clamp is always as high as possible. But these clips are not safety clips; they are designed for other purposes. I am writing about them now only because they are in any case better from a security point of view than those described in the last paragraph and that is why I am writing about them.

IRATA allows

And now the main class of devices, which is acceptable for insurance, subject to discipline and excluding the main danger in the form of a panic reflex. This is the practice of IRATA, an association that has never had a fatality in its history to my knowledge, and their philosophy of using towable devices.

There are several belay devices that allow you to pull them along the rope without touching the clamp itself with your hands. This is in particular Pezl Shunt, DMM Catch, recently appeared S.Tec Duck R. Also, a good device that works on this principle was proposed by the guys from Krok, who tested it for failure with factors 1 and 2. All these devices are united by the way they are used for insurance. They are moved by additional laces, which, if triggered, cannot be held by hand or snap off when broken. Therefore, using the example Petzl Shunt, a short cord is tied into the places intended for it and, when working, is held between the main and index fingers (and only this way). At the moment, as far as I know, Petzl officially says that Shant is not applicable for insurance, but to be honest, I don’t know whether IRATA is currently using it for insurance. I don’t see any significant differences in terms of security between the Shant and other devices in this class.

All the rest

All other insurance options are outside of this article; it seems to me that they are used by very brave people who obviously consider industrial mountaineering an extreme sport. I am writing this paragraph primarily to those guys who yesterday convinced me that they are absolutely confident when they work on two spaced apart ropes using two inherently sports Gri-gri.

So it goes.

Timur Akhmedkhanov, industrial climber

Climbing insurance – first experience of communicating with insurance companies

Do you need climbing insurance? This question interested me in Soviet times, but then it seemed not very important. No, of course, in the event of death the family could receive some money, but this seemed to be little for the insured directly. I have been involved in mountain tourism for twenty years. And in my groups there were rescue operations, there were also in groups of my friends, but somehow they all took place without the participation of official representatives. The group members pulled, the oncoming teams helped, but all this was on a voluntary, not official, and especially not monetary basis. Yes, I defended the route in the MKK, registered with the KSS, but I always clearly understood that they would not provide real assistance in the event of an emergency. No, the ICC usually has qualified people who can give a lot of useful advice on the route, but what can they do in case of an emergency? The maximum is to organize a search for bodies after the end of the control period.

The same applies to KSS. The only case of help from KSS was more like a curiosity. We did a foursome for the Moscow championship (Digoria, Tsei). The hike was very difficult, there were many passes, and on the descent from the last one, when grass was already visible on the horizon, I relaxed and began to vigorously explain to the first team that they should move faster or give way to us, as a result, I lost concentration, lost control and pulled my wife away. During the jerk, the rope caught her hand and broke her finger, so she could not hold me. Having safely flown over the Bergschrundt on the snow bridge, we stopped, injected Irina with a painkiller and, as best we could, fixed the finger that was broken at 90 degrees. Then I ran downstairs with her to look for a doctor. There were no doctors in two (!) alpine camps and I caught a car that took us to the hospital in Ordzhonikidze, now Vladikavkaz. While paying the driver, I was surprised to learn that he was from KSS. This was the only case of help from KSS during all my campaigns. No, KSS probably saved someone, but most likely in crowded places, for example on Elbrus, and not in remote corners, where my hikes usually took place.

Real help always came from other groups, but not from everyone either. I noticed that our groups and groups from Eastern Europe always come to the rescue, but there is little hope for Westerners. Apparently they believe that rescue work is not their business, but the business of the rescuers. The understandable position is, of course, it is better when professionals are involved in the rescue, especially when they are in this place.

This year, when I decided to go to Mont Blanc, I remembered this feature of the behavior of Westerners. Of course, the Alps are the most salvageable region on the planet; real professionals work here, but they also receive real, not symbolic, salaries for this. And who will pay for such expenses if, God forbid, something happens? After all, regular insurance, without which you will not be allowed to go abroad, is not valid in the mountains. Thinking about this, I went to the insurance company where the French insured me when applying for a visa - to AVIKOS.

“There are no problems,” the smiling girl assured me. “You pay extra according to the risk factor and get the climbing insurance you need.” “Will you pay for a helicopter for rescue work?” – I ask, remembering the terrible sums that an hour of helicopter flight during rescue operations cost in Soviet times. “Of course, don’t worry, everything will be fine,” the girl answers and takes the money. Then he enters the required days into the insurance policy.

The thought vaguely creeps in that it would be a good idea to study the contract in detail. And it’s strange that the girl didn’t give me new documents, but simply wrote the words mountaineering on a standard form. But maybe this always happens, I haven’t had any experience taking out mountaineering insurance yet. And it’s hard to believe that such an event will happen, because we don’t go to the mountains to be rescued.

August 2003. In Europe there has been terrible heat for two months. The snow melted, cracks became exposed, the technical difficulty of the routes increased and, in addition, heavy rockfalls began. It rained very heavily during the climb from the Tet Rus hut to the Gute hut, in the so-called “couloir of death”. Irina was just watching the Macedonian when a large stone hit him. Death before our eyes is a great nervous shock, but in the morning we still got up and went to Mont Blanc. During the ascent, the situation worsened even more; rain fell not only in the couloir, but all over the slope; several people were killed and several were injured.

A rescue helicopter was constantly circling in the air. In the end, the French authorities decided that the number of victims was too high and closed the passage between the Gute and Tete Rus huts. The mayor of Le Zoucha opened an air corridor to the Gute hut to evacuate climbers stranded there.

Helicopters were lowering people all day and by the time we returned from the top, there was no one in the camp. What to do? The descent is closed, and it’s pouring so much that you don’t want to go there. Climb up Guta and follow the path of the pioneers across the Bosson Glacier? But everything there was so melted, such rubbish, that there were no traces of passage. Wait until the rockfalls stop? How long will we wait, will there be enough gas (we have to melt the snow) and food, and will we be able to catch the plane to Moscow?

There is only one thing left - a rescue helicopter, especially since the last one is leaving in an hour. This is an evacuation by order of the authorities and the tariff is reduced - 500 euros per board, but still the amount is not small. But why should I worry, I discussed exactly this situation with the insurance company.

I'm calling on my cell phone to Moscow. The polite boy replies that today is a day off and I need to call back tomorrow. “Tomorrow will be late, this is the last helicopter. Tomorrow there will be no corridor here and no one will be able to fly in.” “Okay, go down, but take all the documents.”

We quickly pack up and fly down. I take the bill, which says that I was evacuated from Mount Gute due to a threat to my life. I take copies of French newspapers describing the situation on Guta.

I'm calling Moscow. A less friendly voice on the phone explains to me that since I was not injured, then the insured event did not occur. However, come to the office in Moscow, we’ll sort it out.

Returning to Moscow, I go to the beautiful multi-story office of an insurance company. I am greeted by a completely unfriendly aunt. “What did you come for? You won't get any money. Look at the contract, clause such and such. There was no medical assistance, was there? But saving a life is not medical care. Did they kill people? And insurance doesn’t cover mental injuries either.”

“And if I refused to evacuate and walked into a rockfall, would I receive insurance in case of injury?”

“No, because the descent was prohibited and this would be regarded as a deliberate creation of an insurance situation, almost like suicide”

“So I wouldn’t have received the money anyway?”

"Yes exactly".

What conclusions can be drawn from my first experience of such insurance?

Still, you need to insure yourself, but in some companies proven by climbers, it would be good to find out which ones, and best of all in those that pay bills on the spot, since it is much more difficult to get money back in Moscow. It is clear that it is difficult for a non-lawyer to immediately grasp all the pitfalls that the insurance company will rely on when refusing to pay you for rescue work, but still, you should not rely on a standard contract, and especially not take the word of pretty girls, but you should spend a few hours for a detailed study of the clauses of the contract. This will help you save money when climbing in Europe.

Insurance for a climber is a guarantee of safety. And it's not just about equipment.

Do mountain climbers need to buy a special insurance policy?

How is it different from regular insurance?

The answer to the question of whether insurance is needed when engaging in extreme sports lies on the surface - of course, it is necessary!

Mountaineering is one of the most dangerous types of outdoor activities. Danger awaits from all sides - an athlete can accidentally twist his leg while climbing a steep slope or simply get injured due to negligence.

The “seasoned” athletes will now smile - this definitely won’t happen to them! But no one has canceled the risk of rockfalls, avalanches, bad weather and other natural surprises.

Mountains are beautiful, but unpredictable. That is why we recommend buying a policy not only for professional athletes, but also for ordinary amateurs.

Is this insurance different from a standard policy?

The procedure and list of documents for obtaining climber insurance are no different. Unless, when applying for a policy, you will need to add “Sports risks” or “Extreme sports”.

The main difference between such insurance is the cost. It will cost 2-3 times more than usual. It is quite logical - the danger in the mountains is much higher than when walking along the city streets.

What to look for when choosing a policy?

First of all, the amount of insurance coverage. The fact is that injuries sustained in the mountains are often severe, and insurance with insufficient coverage may not be enough to fully pay for complex treatment.

What does climber's insurance cover?

The “basic” set of provided services includes:

• - first aid at the scene of the incident;
• - transportation to the hospital;
• - inpatient and/or outpatient treatment;
• - emergency surgery;
• - carrying out diagnostic studies;
• - provision of drugs and fixation necessary for treatment;
• - posthumous repatriation.

What additional items may be included in the insurance?

Depending on the insurance company, you can count on:

• - search and rescue operations;
• - evacuation from the scene of the incident;
• - visit of a relative in an emergency situation.

What cases can be considered non-insurable?

Before climbing the mountain, check whether the place where you will be climbing is particularly dangerous: what is the likelihood of an avalanche or rockfall. If during the ascent you come across a prohibitory sign, do not cross it.

Ignoring such warnings may result in the event being considered non-insurable.

We are sure that mountaineering and alcohol are not compatible for you. However, we remind you that being under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident is guaranteed to lead to refusal of payment.

What to do if an insured event occurs? How does this even work?

Imagine an ordinary situation: Peter went hiking with friends in the mountains. There he fell off the ledge and broke his leg (a stone fell on Peter’s head, he was bitten by wolves, he sprained his ankle - underline as necessary).