Insurance for climbing Kilimanjaro

What insurance do you need to climb Kilimanjaro?

When buying insurance for climbing Kilimanjaro you must make clear to the insurer that you will be trekking on a very big mountain. If you are going to be mountaineering and using ropes on Kilimanjaro then you need to tell them that too. This will probably increase your premium (it usually doubles it) and may even exclude you from being covered altogether. But if you don’t make this clear from the start and pay the lower premium you may find, should you have to make a claim, that you weren’t actually covered at all.

Remember to read the small print of any insurance policy before buying one to protect you while you’re on Kilimanjaro, and shop around too, for each insurance policy varies slightly from company to company. Details to consider include:

How much is the deductible if you have to make a claim on your Kilimanjaro insurance?
Can the insurers pay for your hospital bills etc immediately, while you are still in Tanzania, or do you have to wait until you get home?
How long do you have before making a claim and what evidence do you require (hospital bills, police reports etc)?
Does your Kilimanjaro policy include mountain rescue services, helicopter call-out and so forth? (If it doesn’t, don’t buy it!)

As you’re probably aware, you must expect the premium for the entire trip to double when you mention that you are climbing Kilimanjaro, even though you will actually be trekking up Kilimanjaro for only a few days. However, you will need to be covered for your entire trip: there are just as many nasty things that can happen to you - indeed more - when off the mountain than on it, and theft becomes a much bigger issue too.

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