Poster: A snowHead
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Hopefully in March I will be taking a trip to Kicking Horse/Revelstoke which may include cat/heli skiing if I can rob a sufficient number of banks!
Does anyone have any recommendations for good value insurance to cover me? Obviously it would be 'guided' but most definitely 'out of bounds'.
TIA
Sorry if this has been covered elsewhere ... I did try a search but found nothing specific to my needs.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I looked about thirty years ago and I found that I could insure, but the costs of the insurance were a significant portion of the total trip cost. So I checked the potential down side (costs for the BC health system, the provincial rescue, the heli operator's rescue policy, costs for complete private repatriation) and decided to self insure. But then I worked in France for years and never bothered insuring my health there either... their health system is better than ours!
Hence to date I've thirty seasons worth of unspent insurance cash in the bank. Less the $50 total it cost me for a heli evac flight plus doctors bills and drugs costs when I broke an ankle a year or two back. I was cancelled by a Heathrow shut down once - the heli operator just moved my booking back: I do not need cancellation insurance. My gear was lost by United once - they pay all costs as part of the Warsaw convention, no insurance needed. I trashed a Wiegele snowboard one year... they're not a French ski shop trying to nickel and dime you - they don't charge you: no insurance needed.
So that's what I and my heli-buddies do. We're grown up and we understand the risks.
Otherwise, ask the heli operator - they may have a deal set up with a broker. Compare costs if you go that way, but it may give you a starting point. If you're doing "daily" heli or cat, then you'll be near the highway and I'm not sure why you'd need extra insurance. In Whistler for example, they'll just car or sled you out and drive you to the hospital (no charge), or call the provincial rescue to heli you out (it's free, the hospital's right there). I've witnessed both of those now and then, although accidents are rare. It's not a big deal.
Revvy. I rode Eagle Pass there, a fine operation run by cool people, and in the right place for the snow. I'm not sure where the nearest hospital is there, but they'll tell you. They may think you extremely English though.
Note that you can't generally insure against "down days" whatever you do, although that's only a cost issue for weekly stuff. For daily booked trips, cancellation is not an issue so long as you give 24 hours notice (check with your operator). So don't break your leg on piste the day before and you'll be fine. Actually, most times, if you actually did that, they probably would not charge you. It's Canada: they want your ongoing custom.
In summary, my advice would be to check the likely costs and then decide how you want to deal with them. Insurance is one option, but not the only one. Insurance companies probably have skant grasp of the risks of heli or cat, but they know that heli-skiing is expensive, and they think in percentages. They will be delighted to take your money.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Ski Club GB Insurance. My yearly multiple trip worldwide travel insurance including as much Heli/Cat Skiing as you like (and most other sane winter sports), is less than £200. This is full travel insurance cover, not just Heli/Cat skiing, including personal liability, so pretty good value in my books.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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snowcard insurance , only pay for the specific bits you want
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I was out in Panorama last season heli skiing with RK and that was covered by InsureandGo Annual Family Gold travel insurance - it specifically includes heli skiing
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thank you very much everyone for your sound advice .... I shall research your suggestions.
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