Life Insurance and Rock Climbing
Can You Get Life Insurance if You Are Mountaineering?
Does Life Insurance Cover Rock Climbing?
Does Rock Climbing Affect Life Insurance, and How?
What Life Insurance Types Can You Get if you Enjoy Climbing?
What is the Best Life Insurance for Rock Climbers?
Rock climbing is a fun and active sport that presents a risky thrill. It is popular all over the world. Canada offers a wide variety of climbing opportunities, from indoor climbing halls to outdoor climbing areas, catering to climbers of all skill levels and preferences. Canada is home to very popular natural climbing sites such as the Canadian Rockies in Alberta and British Columbia, Bugaboo in British Columbia, Squamish, and more.
Life insurance and rock climbing share an intricate relationship. Rock climbing is considered an adventurous and potentially hazardous activity, which can impact the cost and availability of life insurance coverage for enthusiasts.
Even if a person is in excellent health and has no pre-existing conditions, participation in extreme sports entails a significantly increased risk of accidents or even death. Therefore, insurance companies carefully study each case.
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When applying for a traditional life insurance policy as a non-professional climber, there are certain considerations to keep in mind. While coverage is generally available, insurance companies may impose limitations or exclusions for more extreme forms of the sport or specific altitudes. In some cases, coverage could even be denied altogether. To assess your climbing activities, insurance providers often require additional information through a questionnaire. While each application is unique, the main factors typically taken into account include:
It’s crucial to provide accurate and complete information about your rock-climbing activities when applying for life insurance. Failing to disclose this information could lead to coverage issues later on. Two policies are easier to obtain: simplified issue policies feature a questionnaire without a medical exam, and guaranteed issue policies require neither a questionnaire nor a medical exam. | Expert tip from Philip Setter “When it comes to ice climbing, the applicant is typically approved via a fully underwritten plan. It will either have an exclusion or will usually be rated $4 +/- per $1,000. Simplified issue life insurance is generally the best option in this instance.” |
When applying for a traditional life insurance policy as a non-professional climber, there are certain considerations to keep in mind. While coverage is generally available, insurance companies may impose limitations or exclusions for more extreme forms of the sport or specific altitudes. In some cases, coverage could even be denied altogether. To assess your climbing activities, insurance providers often require additional information through a questionnaire. While each application is unique, the main factors typically taken into account include:
It’s crucial to provide accurate and complete information about your rock-climbing activities when applying for life insurance. Failing to disclose this information could lead to coverage issues later on.
Two policies are easier to obtain: simplified issue policies feature a questionnaire without a medical exam, and guaranteed issue policies require neither a questionnaire nor a medical exam.
“When it comes to ice climbing, the applicant is typically approved via a fully underwritten plan. It will either have an exclusion or will usually be rated $4 +/- per $1,000. Simplified issue life insurance is generally the best option in this instance.”
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Life insurance coverage for rock climbing or mountaineering in Canada can vary depending on the specific insurance policy and provider. Life insurance policies often have exclusions or limitations related to high-risk activities like rock climbing. For example, standard life insurance policies might cover accidents during recreational climbing but not for professional or extreme climbing. To determine whether your life insurance policy covers rock climbing and to what extent, it’s essential to review your documents and consult with your insurance provider. | Expert tip from Mathieu LeBlanc “For Ice climbing the best rating out there is $2 per $1,000 of coverage, otherwise standard rates with an exclusion are applied.” |
Life insurance coverage for rock climbing or mountaineering in Canada can vary depending on the specific insurance policy and provider. Life insurance policies often have exclusions or limitations related to high-risk activities like rock climbing. For example, standard life insurance policies might cover accidents during recreational climbing but not for professional or extreme climbing.
To determine whether your life insurance policy covers rock climbing and to what extent, it’s essential to review your documents and consult with your insurance provider.
“For Ice climbing the best rating out there is $2 per $1,000 of coverage, otherwise standard rates with an exclusion are applied.”
| Indoor Climbing | Hiking/Trailing/Trekking | Rock/Ice Climbing | |
| Insurer A | Standard | Standard | Exclusion or $2.50 per thousand to decline. |
| Insurer B | Standard | Generally standard if activities are within North America or Europe. Otherwise, $2.50/mil in addition to the foreign travel assessment. | Rock: Depending on the height of cliffs and location, generally can offer standard coverage, otherwise $2.50 to $3.50/mil in general. Ice: Rating of $3.50/mil to decline, depending on location, type of terrain and height. |
| Insurer C | Standard | Standard | Depends on type, altitude and location 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) – is usually $2.50/1,000, as long as it in North America. Heights over 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) or outside North America – $5.00/1,000 to decline. |
Here is a summary of policy outlooks for rock climbers.
| Insurance Type | Medical Exam | Detailed Medical Questionnaire | Short Questionnaire | Coverage Limits | Important to Know |
| 1. Traditional, Medically Underwritten Life Insurance with PREFERRED RATES | Yes | Yes | No | $5,000,000+ | Is not available |
| 2. Traditional, Medically Underwritten Life Insurance with STANDARD RATES | Yes | Yes | No | $5,000,000+ | It is possible to get standard rates if you are climbing indoors or even outdoors, but only if you are not a professional climber and you are climbing at low altitudes. |
| 3. Traditional, Medically Underwritten Life Insurance WITHOUT A MEDICAL EXAM | No | Yes | No | $5,000,000+ | This insurance type typically is not available for rock climbers. |
| 4. Traditional, Medically Underwritten RATED Life Insurance | Yes | Yes | No | $5,000,000+ | This is the most likely scenario for rock climbing. Rates will depend on type, altitude and location. |
| 5. Simplified Issue Life Insurance | No | No | Yes | $1,000,000 | Possible to qualify but at high rates. |
| 6. Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance | No | No | No | $25,000 | You can always qualify for this one. However, there are some drawbacks. Guaranteed issue insurance does not pay claims in the first two years and the premium is high. |
Collaborating with a broker can greatly enhance your likelihood of securing the ideal insurance plan and obtaining approval for it. Brokers possess the advantage of conducting comprehensive market searches on your behalf, unbound by any limitations to promote products from a single company. Prior to initiating an application, brokers may reach out to insurance companies via email to gauge the probability of approval or rejection.
If you’re a climber seeking life insurance, it’s advisable to explore various insurance providers and compare their policies to discover the most suitable coverage and rates for your specific requirements. You can enlist the assistance of a broker who will gladly handle this process on your behalf.
Today, there are several life insurance companies that provide coverage for extreme sports enthusiasts. Some notable companies include Manulife, SSQ Life Insurance, Empire Life, Canada Life, and Assumption Life. It is important to note that each company may have different policies and criteria for insuring extreme sports, including rock climbing. To get the best rate and coverage, work with an experienced life insurance broker who will compare application criteria across multiple insurance companies. You can request a quote by completing the form on this screen.
