UCD Mountaineering Club

As with all of UCD's sports clubs, the mountaineering club has an insurance arrangement with the University. However, due to the risks involved in mountaineering it is strongly recommended that you take out additional personal insurance in the event of being injured or an action being taken against you. We don't recommend one policy over another, it's up to you to make that decision but this page should help you make up your mind. You can become insured in several ways, the easiest of which being to become an insured member of MI, (Mountaineering Ireland). Alternatively you can take out more specialised travel and activity insurance such as that provided by the BMC, (British Mountaineering Council). Note: The club's view is that MI insurance is not sufficient for mountaineering activities in the Alps as it does not cover rescue and repatriation. You will be required to take out BMC insurance for this purpose if you decide to take a course with MI in the Alps at MI Alpine meet. You should also be aware of the European Health Insurance Card, when abroad in the EU / EEA and Switzerland you can use the EHIC if you have one. This means you can become a public patient abroad as though you were a citizen in that country. Also, remember if your Irish and in the UK, you can become a public patient without the EHIC by proving that you're Irish and living in Ireland.

Club Insurance| MI Insurance | BMC Insurance | EHIC
Firstly, there are two seperate policies covering the club, depending on location. When climbing indoors you are insured by the Sports Centre's public liability insurance. However this has several limitations. If you have an accident you must report the accident immediately to a manager on duty (at the wall desk or at reception).

As part of UCD Mountaineering Club's affiliation to UCD Athletic Union Council, club activities are covered under a public liability insurance scheme. There is some limited cover for personal accidents. Furthermore, the scheme does not extend to club members who arrange and participate in privately organised mountaineering activities; for private activites, personal insurance is required.

MI Insurance | BMC Insurance | EHIC | Club Insurance
MI insurance is primarily Civil Liability Insurance that covers you in the event of having an action taken against you. Here are some examples:

• Causing rock fall that caused an injury
• Leaving a gate open resulting in livestock loss
• Walk leader became lost, party member sustained injury
• Slandering someone, damage to property or vehicles
• Making a bad decision as a walk leader, injured person(s) as a result
• Giving bad route advice
• Failure to act; rescue a cragfast climber, person who needed assistance

It also features some personal accident insurance cover, this part of the policy is designed to cover you if you have an accident that causes a permanent injury. What you claim is a fixed sum of money dependent on your injury. Note: you cannot claim for an injury that is recoverable from such as a broken leg.

As with all policies, exactly what's covered is quite complex but the list of activities is as follows: hillwalking, rockclimbing, rambling (including road walking), backpacking, bouldering, fellrunning, scrambling, alpinism and all other recognised aspects of mountaineering. You are also covered for downhill skiing, ski mountaineering, mountain biking, canyoning and caving provided the activities are non-competitive and not the main activities of the club or yourself as a sports-person. MI insurance is not travel insurance but does cover injury caused travelling to or from an activity in Ireland or Britain, (England Scotland & Wales).

Summary of what's not covered:

• Broken bones, (all recoverable injuries)
• Rescue
• Repatriation
• Scenarios normally covered by travel insurance
• Loss or theft of equipment

Queries on the MI's insurance cover should be addressed to: info@mountaineering.ie

BMC Insurance | MI Insurance | Club Insurance | EHIC
The BMC insurance policies are more specialised, (and expensive) than the MI policy. You pay the premium based on when, where, and for what you want coverage. You can specify anything from annual coverage to coverage for a couple of days. You also pay based on the places you need cover for. You need at least European cover for activities in Ireland, the UK and the Alps. Here's a summary of what's provided with all policies:

• Travel insurance type cover
• Personal accident cover, (fixed sums for permanent disablement)
• Medical expenses, hospitalisation cover, (injuries such as broken bones are covered)
• Search and rescue and repatriation cover
• Third party claims against you are covered

There are five levels of cover: Travel > Trek > Rock > Alpine & Ski > Expedition. From April 2008 a basic medical and rescue option will also be available.

"Trek" insurance covers hill walking, trekking and scrambling including walking with crampons and axes, the use via ferratas and trekking routes in the Alps and the Himalayas are covered including routes with simple glacier crossings. Trekking summits such as Kilimanjaro and Aconcagua are covered. High altitude passes and wet glacier movement is not covered.

"Rock" cover starts where Trek ends and covers the use of technical equipment on graded routes. Rock covers rock climbing and bouldering. Outdoor trad. leading is covered and the use of all forms of fixed protection, (sport leading) are also covered. You are covered for leading indoors. Ice climbing and mixed routes are covered. Naturally, soloing is not covered.

"Alpine & Ski" covers non-expedition mountaineering below 6500m. On/off-piste skiing, ski-mountaineering, mixed and full ice climbing is also covered.

"Expedition" covers everything, there is no limit on the grade, route, altitude or location of the activity.

Queries on the BMC's insurance cover should be addressed to: insure@thebmc.co.uk

European Health Insurance Card | MI Insurance | BMC Insurance | Club Insurance
The EHIC covers the use of the public health system in all participating countries, (EU member states, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland). Exactly what you pay depends on where you are. You are not covered for things like repatriation or additional costs for travel and accommodation like you would with travel insurance. If you visit a private practice abroad you aren't covered by the scheme and would have to pay. You don't need an EHIC if you're Irish and injured or sick in the UK or Northern Ireland, you can get public health care by proving you're Irish.

Queries on the EHIC should be addressed to your local branch of the HSE, details: www.ehic.ie.