Kilimanjaro · POLICIES

Insurance Requirements for the Climb

Medical insurance covering high-altitude trekking is mandatory for every climber on an ALPO expedition, whatever your age and whichever route you take. As for emergency evacuation, every camp on the way to the summit has a helipad, and evacuation from there is possible if you hold a policy.

Which policy you need:

Trekking coverage up to 6,000 m. Kilimanjaro’s summit, Uhuru Peak, sits at 5,895 m / 19,341 ft, so an ordinary “city” travel policy is not enough. Your policy has to name evacuation from altitudes up to 6,000 m explicitly.
Evacuation costs covered to at least $10,000. That is the minimum evacuation coverage for Kilimanjaro. Check that the figure in your policy is not below it.
Helicopter evacuation. Some insurers treat it as automatically included once a policy names evacuation up to 6,000 m. Others write it in as a separate line. In our experience, a policy that names evacuation up to 6,000 m is the strongest ground for a helicopter claim.

We recommend specific insurance programs once you book. It is part of the preparation, the same as the gear consultation.

What happens without insurance

A helicopter on Kilimanjaro comes quickly; every camp has a helipad. But without a valid policy, it is a commercial call-out: $3,500–5,000 depending on the camp. With insurance, that same helicopter is a claim.

That is why we check your policy at the hotel briefing. Without a valid one, joining the expedition requires a guarantee deposit of $5,000 or more, which covers you if an emergency happens.

When to buy it and what to bring

Buy your policy after booking and before you fly, and keep a printout or an electronic copy in your carry-on: you will need it at the briefing. The week before you fly covers what else belongs in there. If you are not sure whether a particular policy covers your route, ask us before you buy and we will check it together.