Mountain Rescues happen, and when they do, costs are involved.

As much as we all hope to never be involved in an avalanche, serious first aid event or any other kind of dangerous situation, unfortunately accidents happen. Just as we can prepare mentally and physically for the mountains (through avalanche education and fitness training), we can prepare financially too.

All VMT guides are ACMG certified and highly trained in safety and risk management. VMT guides have a series of protocols that they can follow if a serious incident was to happen while out in the mountains.

Scenario 1 - Emergency Evacuation
VMT staff would call outside resources directly for help. This could be one of many local private helicopter companies, or another nearby guiding operation (with helicopters or helpful resources). This type of call-out is often the fastest way to get help in an emergency situation. If this occurs, guests are responsible for all costs, which can be in the thousands of dollars.

Scenario 2 - Non-emergency Evacuation
VMT staff would call for help from the local volunteer search and rescue team. This type of call-out takes longer to get a response, but may be used for non-emergency evacuations such as an injured knee. As a general rule this type of call-out (helicopter expenses etc.) is paid for by the provincial government however, that may not always be the case. Whether a party is charged for the cost of a rescue is decided on a case by case basis by the provincial government (Emergency Management British Columbia). Unfortunately it is not clear what parameters they consider when making this decision, meaning costs for this type of evacuation may also run into many thousands of dollars.

While the likelihood of an evacuation happening is extremely low, it’s good to assess whether the cost of a rescue is something you could afford, should it actually occur. If the answer is no, we highly recommend looking into Mountain Rescue insurance policies.