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My Bupa story

Many of our customers buy Bupa travel insurance for its high standard of cover and great value for money, but a group of Danish adventurers took advantage of a Bupa International policy to insure their lives, health and possessions on a perilous trip into Iceland’s frozen wilderness.

 
The Whiteout Adventures team

In May 2007, four friends who share a love of the great outdoors crossed the Greenland ice cap on skis, with an ihi Bupa travel insurance policy covering them.

That expedition sparked an Arctic dream and spurred the team on to their next extreme expedition, crossing Europe’s largest glacier, Vatnajökull in Iceland, and climbing the country’s highest mountain in October this year.

Arranging cover

When the team, calling themselves Whiteout Adventures, contacted Bupa International to talk about their plans, Stig Gronemann, external communications manager, agreed to offer them travel insurance and round-the-clock support from a dedicated Bupa International doctor.

"We were really impressed by Whiteout’s determination and drive and wanted to support them,” said Stig, “so we gave them comprehensive travel insurance policies free of charge and lined up Dr Steffen Lyduch, a member of Bupa International's medical team, to be on hand at the end of the phone with expert medical advice.”

Survival skills

Steffen has lived in Greenland for four years, has worked as an Arctic survival instructor for training exercises for a decade and has assisted in countless rescue operations on the ice cap. His experience with physically and mentally demanding situations made him ideally suited to offer the team expert advice and help.

“Expeditions like this are extremely demanding,” said Steffen. “Thorough preparation is vital. Many people want to test their own limits, but they need to think about everything that can go wrong. Knowledge, determination and good equipment are the key factors to success. None of the three can stand alone or be ignored.”

No amount of preparation, however, could guard against all the dangers ahead. The elements were certain to play a part as Vatnajökull is well-known for its treacherous weather and cruel winds.

Departure

After months of careful planning, Whiteout Adventures set off on Saturday 4 October, feeling positive and looking forward to the challenge ahead.

The next few days proved physically and mentally demanding. The team suffered falls, damaged equipment and physical ailments but, more importantly, the weather was not kind. Monday brought strong winds and a stormy night. Over the next few days frequent heavy rain soaked the team’s clothes and equipment and thick fog set in to severely hamper progress.

Eventually, on 10 October, the team decided that the only safe option was to turn back.

“The team contacted me at the time they were considering turning back and I agreed with them it was the only safe option,” added Steffen. “To continue under the conditions would have been life threatening.”

Mathias Kolringen, one of the Whiteout Adventures team, admitted it was a difficult decision – but the right one. “We were well prepared for the cold but had not anticipated the levels of rain we were met with. We were incredibly tired, demoralised and our equipment was in tatters. But now we have learned from our experiences and are looking to the future. We’re aiming high and making new expedition plans. We fought hard in Iceland and worked well together. In spite of the terrible conditions, illness and broken equipment, we gained valuable experience, arrived safely back home and are proud of our performance.

Flexible cover

“Bupa International is one of the few insurers that offers travel insurance policies for extreme expeditions like ours and we were delighted when they offered to support us. Our expedition took us to one of the most isolated areas in the world, with no medical facilities, so we knew we would need to be ready to provide fast and competent first aid ourselves and to have access to the best possible medical advice and guidance. Having support from Bupa International really reassured us.”

Next steps

  • The care and comfort of our members is at the heart of Bupa International's service. However, please note that each of these stories is specific to its facts and the terms of the policy under which the member was insured. No representation is made that similar benefits would apply for members in the same or similar circumstances.

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We were really impressed by Whiteout’s determination and drive and wanted to support them.

Stig Gronemann (Bupa ihi)

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