Yes, you are correct in that it might not be "mandatory", but certainly a good idea to have insurance the Alps. The laws vary from country to county. In France, the laws on this have fluctuated over the years. When I climbed in France and Switzerland we had insurance. Even if the rescue might be free, there will always be medical bills that might not be covered in the "free rescue".
But we are mostly concerned with laws and conditions in the U.S.
As we write, there is another search for an overdue person on Mt. Whitney. It never seems to let up, does it?
