Booking Terms and Conditions

This document sets out what you can expect from Adventure Expertise and what your obligations are. By making a booking with Adventure Expertise you are accepting the terms and conditions in this document. If you are making a booking on behalf of someone else you will be deemed to be accepting these terms and conditions for them and should make them aware of the contents.

Confirmation

We will email you confirmation of your booking after we have received payment. This will detail the courses that you have booked on, including dates and prices. If any details are not correct please let us know immediately so that appropriate changes can be made.

Included in your booking

The following are included in your booking:

The professional services of Adventure Expertise instructors for the guiding or instruction of courses/activity days on the agreed dates.
Any technical equipment needed for the course (harnesses, helmets, climbing shoes, ice axes, crampons, ropes, climbing-gear, safety equipment etc. are all included). The only exception to this is winter mountaineering boots.

NOT included in your booking

The following are NOT included in your booking:
Transportation to/from the course venues or during the course.
Accommodation – unless stated otherwise.
Any personal equipment that participants are required to have for the course or food and drink. (We supply all technical equipment).
Insurance (see below).

Minimum Numbers

For our ‘open’ (Intro to climbing & all navigation courses) courses we will normally require a minimum number of two participants to be able to deliver the course. For our NGB courses (Lowland Leader, Rock Climbing Instructor, Mountain Leader) we will normally require a minimum number of 4 participants to be able to deliver the course. In the rare event of the participants numbers dropping below those required we will contact you to discuss the options. These may include cancelling the course and transferring your booking to a different location or date or increasing the cost per person on pro rata basis if you prefer. For our ‘Private’ courses minimum participant numbers do not apply.

If we cancel your booking

We endeavor to provide all services as described in our confirmation and to exceed your expectations with regard to the quality of delivery. However, if for any reason we cannot deliver your programme we will notify you promptly. We will refund any payments received in full but we accept no responsibility for any additional costs incurred.

If we change your booking details

In the interests of the safety and enjoyment of participants we may need to make changes to your course. Should this be necessary we will notify you promptly. This may include a change to the course dates and locations, for example due to dangerous or unstable conditions at the course location or inclement weather. We reserve the right to make these changes at any time and cannot be held liable for any additional costs incurred.

If you cancel your booking

If you would like to cancel all or part of your booking we require notification by email (in writing). As we may not be able to find another person to take your place on the course and will have incurred costs with your booking, the terms stated below apply:

Notification received ≥ 90 days before programme start date:

50% refund OR Transfer your place to a different date or location within the next calendar year from date of notification (admin fee of £35.00)

Notification received 15 – 89 days before programme start date:

No refund available BUT Possibility of transferring your place to another date or location within the next calendar year from date of notification, (admin fee of £60.00)

Notification received 0 – 14 days before programme start date:

No refunds or place transfers available

As such we, therefore, we encourage all of our participants to take out appropriate cancellation insurance – please see ‘Insurance‘ below.

Conduct

We reserve the right to exclude any participant from a course if, in our opinion, their inclusion would pose a safety risk to themselves or any other member of the group. In the event of exclusion we will not offer any refund.

Reasons for exclusion may include (but are not limited to):

Not having correct or appropriate equipment
Not being physically able to safely take part in the course activities – this may include safety to self, other group members and/or the instructor
Disobeying a safety instruction
Disruptive or threatening behaviour
Being under the influence of alcohol, drug or any substance where it is deemed inappropriate to take part
We reserve the right to ask for payment in respect of any damage to, or loss of, equipment caused willfully or by the negligent behaviour of participants.

Liability

Adventure Expertise will accept no liability whatsoever in respect of loss or damage to personal property, not caused by the negligence or default of Adventure Expertise or associates while attending the course. This includes personal vehicles.

Assurance

The Adventure Expertise instructor or associate leading your course holds the appropriate National Governing Body Awards and is a member of the Association of Mountaineering Instructors: see www.ami.org.uk or Mountain Training Association: see http://www.mountaintraining.org/associations/mountain-training-association/about-mta

Safety and Participation Statement

Walking, climbing and mountaineering are activities with a risk of personal injury or death. By booking a course in these activities you are accepting an awareness and acceptance of these risks and responsibility for your own actions and involvement. We will teach you how to manage these risks and your safety will be of paramount concern, however we can never completely remove the risks associate with outdoor activities. You confirm that you understand the nature of the activities that you wish to undertake and acknowledge those risks that are inherent therein and that you may freely withdraw from any activity without penalty and there is no pressure whatsoever to take part. Please contact us if you have any questions about the nature of the activities involved in the booking you have made prior to attendance and please ensure you ask questions as needed during the course/activity day to appraise yourself of the necessary information.

Insurance

We are fully insured to carry out all of the activities described in our confirmation. Further details of our insurance policy are available on request. Our courses do not include any insurance (personal accident, cancellation, curtailment, third party liability, personal injury), as detailed above. We recommend that you take out your own insurance policy with respect to the programme that you are joining us for – the British Mountaineering Council (www.thebmc.co.uk) offer excellent insurance with regard to these sorts of activities. We strongly recommend that you take out personal insurance which will cover you in the event of cancellation due to illness and will cover personal kit during your programme with us.

Your Responsibilities

Your responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

To check that our course programme meets your requirements and that you are sufficiently aware of the nature of and risks associated with the activities you are choosing to undertake. If you have any questions about any of this you should contact us.
To acknowledge at the point of booking that you have read and understood these Terms and Conditions.
To inform us of your contact details, emergency contact and any medical details on the consent form and of any changes to these that may occur between booking and commencement of the course. Please feel free to contact us if you have any queries relating to your fitness or suitability for the course: info@adventure-expertise.co.uk
To undertake any necessary personal training to ensure that you are prepared and fit enough to undertake this course. If you have any questions about any of this you should contact us.
To ensure that you have registered with Mountain Training for this course (only applies to Lowland Leader, Rock Climbing Instructor or Mountain Leader courses)
To ensure that you arrive with sufficient food and suitable personal kit for the course – we will give you guidance on this as part of your pre-course joining information sent out to you or posted on our website, this information will be made available to you upon receipt of your course payment by us.

We look forward to meeting you but please don’t hesitate to email us with any questions that you may have in the meantime: info@adventure-expertise.co.uk