Terms and Conditions

• Covid-19 cancellation booking assurance.  If your course is cancelled because we are unable to run it due to Coronavirus restrictions in the host country, you will be eligible for either a transfer of your booking to future dates, or a complete refund, whichever you prefer.  We can also transfer your course place to future dates if you are unable to travel because the government in your county of residence advises against all but essential travel to the country where the course is taking place.  If you have to cancel for any other reason, our normal terms and conditions will apply.
• Bookings are confirmed on receipt of a £500 or 25% NON-TRANSFERABLE AND NON-REFUNDABLE deposit (whichever amount is greater). The balance is due no less than 3 months prior to the course commencing. If the booking is less than 3 months in advance the complete course fee should be paid.  If you fail to make the required balance payment on time we reserve the right to cancel your course and retain the non-refundable deposit payment.
• If you wish to cancel your course please do so in writing (email). From the date of the receipt of the written cancellation the following terms apply. If the customer cancels more than 3 months in advance of the course a full refund, less the non refundable deposit, will be offered. 3-2 months before the commencement of the course 50% of the course fees are refundable. Cancellations of 0-2 months before the course start date are non-refundable.
• All bookings are made on the basis that the customer will strictly observe the safety instructions given by High Mountain Guides staff. If you choose to ignore the advice of these staff you do so at your own risk and forfeit a duty of care from the guide.
• High Mountain Guides reserve the right to exclude customers’ from activities they are not adequately prepared or fit enough for and where their involvement may jeopardise their own, other customers or the instructors’ safety. No refund will be made to clients excluded on these safety grounds.
• Very occasionally after taking a booking for a course we will have guides cancel or we will be unable to find a suitable guide who is available. In this event we will give the customer a 100% refund on our course fees but take no responsibility for any other fees that customers have incurred like flights, hotels or any other expenses relating to the trip outwith our guiding fees.
• The customer is responsible for all equipment issued for use during the course. High Mountain Guides reserves the right to charge for equipment that is lost or misused.
• Courses cannot be run for under 18 year olds unless they are accompanied for the duration of the course by their parent, guardian or teacher or their parent consents to their participation and their experience is deemed appropriate for the demands of the course.
• High Mountain Guides accept no liability for customers’ personal property lost or damaged during a course.
• We take no responsibility for any luggage you may have which requires storage during the course.  Please arrange this with directly with your accommodation provider or by another means as we can’t look after any luggage during the course or at any other time, although it’s often possible to leave a small bag in the guides car during the course and at your own risk.
• Customers must expect to be involved in adventurous, physically and mentally demanding activities. You should be prepared for this and be in good general health. You should complete the medical section of this form and declare any further relevant medical information arising between booking and the course commencing.
• You should be fully aware that climbing, mountaineering and off piste skiing are genuinely adventurous and risky activities and accept the possibility that you may be injured or even killed whilst in the mountains or on the crags. Whilst undertaking a course helps to minimise these risks, by improving your skill levels, it does not eliminate them. You should not book, or go into the mountains, if you do not fully understand and accept the risks inherent in mountaineering and climbing. Alpine and expedition mountaineering, in particular, can involve objective hazards beyond the control of your Guide and we recommend you read this article by Mountain Guide Will Gadd which highlights this point:
• https://www.explore-mag.com/Dear-Mountain-Guests-Will-Gadd-Pens-an-Open-Letter-About-Some-Hard-Mountain-Truths?fbclid=IwAR19PH9TozncMRV2A9CKbyobXbDpWEQCI4qPaBNsLLWnRZdsEV-258AFY-8
• You should also be aware that mountaineering is highly subject to local weather and conditions and whilst every effort will be made to meet your course aims sometimes this will not be safe or practical. In this event every effort will be made to offer suitable alternatives but no refunds will be available.
• It is the customer’s responsibility to obtain their own appropriate insurance prior to the course. This must cover emergency search and rescue and medical expenses and specifically include the relevant activities you are undertaking.
• We strongly recommend you also take out cancellation insurance as we can take no responsibility for events beyond our control that mean that you can not attend the course, or that the course can not run.  If you need to cancel, for whatever reason, or the course can not be run due to a ‘force majeure’, the cancellation terms described above will still apply.
• Any contract between the client and High Mountain Guides shall be governed in all respects by English Law. Only English Courts shall have jurisdiction in relation to any claim or dispute arising out of or connected with any such contract.
• High Mountain Guides may seek to use photos of students or course correspondence for the website / publicity purposes. Please advise us if you would prefer not to be involved in this.
• Our group or open courses involve joining with other guests towards a common mountain goal and sharing the cost of guiding fees. These can be fun & sociable trips and we try hard to ensure all members of the team are suited to the courses they are undertaking. However, occasionally guests will struggle from unforeseen circumstances and will have to turn around during a climb or tour. By booking on one of our open courses you are joining a team and must accept this may compromise your own summit climb or other aims. Folk not wanting to accept this compromise should book private guiding.
• I have read and understand the ‘prices’ information and understand that, as part of alpine courses, I will be required to cover the Guides’ expenses.
• I have also read any notes given on this website relating to my specific course and understand and agree to them as well as these terms and conditions.

Making a booking means that you have read, understood and agree to abide by all our terms and conditions.