Terms & Policies

 

Terms and Conditions

Please read carefully. This is a legally binding contract.

Trip Deposits

The trip deposit secures your place on the trip and is non-refundable. In some circumstances, we can move your trip deposit onto a different trip. Please send us an email if you want to cancel your place.

Payment Due Date
Payments are due 90 days before your trip. In the case of tours booked within 90 days of your trip, the full tour cost is due at booking. Not paying on time will be considered grounds for cancellation, in which case our cancellation fees will apply.

Cancellation policy
Cancellations must be received in writing by mail or email and are subject to the following fees per guest:

  • Up to 31 days before the start of the trip: 30% of the full cost

  • 16–30 days before the start of the trip: 50%

  • 7–16 days before the start of the trip: 80%

  • <7 days before the start of the trip: 100%

Changes by You
If you need to make changes after your trip has been confirmed, for example changing dates, we will be happy to help when we can. 

Keep in mind changes are not always possible. If we accept your request, you will be asked to pay an administrative fee of £100/person in addition to any new costs incurred.

Cancellations or Changes by Us and Flexibility
We reserve the right to cancel, alter or modify any trip without prior notice for any reason, including but not limited to for the safety, comfort and / or well-being of trip participants and for circumstances of Force Major, ie circumstances beyond our control which prevent us from providing the trip as planned. This includes the right to replace or substitute guides and accommodations in the trip materials, modify the schedule, and make other changes in the itinerary. 

If we are forced to significantly alter or cancel your trip due to Force Majeure, which is rare, we will let you know as soon as possible. In these circumstances, you can choose one of the following options: 

  1. Accept our offer of a comparable replacement trip, offered at our sole discretion and subject to availability, or

  2. Receive a refund of all monies paid less any non-refundable deposits paid to third party suppliers.

When accepting an offer for a replacement trip:

  1. If the cost is lower than the price of your original trip, you will receive a refund for the difference in cost, or

  2. If the cost of the replacement trip is higher than your original trip, you owe nothing. We will work with our suppliers to try and obtain any non-refundable deposits so that we can give you a full refund. We cannot guarantee such a result, though.

Photography
Sidetracked Adventures Limited, its guides and Sidetracked Adventures-authorised third parties reserve the right to take photographs or videos during the operation of any tour or part thereof and to use the resulting photography, videos, or recordings for promotional or commercial use. 

By making a reservation on a Sidetracked Adventures Limited trip, you agree to allow your likeness to be used by Sidetracked Adventures Limited, its trip leaders and Sidetracked Adventures Limited-authorized third parties, without compensation to the participant. 

If you prefer that your likeness not be used, you must notify Sidetracked Adventures Limited in writing prior to departure of the tour.

Trip Cancellation and Travel Insurance Although we do not require trip cancellation insurance, to protect your investment in the event you need to cancel your trip, trip cancellation and travel insurance is highly recommended. Trip cancellation insurance may be the only means of receiving reimbursement for flights and other non-refundable expenses should one of our tours be canceled for any reason.

Each year, we have some guests who have to cancel for any one of a number of life reasons— injury, work schedule changes, or other personal life events. Travel insurance may help you in the event you have to cancel or postpone your trip for reasons outside of your control. 

Medical Considerations
If you have any medical or psychological conditions, it’s important you let us know well before departure so that we can make extra arrangements if necessary. You can do this when signing up for your trip, using the comment box provided. 

Sidetracked Adventures and its employees, guides, affiliates, and associates (hereinafter its “Associates”) have the right to disqualify anyone at any time both before and during the trip if they feel the trip member is mentally or physically incapable to continue and / or if a trip member’s continued participation jeopardizes the group’s or his / her own safety. Sidetracked Adventures Limited reserves the right to provide alternative activities and onward transportation in situations where the guide determines that the participant is mentally or physically incapable of completing any day’s activities in a reasonable amount of time or if participation puts the participant at increased risk of injury . 

Sidetracked Adventures is not a medical facility and therefore has no responsibility regarding medical advice, medications or inoculations that you or your doctor deem necessary for your safe participation. Hospital facilities for serious problems are often unavailable, and evacuation can be prolonged, difficult and expensive. 

Sidetracked Adventures Limited assumes no liability regarding provision of medical care. By registering for your trip and accepting these Terms and Conditions, you agree to pay for emergency evacuation and emergency medical care.

Your obligations as a trip member
By participating in a Sidetracked Adventures trip, you assume certain obligations to Sidetracked Adventures LLC and the other trip members. It is your responsibility to:

  • Understand the conditions implied in the Sidetracked Adventures Trip Rating System score of your selected trip.

  • Select a trip that is appropriate to your interests and abilities.

  • Prepare for the trip by familiarizing yourself with the trip itinerary and trip preparation materials sent by Sidetracked Adventures.

  • Bring appropriate gear and clothing as advised by Sidetracked Adventures.

  • Follow considerate standards of personal hygiene in order to reduce risk of contracting diseases.

  • Follow considerate social behavior with other trip participants and respect their habits.

  • Respect the areas in which we travel by using environmentally safe products, staying on established routes of travel and not littering.

  • Abide by instruction / rules / outdoor ethics written or communicated by Sidetracked Adventures.

  • Travel at a pace consistent with the safety of the group, as managed by the guide. If the guide decides that you are not traveling at a pace necessary to maintain group safety, or if you prefer to take a route different from the rest of the group, you become responsible for your own safety, as well as for any cost incurred, such as transportation.

Sidetracked Adventures Limited reserves the right to decline to accept or retain any person as a tour participant should such person’s behavior, health, or mental condition impede the operation of the trip.

Our Legal Limitations
Sidetracked Adventures Limited may contract with independent contractors to provide transportation, guide services and / or all other related travel services. We assume no responsibility for injury, loss or damage, however caused, to person or property in connection with any service provided by an independent contractor or resulting directly from the following: Acts of God, detention, annoyance, terrorism, thefts, pilferage, Force Majeure, civil disturbances, government restrictions or regulations, strikes, delays and expenses arising from quarantine, failure of any means of conveyance to arrive or depart as scheduled, discrepancies or change in transit or hotel services over which we have no control. 

We reserve the right to make reasonable changes in the itinerary where deemed advisable for the comfort and well-being of trip members. By accepting these terms and conditions and registering for this Sidetracked Adventures Limited trip, the participant agrees to be bound by the above terms and conditions.

Releases and related provisions
By participating in a Sidetracked Adventures Limited trip, you agree to all of the following:

Release
I / we hereby release and discharge Sidetracked Adventures Limited, its owners and Associates, and their successors and assigns (hereinafter the “Released Parties”), from any and all liabilities, suits, claims, and demands, actions or damages (including attorneys’ fees and disbursements) incurred by me arising out of the participation in activities under the direction of Sidetracked Adventures Limited including without limitation, all claims for property damage, personal injuries, or wrongful death. This release is binding on my heirs, assigns, and agents.

This release includes, but is not limited to, claims for the negligence of the Released Parties and claims for strict liability for abnormally dangerous activities. This release does not extend to claims for gross negligence, intentional or reckless misconduct, or any other liabilities that applicable law does not permit to be released by agreement. I / we also agree NOT TO SUE or make a claim against the Released Parties for death, injuries, loss, or harm that occur on the trip.

Medical Release
In the event of an emergency, I / we give permission for any medical treatment provided by Sidetracked Adventures Limited and its Associates, which might become necessary. I / we hereby authorize the leader of the activity to secure such medical advice and services as may be necessary for my health and safety, and I / we consent to release all medical information the leader determines necessary to any medical provider. I / we also agree to accept financial responsibility for medical treatment. I / we acknowledge that hospital facilities, qualified medical care, and emergency medical evacuation may be limited or unavailable during portions of the trip and, where available, may be expensive. 

I / we understand that Sidetracked Adventures Limited assumes no responsibility for providing medical care during the trip, and I / we will have to pay for any medical care and / or evacuation that I / we incur. In consideration of the permission to participate in the trip, I / we agree to the terms contained in this document.

Awareness of Risk
I / we understand the nature of cross country skiing/kayaking/hiking trip and I / we have chosen to engage in and I find no reason why I am / we are physically or mentally unable to perform the required actions in order to safely accomplish a Sidetracked Adventures Limited trip. I am / we are fully aware and understand that the activities in which I am / we are participating under the arrangement of Sidetracked Adventures Limited and its Associates are potentially dangerous and that there are risks inherent in all outdoor activities. These risks include but are not limited to, inclement weather, hazards in skiing, snowshoeing, kayaking, hiking on unmarked terrain, general outdoor activity. Risks associated with such activities include but are not limited to serious bodily injuries, such as permanent disability, paralysis, and death. 

There are many risks that may arise from foreseeable or unforeseeable causes (eg falling rocks, snowfall from above and hitting participants). I / we understand that these risks may be brought about by my own actions or inactions as well as other participants ‘and Sidetracked Adventures Limited Associates’ actions or inactions. 

Any decisions made by Associates of Sidetracked Adventures Limited are part of the risks of the activities listed above. I / we also understand that there may be other risks and economic or social losses unforeseen at this time. I / we fully accept all such risks and responsibilities, costs, damages, and losses that may come to me as a result of participating in these activities.

Indemnification
I / we hereby agree to indemnify and hold Sidetracked Adventures Limited and its Associates harmless for any litigation expenses, attorneys’ fees, loss, liability, damage or cost which any may incur as a result of any claim arising out of my participation in a Sidetracked Adventures Limited trip, to the fullest extent permitted by the law. 

I / we have read and fully understand this agreement and am fully aware of its content and context. I / we understand that this is a legal contract and that this is a release of liability. In submitting this tour reservation and payment of deposit of my own free will, I / we agree to the terms and conditions set forth above. 

These Booking Conditions are governed by English law and we both agree that the courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute, claim or other matter which may arise between us (unless you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, in which case you can bring proceedings in your local court under Scottish or Northern Irish law, as applicable)

If the tour participant is under age 18, tour reservation and payment by a parent or guardian is required, and the parent or guardian’s reservation and payment constitutes their consent to the terms above.