General Terms & Conditions
Booking
ChileMontaña requests that all bookings be made by fax or email. A response will be given within 48 hours. It is important to include the following information with the booking request:
Exact number of travelers.
Travelers’ full name(s) (as it appears on the passport).
Flight details (arrival and departure times of international flights).
Passport number.
Program name and tour code.
Please note that every ChileMontaña program has a booking deadline and please keep in mind that some of our programs require a mandatory medical certificate. We will confirm your booking request once we have received a 10% deposit (non-refundable) of the total cost of the program. The balance is due 30 days prior to the program’s start date. For those programs and expeditions running during high season (20th of October until 10th of January), the balance is to be paid 60 days before the program’s start date. (Please note that our trips and expeditions to Patagonia and our ski programs have a different payment scheme. You will be given the payment details for these programs when booking.)
Reservations that do not fulfill these requirements may be canceled.
Cancellation
Clients may cancel their trip at any time provided that the cancellation is sent to ChileMontaña in written form. The following penalties will be applied to cover administration costs:
If cancellation occurs within 15 to 29 days prior to the start of the trip, 50% of the program is non-refundable.
If cancellation occurs less than 15 day prior to the start of the trip, no refund will be given.
Some of our programs, such as the trips and expeditions we run in Patagonia as well as the skiing programs, have a different payment schedule that you will be informed on upon booking.
ChileMontaña strongly recommends that you purchase a trip cancellation and/or interruption insurance. Such a policy will offset cancellation charges in the event of illness before or during the trip.
ChileMontaña reserves the right to cancel a program or any part of a program or expedition prior to the scheduled date of departure for any reason whatsoever. This may include, but is not limited to: too few participants, logistical problems such as strikes, acts of God or any other circumstances which may make operating the trip unadvisable.
In case of cancellation, ChileMontaña will notify the client as soon as possible and will offer the client the possibility to change his/her booking to an alternative program. If the client declines this possibility, any money received by ChileMontaña from the client for that program or expedition will be refunded, and the limit for this refund will be the limit of ChileMontaña’s liability. ChileMontaña is not responsible for any expenses incurred by the client in preparing for the trip, including non-refundable or penalty-carrying airline tickets.
In regards to set departures, if the minimum number of participants required is not reached, ChileMontaña will cancel the departure, subject to 60 days notice, and a full refund will be offered. Alternatively we offer the possibility that the additional costs will be carried by those clients who have already booked the trip.
Participation and liability
ChileMontaña and the lead expedition guide during the trip reserve the right to terminate the participation of a member of the program if he/she believes that the person’s health is at risk, that the person is mentally or physically unprepared, if an illegal act is committed or their behavior becomes detrimental to the safety, enjoyment or well-being of the group or if, according to their judgment, for any other reason a person is unfit to continue participating in an ongoing activity. No refunds will be given in this case.
ChileMontaña programs may include physical outdoor activity and contact with nature involving some level of risk depending on various events and circumstances which ChileMontaña cannot control. ChileMontaña can therefore not be held liable for death, personal injury, accidents, illness, delay, inconvenience or damage which may occur, due to any act, error or omission of a supplier such as, but not limited to: (a) Hotel accommodation; restaurant catering; being on or near horses or mules; bicycle, vehicle, boat and/or airplane transportation; equipment failure; (b) any cause whatsoever including acts of nature such as weather, lightning, avalanche, mudslide, earthquake, rock fall, snow or ice-covered land, strikes, theft, civil disturbances, epidemics or other sicknesses and political or social unrest, government restrictions or regulations or failure of any means of transportation to respect a published schedule or discrepancies over which ChileMontaña has no control or (c) any other cause, such as, but not limited to cold weather injuries, altitude related illnesses, heat related illnesses, a fall, river crossing, falling into a crevasse, climbing up or down rocks. Additionally, ChileMontaña is not responsible for any expenses incurred if the trip should be delayed due to the aforementioned circumstances.
ChileMontaña is not responsible for any expenses incurred nor is obligated to lend money to pay for emergency expenses in case participants require a rescue or evacuation or the participant leaves the trip before its end for any reason whatsoever. Therefore, ChileMontaña strongly recommends that clients take out an adequate insurance policy. If clients do not take insurance, ChileMontaña can, at the clients’ expense, arrange for medical treatment or an emergency evacuation if it is deemed essential for the clients’ safety. Due to the particular type of the tours we offer, clients must always follow the orders and recommendations given by their guide. ChileMontaña cannot be held responsible for any accident or personal injuries that could result from a client’s careless acts. No refunds will be given in such a case.
ChileMontaña does not accept any liability in case of robbery and/or loss or damage to luggage and/or personal effects. We recommend that special insurance for such purposes be purchased prior to the trip. No refunds will be given.
ChileMontaña reserves the right to change, alter, omit or substitute any portion of a program without prior notice and without the possibility of a refund. Every reasonable effort will be made by ChileMontaña to ensure that all clients’ trip objectives are met.
Release of Responsibility
Prior to the field portion of this course you will need sign a release of responsibility waiver. A copy of which can be found here link.
Attitude and commitment
We design our programs very carefully, however we may need to offer you an excellent alternative in case of problems such as, but not limited to, bad weather. Even though we have guides with excellent field knowledge and vast experience in mountaineering, unexpected events may occur during expeditions, climbing and the organization of long distance trips and even with our best efforts things may sometimes go wrong.
Most of our programs are adventures that take place in remote areas, in countries with different mentalities, rules and regulations. Therefore you must be willing to discover and accept other lifestyles and very different living conditions. You may also experience new situations and must be prepared to respect and understand local customs. If you are the kind of person who expects things to go exactly as planned or for things to be exactly as they are at home, you must consider this point very carefully.
Communication: We strive to have open, respectful and confidential communication with all our clients. In order to achieve this please let us know your wishes, suggestions and/or difficulties as they arise in order for us to assist you. Our commitment is to do our best to make each program an unforgettable and unique life experience.
Environmental Protection
ChileMontaña is committed to care for, preserve and to avoid any further damage to those areas and communities we visit. We follow the “Leave No Trace” principles and we ask you to show the same respect and behavior towards nature. Please accept any comments, suggestions or advice to meet this goal. Also, we may explain and ask you to follow and respect special regulations such as national parks rules or to follow some local non-spoken rules such as refraining from taken photographs in areas where people do not like being photographed. We all need to respect nature and culture to keep our dreams alive.