Our Policies

Health Requirements:

Many of our programs take place in remote settings where rescue is difficult and definitive medical care is far away. Additionally, most of our outings require a high level of physical activity for a considerable length of time in inclement weather, often at high elevations. When you register, please fill out our medical form, and let us know about any medical condition, diet, or other need for special accommodation when your registration is made. Thank you for taking the time to thoroughly answer all questions on the medical questions. Please update your medical questions if any changes happen between the time you originally filled out your form and when the trip starts, and send an email to [email protected] to make sure the new information is received. Please be sure to discuss any relevant details and updates about your health with your guide or instructor before the trip or course begins.

Coronavirus/COVID-19 Risk Notice

An inherent risk of exposure to coronavirus/COVID-19 exists in every public place or where people are present. COVID-19 is an extremely contagious disease that can lead to serious illness and death. COVID-19 is a new disease and there is limited information regarding risk factors for severe illness.
By participating in the programs, you voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to coronavirus/COVID-19. If you do not wish to encounter that risk, please do not participate.

We will be taking enhanced safety measures in an effort to mitigate the risks to you, our other guests, and staff, but we cannot insure your safety. If you do not wish to participate in light of these risks, please see our Cancellation and Refund Policy.

Learn more about our Covid-19 Policy

Acknowledgement and Assumption of Risk and Release of Liability and Indemnity Agreement and Responsible Together Documents Required:

All participants must sign our Assumption of Risks & Release of Liability and Indemnity Agreement before participating in any part of a Backcountry Babes course. You will receive a link to this form with your online reservation, and it can be completed online. Click here if you would like to review our ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND ASSUMPTION OF RISKS AGREEMENT & RELEASE OF LIABILITY AND INDEMNITY AGREEMENT and Responsible Together: Backcountry Babes In COVID 19 –Our Disclosure and Participant Parent Commitment before signing up for a course.

Deposits:

Short Trips (1-3 Field Days):  Payment in full is required at the time of booking.

Long Trips (4+ Field Days): Save your spot with a non-refundable $600 deposit. The remaining balance is due 120 days (4 months) before the first day of the trip, and will be auto-collected at that time by our booking software on the same credit card you used to pay your deposit. If you’d like to set up a different form of payment, please email [email protected] to set up alternate payment more than 120 days before the trip start date so we can arrange that for you.
If booking a trip that departs in less than 120 days, payment in full will be required at the time of booking.

Your reservation is subject to cancellation if full payment has not been received by 120 days prior to departure.

Cancellation Policy:

Our cancellation policy reflects the commitments we make to our guides, participants, and the costs we incur when setting up a trip or course. We can give partial refunds or transfers, according to the provisions below. Please understand that, in order to maintain the viability of our business, we cannot make exceptions to this policy for any reason, including but not limited to family or medical emergencies, illness, injury, weather, natural disasters, acts of god, terrorism, civil unrest, war, schedule changes, pandemics including coronavirus/COVID-19, travel warnings or restrictions, and other foreseen or unforeseen circumstances.

Refunds: You may be eligible for a partial refund according to the timeline table below. Deposits are non-refundable regardless of the reason for cancellation.

Transfers: As an alternative to a refund, you can transfer your reservation to another Backcountry Babes course, subject to availability and additional costs.  Any transfer must be during the same year and season as your original course. Transfers cannot be carried over from one season to the next, nor from one year to the next. If you select a transfer but do not attend a course during the same season of your cancellation, your transfer will be void and you will not be eligible for a refund.

Transfers and refunds are not offered for participants who arrive late, leave early, or miss a day of any course.

Cancellation by Backcountry Babes: One rare occasion, we may need to cancel trips due to low enrollment, good-faith concerns about the health, safety, and welfare of participants and staff, guide illness, travel restrictions, or other unforeseen reasons. In the unlikely event that we cancel a trip, we will give you a full refund or credit toward a future trip, at your option. If we cancel a trip in progress, we will provide a pro-rated refund or credit toward another trip, at our option. We cannot be responsible for other costs associated with your trip or a cancellation (such as airplane tickets, lodging, gear purchases, etc.) and recommend you obtain Travel Insurance to cover these costs.

AIARE: You will not be eligible to receive a “Certificate of Completion” for an AIARE Course if you do not attend the course in full. Subject to availability, you can schedule a make-up day by booking one day of private guiding with one of our AIARE-qualified instructors to earn your “Certificate of Completion.” Due to size restrictions, we cannot guarantee that you will be able to schedule a make-up in another class.

COVID-19 Cancellations: We have added more flexibility this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which is reflected in the table below. We cannot make additional accommodations or exceptions to the policy set forth herein.

TRAVEL INSURANCE: WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND that you purchase travel insurance if you would like more refund opportunities than we can offer, or if you wish to purchase coverage for rescue. WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND that you purchase both Cancel for Any Reason and Global Rescue coverage for international trips.

We recommend Global Rescue’s IMG SIGNATURE TRAVEL INSURANCE with “Cancel for Any Reason” protection. In order to purchase a policy that includes “Cancel for Any Reason” benefits, travel insurance must be purchased within 20 days of your initial deposit to Backcountry Babes.

The cost of a rescue is NOT included in our trip price and if rescue is needed, you will be responsible for the associated costs. If you add a Global Rescue Membership, it will help you cover these costs.

To purchase or for more information, please go to:
www.globalrescue.com/partner/backcountrybabes

Please Bear in Mind: Our cancellation policy is not meant to be punitive! We are a small business that makes strong commitments to our guides and clients to run high quality trips. We simply work from the timeline to offer you the best cancellation policy we can while still maintaining a functional small business.

To initiate a cancellation or transfer, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/gEKLZgFqgPjFcr9o9