Booking Terms and Conditions
Vertical Frontiers Ltd
Company number: 09005015
Registered office: Laurel Cottage, Black Dog, Crediton, Devon, EX17 4QJ, United Kingdom
Email: email@verticalfrontiers.com

Last updated: 12 October 2026

1. Making a booking
All bookings are made with Vertical Frontiers Ltd.

We will confirm your booking once we have accepted it, received the required deposit or full payment, and are satisfied that participants meet the requirements of the activity.

Each participant must provide the requested medical and emergency contact information before taking part.

We may decline a booking if we reasonably believe a participant does not have the necessary fitness, experience or ability for the proposed activity.

Participants under 18 may join suitable trips with our prior agreement and appropriate parental or guardian consent.

2. Deposits and payment
The deposit required depends on the trip and will be confirmed in your quotation or booking information. For many private guiding bookings, this is 50% of the guiding fee.

Unless otherwise agreed, the remaining balance is payable 45 days before the start of your trip.

Bookings made within 45 days of departure may require payment in full.

Deposits form part of the total trip price and are subject to the cancellation conditions below.

Customers are responsible for any bank transfer charges associated with their payments.

3. Guiding-only and package trips
We offer both guiding-only services and trips that include accommodation or other travel arrangements.

Guiding-only trips
Unless specifically stated otherwise, our guiding-only fees exclude:

Mountain huts and accommodation.
Lift passes.
Transport and transfers.
Equipment hire.
Meals and refreshments.
Applicable guide expenses.
These costs are normally paid directly by clients during the trip. We aim to explain anticipated expenses before departure.

Package trips
For package trips, the price includes the services specifically identified in the trip description or booking confirmation.

Please check the inclusions and exclusions carefully before booking.

Where a booking constitutes a package under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018, the applicable statutory rights and obligations apply.

4. Cancellation by the customer
Please notify us by email as soon as possible if you need to cancel.

Guiding-only bookings
Unless alternative cancellation terms have been agreed in writing, the following charges normally apply:

45 days or more before departure: the deposit may be retained.
44–31 days before departure: up to 50% of the total guiding fee may be retained.
30 days or fewer before departure: up to 100% of the guiding fee may be retained.
Cancellation charges are subject to applicable consumer law and will take account of the circumstances, including costs saved and opportunities to rebook the guiding services.

Package bookings
Customers may cancel a package before departure, subject to an appropriate and justifiable termination fee where permitted by law.

The applicable cancellation charges will be provided before the booking is confirmed.

Where the Package Travel Regulations give a customer the right to cancel without a termination fee, including in qualifying unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances, those rights will apply.

We strongly recommend that all customers arrange suitable cancellation insurance when booking.

5. Cancellation by Vertical Frontiers
Occasionally we may need to cancel a trip because of guide availability, operational difficulties, insufficient participant numbers or circumstances outside our control.

Where possible, we will offer suitable alternative arrangements.

If we cancel a guiding-only booking and cannot provide the agreed services or an acceptable alternative, we will refund the payment attributable to the services not provided, subject to applicable law.

For package bookings, cancellation, refunds and any compensation will be handled in accordance with the Package Travel Regulations.

Where a trip requires a minimum number of participants, this will be stated before booking together with the applicable cancellation deadline.

We recommend booking flexible travel arrangements and appropriate travel insurance.

6. Mountain weather, conditions and alternative objectives
Mountaineering, climbing, off-piste skiing and ski touring take place in unpredictable mountain environments. Specific routes, summits and objectives can never be guaranteed.

Weather, snow conditions, avalanche risk, rockfall, glacier conditions and other hazards may require significant changes to the planned itinerary, sometimes at short notice.

Our guides retain professional discretion to change routes, objectives, destinations or activities where necessary for safety.

For example, if conditions prevent a Mont Blanc ascent, we may offer alternative mountaineering objectives that are suitable for the group’s ability and prevailing conditions.

Where suitable guiding services are provided, a change of objective or an unsuccessful summit attempt does not automatically entitle participants to a refund.

We aim to provide a worthwhile mountain experience, even when the original objective is not possible.

For package bookings, any significant changes or inability to provide contracted travel services will be handled in accordance with the Package Travel Regulations, including applicable rights to alternative arrangements, price reductions or refunds.

7. Changes to itineraries and additional costs
Changes to an itinerary may involve different accommodation, transport, mountain huts or lift passes.

For guiding-only bookings, these expenses are normally the customer’s responsibility unless otherwise agreed.

For package bookings, the allocation of additional costs will depend on the services included in the contract and the customer’s statutory rights.

We will explain anticipated additional expenses wherever reasonably possible and seek agreement before arranging optional additional services.

If a participant chooses to leave a trip early, they will normally be responsible for additional personal costs arising from that decision, subject to applicable law.

8. Insurance
All participants must arrange appropriate insurance for their trip.

Depending on the activity, this should include:

Emergency medical treatment and repatriation.
Mountain rescue, including helicopter evacuation.
Alpine climbing and mountaineering.
Off-piste skiing or ski touring.
Personal cancellation and trip interruption.
Please check that your policy covers your specific activities, destination and altitude.

We may ask for evidence of appropriate rescue and medical insurance before departure.

We may refuse participation where a customer cannot demonstrate adequate essential cover. Any cancellation consequences remain subject to applicable law.

9. Medical information and fitness
Participants must inform us of medical conditions, injuries or other relevant circumstances that could affect their participation or safety.

This information must be accurate and kept up to date.

Medical information will be handled confidentially and shared only where appropriate for safety, emergency treatment or other lawful purposes.

Participants should arrive with the fitness, experience and equipment appropriate to their chosen activity.

If a participant’s fitness, ability, health or conduct presents an unacceptable safety risk, their guide may modify or discontinue their participation.

10. Mountain risks and responsibilities
Mountaineering, climbing, skiing and related activities involve inherent risks, including serious injury and death.

Although our guides take reasonable professional precautions, these risks cannot be entirely eliminated.

Participants must follow the reasonable safety instructions of their guide and act responsibly towards other members of the group.

Nothing in these conditions excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or any other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded.

11. Equipment
Participants are responsible for bringing suitable equipment as described in their joining instructions.

Equipment hired or borrowed from Vertical Frontiers must be used correctly and treated with reasonable care.

We may charge reasonable repair or replacement costs for equipment lost or damaged through misuse or failure to take reasonable care, excluding normal wear and tear.

12. Photography
We occasionally take photographs during our trips.

With appropriate consent where required, photographs may be used on our website, social media or other promotional material.

Please let us know if you do not wish to appear in promotional photographs.

13. Package travel and financial protection
Certain trips offered by Vertical Frontiers Ltd may fall within the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018.

Where these regulations apply, customers retain their statutory rights concerning package information, performance, changes, cancellations and refunds.

Details of the applicable insolvency protection arrangements will be provided as part of the required pre-contract information for any qualifying package booking.

Nothing in these terms limits or excludes statutory consumer rights.

14. Complaints and assistance
If you have a concern during your trip, please inform your guide or contact Vertical Frontiers as soon as reasonably possible so that we have an opportunity to resolve it.

For package bookings, we will provide assistance to travellers in difficulty as required by the Package Travel Regulations.

Any complaint following a trip should be sent to email@verticalfrontiers.com.

15. Governing law
These booking terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales, subject to any mandatory consumer protections or jurisdictional rights applicable to the customer.

Nothing in these conditions affects rights that cannot lawfully be excluded or restricted.