CLIENT PARTICIPATION STATEMENT

Below is the MONT BLANC TRIPS PARTICIPATION STATEMENT which applies to all TOURS and day trips or educational walk & talks.  

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​In advance of booking I, the participating client, agree to the participation statement below.   I am aware of all the risks mentioned below, including UV rays danger which is especially strong in the mountains, against which I, the participating client, will try to protect myself as this is solely a client managed responsibility an the company is not responsible nor is the trekking leader known as an International Mountain Leader. 

 

Looking around at natural hazards in the mountains can save your life, or help someone else.  Running out of the way is a good action plan when a mountain hazard presents itself such as a falling rock or a landslide.  Moving slowly or not proceeding is also a good action plan in some instances and each participating client makes their own decision to manage the day to day risk int he mountain as they risk assess for themselves each step for which they accept full legal responsibility. if participating on a walking tour or a walking day trip or outing with Mont Blanc Trips.

 

Naturally, a reaction and decision making is personal to your ability and speed of reaction and dependent on circumstances in the mountains and it always depends on a situation.  Sharing thoughts and communication can save a life.  Risk taking is a personal choice a participating clients accepts full personal responsibility for the situation they find them self in.  A client agrees it is always a good idea to move out of the way and to call out to others if you see a rock fall coming, or a landslide nearby, or other natural hazard unfolding in front of your eyes.  Conscious decision making processes in the mountain are essential to avoid all accidents and calling out to warn others is normal for all participating clients. 

 

It is a personal responsibility when on a tour with Mont Blanc Trips to protect yourself and everyone around as best you can.  The Trek leader assumes their role and responsibility but each participating client might notice something that can help others out so please share the data and inform others.

 

Do alert the group to anything you see that concerns you and shout loudly to everyone if serious.  The objective for all participants is to stay safe and move out of the way as if to avoid imminent danger, such as to dodge a rock fall or avalanche, and generally to avoid danger to human life.   It is a personal responsibility to stay on the foot path at all times to avoid death. 

 

If a cow is coming towards you the cow will assume it has right of way so it is best to keep this in mind if you encounter a cow on your walk.. You will need to plan how to avoid it.   Please be aware you will need to move first and let the cow have the path or reach the fresh grass it is heading to.  An alpine cow usually wants only one thing...fresh green grass or to be milked at a farm somewhere. 

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When things go wrong sometimes it is often human error but sometimes not, the Client accepts this is not negligence on the part of the Company nor the International Mountain Leader, neither can be held responsible for someone who falls off a mountain by accident, or if they are hit by falling rock debris, or if they slide of the mountains by accident, if they fall through a snow bridge into a river or ravine where the snow has started to go soft and is melting in Spring, or if walking without crampons or walking poles the are unable to maintain balance and fall off a mountain side.  This is the risk taken and chosen by all Participating Clients and they must judge for themselves every step they take in the mountains.

 

Please note, it is normal and an obligation in France, to give way to people walking up hill, therefore, if you are descending, please step to the side into a safe area, to allow a group of trekkers to pass on their way up. If they are walking up the hill you give way to them and wait.  To avoid problems with French police please always plan to avoid folk coming up hill.  Avoid a collision on a foot path in advance by choosing where you will stop to let the uphill people come by, keep yourself safe and others too.

 

Participating clients  agree to the company ethos of carrying their own rucksack containing all gear unless on the LUXURY  trip on the Tour Mont Blanc when there is some  luggage shuttle business provided for certain section.  Otherwise luggage assistance is not provided.   A client will ordinarily need a 60L rucksack.   A 40L rucksack is only for a LUXURY TOUR trip on a day when day essentials are needed.  

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I accept this is the ethos of Mont Blanc Trips who believe autonomy in the mountains is the primary way to be safe as the mountains decide when you need protecting not anyone else and a threat is normally weather related or geophysical related.

 

A large 60L rucksack containing lifesaving gear is the norm on all walks.  The minimum requirement for essentials must be carried by participating clients and includes wind & waterproofs clothing, sun protection, hydration (2 - 3L of water), nourishment for comfort and survival, insurance documents, health cards, passports, bank card & Swiss cash and European currency (Swiss Francs-CHF  & Euros) and a personal first aid kit including plasters, personal medication such as inhalers, epi pens, nose bleed coagulants, pain killers, bandages, soap, sunglasses and sun cream.

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Participating in a trip in the mountains means accepting many things in advance of booking so please read on. 

 

Even though the Mont Blanc is a natural beauty it is dangerous and countless accidents happen every year, so insurance cover is essential.  Mountains erode and bits fall off , so please prepare  buy and bring your own helmet, you are allowed to wear it.  It is not an obligation nor obligatory,  It is a personal choice and the company has no responsibility for any participating Client that chooses to not wear a helmet and is then injured from a falling rock, a cliff or from a fall. 

 

In mountains, the unexpected, unanticipated and the unpreventable happen all the time so  getting insurance cover is obligatory if you want to join in. 

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To point out the obvious, the mountains are not covered in a concrete protector and they fall apart all the time.  Enormous rocks will possibly fall across the foot paths in Spring when the snow has melted and in the summer too.   There is nothing to stop them breaking off, no human can stop them when falling in front of you, they do fall down, and you can die in the mountains if a rock falls.  There is nothing the Company Mont Blanc Trips can do to prevent the mountains falling down on top of you.  Sorry in advance.   

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Rock falls are predictable and expected  especially after rain fall.  It is known that at some point what goes up must come down, and this is visible when on a  walking tour.  If you live in a city this may surprise you at first, do not stand still in shock you must move out of the way immediately when you hear rocks falling. 

 

A participating client understands in the mountains there are known accepted risks for all these Mont Blanc Trips, such geophysical risks like a glacier collapsing or rock falling, a glacier leaking, a glacier breaking off, a boulder tumbling down, a cornice breaking, a scree slide, a  pathway tumbling down if no longer supported by terrain underneath on a  mountain is a normal every day occurrence in the mountains. 

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This is the basis of participation for all Clients booking with Mont Blanc Trips.  The Client Participation Statement and  the Terms & Conditions are a legal responsibility for each participating client because no company can mitigate the risks in a mountain such as avalanches, glaciers breaking apart, mountains falling down, rock falls and landslides.

 

All Participating Client accepts that no liability rests with Mont Blanc Trips, for any such events, it is a personal Client choice to be a participating risk and to accept all risk in advance of participating and before going on an adventure into the mountains.  A Client booking with Mont Blanc Trips does so on this premise and negates the Company of any wrong doing of this kind and the individual Trek Leader is also free of any legal liability for any such events if you are a Participating Client with Mont Blanc Trips and the Trek Leader Claire Williams.

 

For the sake of clarity the foot paths taken on the Tour Mont Blanc and other mountain trips go up, down and around the mountains into areas of risk and therefore a Client chooses to risk their life in the mountains on all Mont Blanc Trips, you can die because  there is great danger on all Mont Blanc Trips.  This is your personal choice and you need insurance cover as it is not provided by Mont Blanc Trips.

 

The authorities in each country try to manage the risks of the environment but this is not a guarantee of your safety.  This is only your personal responsibility as a participating Client.

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Many risks cannot be controlled by mankind or are too expensive to mitigate by governments.  The mountains are very dangerous.

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The Company expresses their sincerest condolences in advance of any such unfortunate circumstances like accidents or death that happen in the mountains for which they cannot be held responsible, naturally Mont Blanc Trips express their heart felt sympathies to anyone impacted by unfortunate events in the mountains, the ending of human life due to a glacier collapse, earth quake, landslide, rock fall, cliff fall, cornice fall or other accident is a tragedy.  Accidents do happen in the mountains and are not the fault of any Mountain Leader doing their job as a trekking leader.

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I repeat that Rock climbing helmets are not supplied.  A Client is welcome to wear one if wished.  Foot paths are under areas where rock fall is present and very common and paths go across landslide terrain which a Client accepts in advance is a known risk prior to booking.  All clients have the right to wear a rock-climbing helmet on their hiking trip if they wish to.  No equipment is supplied on Mont Blanc Trips for personal protection, this is entirely a Client responsibility.  Clients must equip themselves for their own comfort, wellbeing and safety.

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Clients are encouraged not to wear bikinis on walks in the summer as UV damage can lead to severe burns.  Clients are encouraged to wear hiking clothing in light colours to protect them from sunshine and to cover from head to toe to avoid damage to their body from high altitude intense UV rays which beam out from the sun.

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At high altitude UV rays will damage a body very quickly, especially the human eyes,  resulting in loss of sight if you burn your eye balls.  Remember Category 4 eye wear is essential to ensure  a successful trip at altitude.​  A client accepts UV human damage is increased in the mountains due to the proximity to the sun, and reflection off the snow.  It is a Client choice to participate in trekking in the sun.

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The Company, and the International Mountain Leader​, known as a walking leader, trek leader, is not medically qualified and you accept they cannot provide professional medical opinions nor professional medical assistance and you must have emergency medical insurance as they are not doctors and are not able to save your life if it is in danger, if you are dying, you might need a helicopter evacuation which is expensive. A Trek Leader will not go with you, you must make you own arrangements as you will be left alone.  All under 18s must be accompanied by responsible adults who can manage such a situation themselves.

 

All participating clients agree to not hold the Company or International Mountain Leader responsible for such an inconvenience or cost resulting from a slip, trip fall or other accident, or an eventuality such as death from any even on the trip.   A Client is advised to get insurance cover for all eventualities for their trip and talk to talk to insurance experts about their insurance needs.

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The aim of the Company is to lead you on a walk in the mountains in their natural state.   All clients accepting these risk are welcome on a Mont Blanc Trip. 

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Looking forward to walking with you soon!