Booking Terms and Conditions

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The Booking Terms & Conditions (T&Cs) should be read in conjunction with the Participation Statement, Product Descriptions online, Client Cover - Insurance Requirement, Walking Category Definitions, Complaints Resolution Procedure, and First Aid Consent.

 

The Booking Terms & Conditions explain how the Company and Clients are legally bound to one another at booking, after booking, and they clarify the legal arrangements for third party providers such as accommodation providers and transport service providers.  MontBlancTrips is not a tour operator and does not make flight bookings.  It provides the services of an International Mountain Leader.  In addition, it may assist clients by buying tickets in advance of a trip for convenience purposes when a lift, train, tramway, bus, taxi is involved in a trip.  Accommodation reservations are made on behalf of all clients.  

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The Booking Terms & Conditions and Product Descriptions explain a Product to a client to assist them to carefully select a product in advance of booking.  Together they clarify the starting points for walks, durations, destination(s),  the accommodation and sleeping arrangements, what the deal is for breakfast, lunch and dinner, they specify the desired activity level of a MontBlancTrip by stating a preselected walking category which specifies a distance, height gain, range of altitude, maximum gradient, and aims to protect the client from a possible lack of knowledge about a hike or a mountain.

 

The Booking Terms & Conditions and Product Descriptions aim to explain and clarify the level of difficulty and challenge involved, albeit it some people find some activities more challenging than others, to assist a client to make a personal choice for their walking objective in relation to personal health, fitness levels especially if they have no walking experience out of a town or a lowland environment, and provide some understanding about the characteristics of and points of interest on a trip including whether there are any nights sleeping in the wilds of a mountain rather than in a mountain refuge or a 4 star hotel. 

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The Booking Terms and Conditions set out the responsibilities for the Client, and for the Company including the  International Mountain Leader (known as the walk leader who is the responsible leader during the MontBlancTrip) and through the Client journey via the online booking platform provided by WIX.com.  The client journey includes browsing online, reading about a product or service, using product information, product selection, financial transaction, a text or Watts confirmation process after booking,  clarification of a possible full refund if a trip is not confirmed via text for any reason such as if it is commercially unviable, the preparation for a trip, the trip itself, after a trip, and data confidentiality that applies through the client journey and includes the Privacy Notice.  

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In order to assist a Clients' understanding of a product, it is put in a walking category to allow the Client to select a product from a menu of 4 options to match a Clients aspirations and allow a Client to take ownership of their decision to make a product selection, thereafter, the Client confirms this decision making responsibility, and agrees via the Booking T&Cs with as full an understanding as is possible for someone that has not done the walk itself before, or has not visited the area before, prior to making the financial transaction itself.  

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The Walking Categories are listed on the Walking Category page (and as a sub section under T&Cs) and they are a starting point for understanding the easiness or difficulty of a trip before reading the product summaries and description.  They allow a Client to swiftly  benchmark one product against another according to a simple table of factors that distinguish each walking category for a Client.  A product is categorised under a heading of either "very easy", "easy" "medium" or difficult" to assist a client to plan, make an informed decision about the easiness or difficulty level, and choose the level of challenge or lack of challenge they want to undertake before looking at the options.   

 

If you are interested in hiking around the Mont Blanc then MontBlancTrips can be an option for you.  The Company does not do summit attempts or guided trips for the Mont Blanc summit but instead offers circular touring routes on foot paths that go around the mountains,  it does lower level hiking and trekking trips around the Mont Blanc Massif in France, Spain and Italy, it does cultural tours and Chamonix Valley outings.   None of these are technically equipped expeditions that cross glaciers or crevasses, or involve rock climbing routes but it should be noted that there are some sections of rocks that need crossing on some trips in the mountains.   If a client is looking for a very, very difficult walk then they will not find a  product with MontBlancTrips as the Company does not operate above 8000 meters above sea level (known as the death zone).   

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The Product or Service, as described within these Terms & Conditions, should also be considered in relation to any Limitations of a Product or Service, which are described below for client information purposes.  Understanding what is excluded is equally as important as what is included to understand what you are paying for.  

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The Booking Terms and Conditions aim to protect the Company and International Mountain Leader from possible legal threats, or legal action, in the event that anything unfortunate happens, especially if changes are made from what was planned, what was described in a product description, what was defined in a walking category in advance, in case for any reason adhoc changes are needed during a trip or after booking because the Company sometimes needs to make  changes in order to operate safely and therefore commercially.
 

The Company confers on every Client a legal obligation to read the Booking Terms and Conditions prior to booking, to carefully read about and select a product with MontBlancTrips to be able to understand what they are buying prior to going up into the mountains.  Clients have a personal and legal responsibility to read and accept the Booking Terms and Conditions prior to making a Booking.  

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PARTICIPATION STATEMENT:  

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​In advance of booking I agree to the participation statement.  I agree to the company ethos of carrying my own rucksack, the Maximus TMB product is the only product where luggage assistance is provided for which a Client must still carry a 40L day pack otherwise 60 - 80L is the normal size.   I accept this is the ethos of Mont Blanc Trips who believe autonomy in the mountains is the primary way to be safe.  This is why large a 60-80 L rucksacks containing lifesaving gear is the norm on all DIFFICULT & MEDIUM trips and MULTI DAY HIKES, and why on EASY & VERY EASY DAY TRIPS a personal day pack rucksack of 40L is the minimum requirement for wind & waterproofs, sun protection (eyes, face, neck, ears, lips, arms, shoulders, legs), hydration (3L of water), nourishment for human comfort and survival, insurance docs and health card, passport and bank card & cash (Swiss Fr & Euros). 

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Insurance cover is essential - for the unexpected, unanticipated or unpreventable.  If a major geophysical known risk like a mountain falling down, or a boulder or a cornice landing on your head crystalises, as can easily happen, it is predictable, expected, anticipated and known, these are some of the accepted risk if going into the mountains, and participating on a Mont Blanc Trip in the mountains, because it is common knowledge that mountains do erode and fall down whilst at the same time they are pushed up by the Earth itself so participating in a trip means accepting all this in advance.  This is the basic understanding and basis of participation for all Clients booking with Mont Blanc Trips.  Which is why it is stated in the participation statement within the Terms & Conditions and no liability rests with Mont Blanc Trips for such events.

 

Even if some risks are mitigated to some extent by authorities there remain inherent risks that are unmitigated and cannot be controlled by mankind generally, especially not by a trek leader, walking group leader, International Mountain Leader without removing the mountain itself or wrapping it up in cotton wool or bubble wrap, which would generally defeats the purpose and the aim of the company which is to accompany you and lead you on a walk in the mountains in their natural state with all risks included free of charge.

 

All participants accept the natural state of a mountain environment including erosion and sometimes mountains do fall down which means a rock can land on your head at any moment if under cliff.  Or you may put your foot in the wrong place and fall of a mountain for which only you are responsible and accept this in advance of booking and participating.

 

Rock climbing helmets are not supplied  although you are welcome to wear one if you wish as some foot paths are under areas where rock fall is present and very common.  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.  Clients must equip themselves for their own comfort, well being and safety.
 

Clients are encouraged not to wear bikinis on walks in the summer but to wear hiking clothing in light colours that covers them from head to toe to avoid burning their body from intense UV rays from the sun which at high altitude can damage your body very quickly, especially the human eye,  resulting in you being blind if you burn your eye balls.  The highest protection eye wear is ESSENTIAL so buy Category 4 eyewear, ideal at altitude.​  A client accepts UV human damage is the increased in the mountains due to the proximity to the sun and reflection from the snow.

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The Company, the International Mountain Leader​, known as a walking leader, trek leader, is limited in their ability to assist you as they are not medically qualified professionals and you accept that they cannot provide professional medical opinions nor professional medical assistance nor be able to save your life if it is in danger or if you are dying, and you, nor anyone you know  or who is responsible for you, do not hold the Company responsible for such an inconvenience or an eventuality such as death.  The Company expresses their sincerest condolences in advance of any such unfortunate circumstances for which they cannot be held responsible for and naturally express their heart felt sympathies for anyone impacted by such an unfortunate situation or ending to life.  Accidents do happen in the mountains.

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The aim is to lead you on a walk in the mountains in their natural state which requires a Client to be informed about natural hazards and geophysical risks and accept the unmitigable risks of a trip to the mountains such as a rock falling on your head, the mountain falling down, a cornice falling down on you, or stepping off a cliff if you misplace a foot or step. 

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To participate in a MontBlancTrip is to accept the inherent nature of the mountain environment where the mountains fall down at the same time as being pushed up from the centre of the Earth and to accept this danger in advance.

 

All clients that are at ease of accepting this are welcome on a Mont Blanc Trip.

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Product / Service  Description and Booking Confirmation Text or Watts App message

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Each product is described online and subject to availability of the International Mountain Leader who reserves their right to withdraw their services if wished and can cancel if needed and is under no obligation to deliver at the point of booking by a client until the Company confirms the Client place on the MontBlancTrip via text or Watts App, ordinarily within 48 hours.  Until then the contract between the client and the Company is not binging on the part of the Company.  In part this is  weather related and to ensure that a product is manageable from a snow perspective because there may be insufficient snow for a product or for another product there may be too much snow on the ground or the wrong type of snow (i.e. too humid with too great a risk of slab avalanche).  It is possible that there is a later than usual snow fall in the mountains too and for a path to still be covered in 3 or 4 meters of snow bringing the feasibility of a walk into question for that week of the year. 

 

The product description includes attractions and points of interests, a meeting point, start time, duration, date, and slots into a difficulty bucket known as a Walking Category (see below).  Entry costs to an attraction or point of interest are included.  Accommodation cost is included.  If a museum or establishment such as a hotel or mountain hut closes its doors for any reason, temporary or full closure, this can result in a change of plan being made to the Mont Blanc Trips itinerary / schedule.  For this reason, MontBlancTrips cannot guarantee the details of trips will be exactly as described and reserves the right to change any or all aspects of the trip if justified for a good reason.  This can include being in the interest of personal safety or group safety, health and safety, if local authorities have closed a tunnel, road, foot path, train line or ski lift for any reason like maintenance, a landslide, if weather changes to be extreme weather, if needed to for any reason currently unknown but considered a serious and significant concern at the time of the decision making.  A similar activity or attraction will be selected by the Company to offer a suitable alternative on the day.  The Company will find something to do that will be as closely consistent as is possible with the theme of the original product purchased.  It (the replacement hotel or museum) will be of an equal or  similar quality, calibre, and attraction and will be changed without the required agreement of any clients that have already booked and without any further repercussions or financial impact to the Company of any kind afterwards, not least reputational damage or bad press.  The Company reserves the right to adapt  a product if they believe something else is now more appropriate as a client offering if the Company considers it is a good idea to do so.  For example, there may be a difference in ownership of a restaurant or hotel that makes a place no longer good enough to visit, or a museum changes completely and is no longer a good choice, or an attraction may be closed for renovation, or due to snow fall a place may be temporarily closed or inaccessible, or unexpectedly closed due to lack of staff which the Company cannot change or do anything about.  This will not result in any refund or rescheduling by the Company and the client accepts on booking that changes might need to happen or be made.  

This would be unfortunate for a Client but is not the  fault of the Company and the Client and  Company are forced to accept changes to the planned itinerary.  An equally entertaining solution will always be selected for the group of Clients wherever possible.  Sorry in advance for any changes that may need to unexpectedly be made for any unknown reasons that the Company cannot change or do anything about.  No refund, cancellation or rescheduling is offered in this hypothetical situation.

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Client Decision Making

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There are no restrictions on age, or health on a MontBlancTrip, but a person is responsible for the Walking Category selection, and their own decision making applies to choosing a walk which is entirely their responsibility.

A client considers whether a walk is the right level of challenge for them according to the Walking Categories, their own personal experience and state of health, as known to them, and possibly their doctor, at the time of booking as this can be a factor in their decision making, this information would be unknown to the Company, and the International Mountain Leader an this is why it is a personal choice and personal decision making.

A client is welcome on a  walk if the client accepts a' personal responsibility to carefully choose a product and make an informed decision about the walking category.

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For example, if you are pregnant, you may, or may not, wish to refrain from an activity you believe to be inconsistent with your state of health if you know you are expecting to give birth, this is entirely your personal choice, and not the legal responsibility of the Company, nor International Mountain Leader. 

For example, if you have had a heart attack, you may, or may not, wish to refrain from an activity you believe to be inconsistent with your state of health if you know you are expecting to die of a heart attack, this is entirely your personal choice, and not the legal responsibility of the Company, nor the International Mountain Leader.

For example, if you are on medication, or have a current injury, then you need to consider if a particular walk or Walking Category is a correct choice for you and realistic,  or not, as the case might be given the information you have, as it can aggravate a pre-existing medical condition and make it worse.

​It is the responsibility of the client to read the walking category definition, and choose a level of challenge that they believe is achievable and realistic for them according to their state of health.   

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Prior to booking the client is responsible for informing themselves and educating themselves using the information available on the website about their trip,  in particular the client is responsible for using the Walking Categories to be able to make an informed choice about the walk they think they want to do and the level of challenge they may find within the walk.  If the client selects a product or service then this is their choice, the Company cannot be held responsible for their decision making.  This is the aim of the Walking Category information, which describes a number of factors for each Category,  it must  be clear to the client prior to booking that they must make an informed choice for themselves and they are the decision maker choosing a "very easy", "easy", "medium" or "difficult walk", the Company cannot be held responsible for their choice, and this is one of the objectives of the Booking Terms and Conditions.  This is with the aim of ensuring an enjoyable trip for all clients,  preventing injury and or death,  ensuring clients have sufficient challenge but not too much challenge according to their own needs, and are walking with appropriately similar people in a walking group for the pleasure of everyone on the walk.

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After booking a client is invited to share information about any pre-existing medical conditions, injuries, illnesses, medication being taken with the Company if they wish to without passing any of their own personal responsibility for decision making to the Company, to the International Mountain Leader, or to another person as this remains a personal responsibility .  Health, Medication, pre-existing conditions information, current injuries or illnesses  information provided is shared with the intention of sharing for awareness purposes only, it can be a persons wish to do this but does not impart a legal responsibility on to the Company, the International Mountain leader or another person, nor away from the Client for their own decision making to do something. 

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Refund & Cancellation -  Failure to confirm a booking via text or Watts App

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A Client if entitled to a full Refund when a product is booked online but cannot be confirmed to a participant as running (via text or Watts App) so the Client is entitled to a full refund by the Company, this can be for a number of reasons such as i) insufficient uptake of a product to make it commercially viable,  ii) due to illness or the unlikely case of an International Mountain Leader being unavailable to run the product,  iii) due to another significant reason that is as yet unknown but could include force majeure, or an extremely serious and unexpected event, that warrants a refund at the sole discretion of the Company based on specific circumstances at the time.  

 

If the Company communicates that a product is not commercially viable for the Company, there is the option to i) have a full refund or ii) to swap to another trip(s) that is already confirmed and scheduled, if so a complementary 20% discount applies to swap the product to another day trip or hike, as it was not the clients first choice, and is clearly is not the Client at fault or responsible.  

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Each cancellation or refund request will be considered on a case-by-case basis.  Sorry in advance to any clients finding their own personal plans have changed but the Company operates a No Refunds and No Cancellations Policy for commercial reasons other than for the reason outlined above.  Sometimes a product refund is explainable and justified and the Company may chose to oblige a request accordingly if reasons exists for such a refund at their discretion but otherwise the Company operates a No Refunds & Cancellation Policy for purposefully short sighted cashflow and commercial reasons.

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Please note there is no obligation on the Company if booking with MontBlancTrips  to refund or reschedule a booking if a Client changes their mind. Assisting clients to reschedule is a goodwill gesture based on best endeavours and if they are so inclined at the time, this is in part to consideration in high season of other trips and accommodation which may be fully booked, especially in relation to the mountain refuges or mountain huts.  Alpine Refuges have a limited capacity which are often fully booked in high season.  

 

A cancellation or a rescheduling request can inconvenience other clients too, and the Company is unlikely  to facilitate a cancellation or refund in high season  and this cannot be accommodated enroute, it maybe sometime before the Company even responds to a client on a request of this kind, and may have to wait until low season.

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If cancellation or rescheduling costs are incurred  on the part of the Company, these would become a cost for the Client, any subsequent return of monies would be minus costs incurred and a fee would be applied  as decided by the company at the time based on the time involved to deal with the request.

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Never say never but a  refund or cancellation should not unnecessarily inconvenience the company just because a client changes their mind and so it may not happen and a client may be disappointed.

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If sad or tragic reasons prompt and require a change to a booking this will be considered at the time by the Company and although such a sad and unfortunate request is understandable that does not change the perspective of the Company as described herein as having a No Refunds and Cancellation Policy for cash flow and commercial reasons however uncompassionate that sounds this is not the intention. 

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Transfer of a Booking to another day or person

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 If a booking is to be transferred to a different day, or to another person this is at the good will and only at the convenience of the Company.   

 

A transfer of a booking to another day or another person is not guaranteed.  A client may find their request declined if it is too inconvenient especially in high season when the Company is trying to organise things for clients, and make money not return it, or swap places.   Having said that it may be possible for another person to take the place of someone already booked on a trip,  and if it can be arranged then this may be facilitated by the Company at their discretion.   For example,  it may be possible to swap with someone else later in the year, on the same or a different trip such as a snow shoe trip.  Such a swap if at all possible is not a guarantee to swap but may be a possibility.  It would be a good will gesture, no transfers or rescheduling is guaranteed.   No money will be returned in the case of a transfer arrangement or swapping arrangement for purposefully short sighted cash flow and commercial reasons.  

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On the other hand, if spaces are available then alternative slots or options may be possible, but are not guaranteed, and as rescheduling and reorganisation is sometimes time consuming or difficult it would only be a goodwill gesture if not too inconvenient for the Company and at no cost to the Company.  For this reason, the Policy clearly specifies no rescheduling and no cancellations.  If spaces are available, then transferring a booking may be a possibility but the Company retains the right to avoid a financial penalty or financial impact from a  cancellation or rescheduling request. 

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Trips cut unexpectedly short

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During the trip itself no refund or rescheduling of a product is given to a client requiring to descend the mountain earlier than expected for any reason that is, or is not,  their fault, including injury, altitude sickness, hygiene, any personal reason or health reason, if a rucksack or passport is lost or stolen, sore feet or poor fitting shoes or boots, if an accident happens, death of family member or another person, if an unexpected event happens or a geophysical event such as a landslide, earthquake or flood happens, even if it means a change of route and descending the mountain earlier than hoped. 

 

A client finishing a trip early that decides to descend the mountain early does so at their own accord and at their own risk, they are not entitled to a refund and will not be accompanied as the International Mountain Leader must stay with the Group of Clients in the mountain so the client may be required to contact somebody they know to come and meet them  or pick them up in a car from somewhere. at the bottom of a mountain.  The Company is not under a legal obligation to accompany them down a mountain or to get them home or to change a schedule for a Group for them, nor to reorganise anything at the last minute nor to solve problems for someone in the group, naturally the health, safety and well being of the Client and the Group are important but so is  the delivery of the product and service booked by all other Clients.  Group safety remains the priority for Company and International Mountain Leader and so every effort is made to look after the group and find a solution and rearrange group plans with safety in mind but sometimes a Client will incur extra costs and no money will be returned to a Client if descending early from their trip under unfortunate circumstances for which the Company is not responsible, and the Company cannot be expected to pay for extra costs incurred due to unexpected events or changes. 

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Emergency Situations,  Personal Accidents and Force Majeure Changes

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The costs of everyone and everything in an emergency situation can become quickly accumulate.   Firstly, be happy your Insurance cover your for all eventualities.  Refer to Insurance for further details but remember personal accident cover and travel insurance are required for MontBlancTrips. 

In the event of an emergency or a force majeure event which means there are changes to an itinerary a Client will have to settle additional and unexpected costs themselves then use their insurance policy to recoup their costs, it is the Client responsibility to reclaim from their insurance company afterwards. 

The Company will try to find useful and helpful solutions wherever possible in an emergency situation but ordinarily you will need to contact your Insurance Company Emergency Contact Number and Claims Department first otherwise you may not be able to reclaim your costs and often they insist on using their own service providers. 

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Rescheduling of an itinerary for force majeure reasons for which the Company cannot be held responsible is a best endeavour and the well being of the group and the health and safety and comfort of the group will remain the top priority for the Company but a Client must be realistic in considering the impact on the success and viability of a trip if force majeure reasons prevail and agrees to accept that a less comfortable or less safe accommodation option may need to be considered as part of an exit strategy if an on the ground situation needs managing like a large rock fall, a landslide, an earthquake or a flood, and it will be the case that they will need to pay for this themselves and reclaim from an insurance company.

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The Company may be able to assist with resolving a situation in an emergency (like calling a helicopter company with 5 spaces in a helicopter as long as no children under 5 years old are present) but the Client negates the Company of all legal responsibility or increased cost for such emergency changes to an itinerary, not least because they do not offer transport facilities, and a Client would settle directly with the 3rd party transport service provider for the seat they use if they decide they wish to join in a coordinated transport arrangement with the Clients in the Group at their own free will, and not as part of a service offered by MontBlancTrips. 

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The same applies for  emergency accommodation arrangements under emergency situations too but having already booked accommodation all efforts are made to reach the destination on foot as intended and sleep in the place intended if at all possible to avoid the Client incurring extra costs.

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Extra Costs - A plausible yet Imaginary scenario for a Client to illustrate the potential for increased costs to a Client

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For example,  whilst walking along the Tour Mont Blanc in Switzerland a landslide blocks the road or route in Switzerland forcing a group to back track into France instead of heading into Italy on the Tour Mont Blanc trail, which prevents the onward journey of a group from reaching their next night of accommodation in Italy, in this situation the Company is under no obligation to continue a trip if the way is blocked, but it is not impossible that a helicopter can be used to transport people at their own cost if the Group decides that they wish to continue into Italy so after being picked up by a helicopter provided by a 3rd party helicopter company at the Clients own costs the trip would continue as usual.  The helicopter could be contacted at the time to see if available.  The cost could be an option for the Clients to share in the Group but the Company does not have to pay for this as this is not the fault of the Company, in this way a trip will continue if it is not possible to walk around the landslide.  Or a trip will end with no refund to the Client and the cost can be possibly  reclaimed for the Clients insurance provider.  But nobody wants a trip to end early, and it is highly likely a walk around the impacted land would be sought so the trip could continue, or possibly a train or bus could be used in Switzerland and France to reroute a group of walkers to the desired location and  hotel in Italy.  It depends on the scenario at the time.  The cost of rerouting on foot, taxi, train, bus via Switzerland may be more expensive than a helicopter journey over a mountain to Italy so this option might make the most sense to reach a hotel, and it might be something the Clients wish to do, or might not.  Going home early is not the preferred option for the Company as doing everything possibly to ensure a successful trip is the aim.  It is not impossible that a small number of  train ticket or bus costs may or may not be absorbed by the Company at their own discretion depending on the value but there is no obligation to do so, and it is certainly not possible for the Company to pay for a helicopter ride over the landslide or affected area alone as they do not own a helicopter and the costs can be higher for more than 5 people and several helicopter rides would be needed but it is a possibility for clients to engage directly with a helicopter company if they wish to.  The Company will contact a helicopter service provider if the Clients wish and the Client engage directly with the transport provider if they wish to pay for this themselves, in order to continue on what was otherwise a successful walking holiday to get back on track as soon as possible.   If there are no helicopters available and a taxi or train ticket or bus ticket might be an option.   Remember that to reach Italy a taxi company needs to drive under the Mont Blanc in a car in France ( near Chamonix), so the extra costs will be for with Client alone, the cost is about 60 Euros each way for a car in the tunnel alone and the Swiss taxi can be hundreds of CHF, so the final cost will possibly be more than a helicopter, so sometimes a helicopter can make good sense.  The Mont Blanc Tunnel is not always open.  If the Mont Blanc Tunnel (for cars) is closed then a Client may be required to walk back on foot or use Swiss trains and Swiss buses.  The costs will not be absorbed by the Company.   If such a situation arises due to force majeure, as these are unexpected costs, but the preferred solution will be to continue with the walk and if a helicopter is the Group preferred option then this will be considered and possibly selected if the Clients wish to pay for this themselves.   The Company will make a plan of action with the Clients and try to find the right solution for them and their budgets.  The costs will not be settled by the Company.  Ideas will possibly differ among the Clients in the Group in which case a trip may need to be cancelled but this is not the aim, the aim is to find a solution and continue if possible and if safe to do so.  A Client will have to consider paying a contribution for a helicopter, or the full price for a train ride  ticket, or a bus ticket, part of a taxi fare, part of a Mont Blanc Tunnel ticket to get from one location to another.  Accommodation will have to be rearranged and the Company cannot and will not pay the costs for all people and all eventualities upfront, sorry,  the costs of what can go wrong on a trip in an emergency situation can spiral out of control and the fall out costs of things not going to plan for all clients need to be factored into Client financial planning.  Having said that, the Company does not want to leave anyone stranded anywhere and will assist Clients wherever possible to resolve a situation for them if they can, but if they are somewhere in the mountains where no accommodation or transport is available then a bivvi bag maybe the only safe option for the night for the well being of a Client in the mountains so always keep a bivvi bag in the bottom of your rucksack.  The Company cannot be expected to build a hotel overnight if a group is stranded in bad weather somewhere in a mountain and needing to walk for 1 day, or 3 days, or a week to get back to civilisation.  If everything is up the spout there is always hope and action plans can be created but the costs will become a Client cost when off the itinerary due to force majeure reasons or personal accident.

If it is necessary to make a plan of action to manage the safety of the group and to fulfil a duty of care to a Client the costs will need to be covered by a Client in the event of a force majeure situation which is why travel insurance is very useful and an essential requirement if you are coming on a MontBlancTrip.  Si tout est foutu il y a toujour l'espoir et l'action et il faut former un plan d'action afin de soigner des Clients et s'occuper des Clients mais les frais sont sur votre propre comptes avec une situation de force majeure et c'est pour ca que vos assurances de voyage sont utiles et essentielles et une prerequis pour le voyage avec MontBlancTrips.  Do not forget the Mont Blanc Tunnel is gonig to be closed in autumn and winter 2024 for essential maintenance work and therefore if stuck in Italy you may need to consider a plane ticket as a normal extra cost for the Tour Mont Blanc in 2024 which the Company is not covering on your behalf if you need to get back to Chamonix or to Geneva Airport in Switzerland.  I do hope this is clear.  There is an airport in Turin in Italy which provides International flight connections. 

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If the client finds a walk is too difficult, or easy, the company is under no obligation to refund a client or reschedule a booking.  If the client is unable to finish the trip, or thinks it is not what they were expecting or they do not like it, the company is under no obligation to refund a client or reschedule a booking.  No refund or rescheduling of a product is given to a client required to descend the mountain for a reason that is not their fault,  such as dizziness at altitude or other altitude sickness symptoms, or any other personal reason, or health reason, or if a rucksack or passport is stolen, or an accident happens, or unexpected personal event, or a geophysical event such as a landslide, even if it means a change of route, or if descending the mountain earlier than expected or earlier than hoped at the request of the Company or International Mountain Leader.  The Company retains the right to make this request to the Client at no cost to the Company and with no right to refund by the client.

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It may or may not be possible for a Client to swap into an easier product on another day, but this would be a goodwill gesture by the company and no obligation exists on the company to refund the client.  If a client is struggling on a walk that is too difficult for them the International Mountain Leader will try help them successfully finish their day in a safe manner, but if a client is unable to complete a walk or if it is too difficult for them, they may be invited, required and instructed to descend and finish the trip unexpectedly early if they risk endangering themselves or another person.  As sad and unexpected as this may be for the client, the International Mountain Leader reserves the right to limit the activity of the client if in the interests of their safety or the group at large, and not just for one client, it may be in the interest of the client to be instructed to descend due to altitude sickness for example or if showing signs of ill health or heart problems.  So if the International Mountain Leader decides that the trip is too difficult or dangerous for the client and think they are going to die or if they struggling with the ascent or terrain, the individual accepts on booking that the decision making is done by the International Mountain Leader who has a leadership responsibility for the entire group and experience of walking with groups of people at altitude, and in mountainous terrain, and has some knowledge of walking the route.  The client will not be entitled to a refund of any amount having selected the category from a Walking Category in the first place and then discovering it is far more difficult then they expected because the walking categories are defined and clearly specify the level of challenge in each category "very easy", "easy" "medium" or difficult".  Read and test yourself against the category definition before booking please to avoid disappointment. 

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Limitations of the Company

 

This is not an exhaustive list of Limitations but a starting point to help a client consider what they are getting themselves into and to prompt them to consider for themselves if that is really what they are looking for in terms of a product or service, the Limitations do not include every eventuality that may ever happen  and the Company are not physic but try to considered the "what ifs" should things ever not go to plan as the cannot cover the costs of all eventualities for their Clients, that is excluded from the Company business model.  Their Companies that specialise in Crisis Management and Disaster Management that offer services should you wish to engage them separately and always get travel insurance before travelling but MontBlancTrips offer walking trips and tours.

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Transportation - other companies used - Limitations of the Company and the International Mountain Leader

 

The Company does not engage in the provision of transportation services from your home to an in country destination.  The Company is not a Tour Operator.  The Company provides a meeting point where you are required to meet for the start of your MontBlancTrip.  Any transport taken when on a trip is using a different service provider such as an operator of a ski lift, a train, a tourist train, a tramway, a bus in Italy, a bus in Switzerland,  a Swiss Funiculaire, a Swiss taxi company, an Italian taxi company that are a different company not managed by the Company, even though in most instances the ticket purchases are co-ordinated in advance to save time and hassle by the Company for the Client, the relationship with the transport company is entirely between the Client and the 3rd party transport provider and therefore the Client indemnifies the Company and International Mountain Leader of any responsibility therein and agrees to protect them against legal responsibility for their actions and the Client cannot sue the Company against anything related to the provision of service by the transport service provider.  Transportation companies used are listed below but there is no legal contract between the Company and the transport service provider, the Client choose to use these service providers as part of booking with MontBlancTrips if required for their convenience and indemnifies the Company against any legal action thereafter.  The possible use of transportation providers being used on your trips is something you may wish to consider in advance of booking as any incident you have whilst using a 3rd party transportation company is not the responsibility of the Company, even if they are just running late, and you are making a personal choice to use a transportation company on your trip.  MontBlancTrips is not responsible for anything that goes wrong with a 3rd party transport company and you accept this at the point of booking a trip and indemnify and negate the Company and International Mountain Leader of any legal or practical responsibility for service provision of service in relation to their services provided.  For example, a train delay, a closed ski lift, a late bus, a broken down bus, a ski lift that is broken, a tram that does not work properly, a taxi that runs out of petrol , a ski lift accident, are all things that can go wrong which are not the responsibility of the Company, and the Company cannot be held responsible for anything that goes wrong with a 3rd party transport company that a Client is choosing to use on a trip.  You accept that the Company cannot be held responsible for any accidents on a transportation system as part of the Booking Terms & Conditions and accept all personal and legal responsibility for using the transportation services, any accidents would be your own responsibility or that of the company providing the transport services or the governmental department of transport in the country responsible for managing the services provided by those companies and the employees at the company.

Transport Companies possibly used in Switzerland:  Sbb.ch (Swiss Trains) VerticAlps (Barrage Emosson Funiculaire, tourist train, mini lift)  Taxi Fen'yx (TaxI) TMR mont-bus.ch (Swiss Buses and Mont Blanc Express train)

Transport Companies possibly used in France:   SNCF (National French trains, Mont Blanc Express train) Le Groupe Compagnie du Mont Blanc  S.A. (cable transportation provider and mountain trains such as Brevent ski lift,  glacier train Montenvers, Bellevue Lift) 

Transport Companies possibly used in Italy:  Arriva (Bus)  info@panoramic-flights.com (helicopter)

A client accepts all risk for going on a transport service provider at their own risk out of their own choice and indemnifies the Company from any legal action having chosen to use them on a trip.

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Remit - Limitation of Service provided by the Company, and an International Mountain Leader (IML)

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Please note if you wish to summit the Mont Blanc, you require an IFMGA Mountain Guide not an IML, which is an International Mountain leader,  whereas a an IFMGA guide usually belongs to a national body of guides such as BMG for British Mountain Guides or equivalent mountain guiding organisations in France, Switzerland or Italy, and their organisation is member of the IFMGA, I am an IML, an International Mountain Leader, offering walking and trekking experiences I provide walking and trekking products and services, not rock climbing, not mountaineering with ropes and equipment, not glacier travel, nor mountain summit endeavours for the Mont Blanc from France or Italy.   

Mountaineering summit attempts that are in the domain of an IFMGA guide such as on the Mont Blanc, where it is necessary to cross crevasses and go on glaciers are not the remit of an IML, having said that there are some mountains in the world where an IML can operate as part of their domain and summit mountains on terrain that is their domain. 

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I currently provide walks that are either very easy, easy medium or difficult, if actually you are looking for a very difficult or a very, very difficult mountain challenge then you would be well advised to contact a service provider that offers very difficult and very, very difficult mountain trips as this is not part of the product offering and services are not provided for this at the moment.  Please refer to Walking Categories for more information.

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For an English speaking guide to summit the Mont Blanc, please contact the British Mountain Guides (BMG) or an IFMGA guide in the language you require e.g. France or Switzerland.  Here is the link for the International Federation Mountain Guide Association (IFMGA) IFMGA - International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations

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Passports

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The Tour Mont Blanc enters 3 different countries and passports and identity cards must therefore be carried at all times.  Many hotels require passports to be presented at the hotel reception as they have an obligation to record the personal details of the clients staying in their establishment.  For example, in Italy this is the norm on arriving at a hotel reception.

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Insurance

 

 Remember you can die at altitude and in the mountains on a walk through no fault of your own, or others.  You are required to take out insurance cover for any unforeseen circumstances or eventuality, before going into the mountains, if booking on to a  MontBlancTrips for your own cover and peace of mind.  You need insurance cover for the following: LIFE cover, PERSONAL ACCIDENT cover, LEGAL cover, TRAVEL cover, TREKKING AT ALTITUDE IF GOING INTO THE MOUNTAINS cover, RESCUE cover, MEDICAL cover, REPATRIATION cover, 3RD PARTY / PUBLIC / CIVIL LIABILITY cover because  you might unintentionally or accidentally hurt yourself or another in the mountains. Insurance is on top of just being a naturally careful and considerate traveller, walker and trekker, and looking out for others in the mountains.  Please consider that in France you can be prosecuted for your lack of civil responsibility if not caring for others around you, no matter whether you know them or not, and no matter the age, sex. colour or creed, so you please check others are ok and call for help if not.  La Liberté in France is not as simple as elsewhere as a civil responsibility exists for one another exists so always look out for others whether in your group or not.  This requirement is to assist you or others to pick up the pieces of your own life in the unfortunate situation that you die or suffer a mishap whilst on a mountain, or the road, or at a hotel, or anywhere whilst on holiday if away from home.   MontBlancTrips cannot assist you if you do not assist yourself by taking cover in the form of a travel insurance policy.   

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Under 18s

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Any under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.  It is the responsibility of the accompanying adult to be responsible for them in Loco Parentis and to descend with the person under 18 from a mountain if they are unable to continue the walk because the International Mountain Leader has a responsibility to remain with the rest of the group of clients on the mountain.  No refund or rescheduling is given to any under 18 client requiring to descend the mountain earlier than hoped or expected, nor the accompanying adult, even if it is for a reason that is not their fault such as altitude sickness, or an accident, or unexpected incident, or if a trip is too difficult for someone.

 

Food and Drink

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Walks are selected with rehydration stops in mind.  Water consumption on a walk is important.  A LifeStraw is required by all clients booking and coming on a mountain walk that is categorised as Medium or Difficult, to allow them to drink filtered water enroute via a LifeStraw to make the most of available sources because there are no shops in the mountains  to buy water and Alpine refuges or mountain huts may have sold out of water, in addition, all clients must carry 2 litres of water in their rucksacks as it might not be possible to use a LifeStraw if sources of water have completely dried up, remember a stream can easily dry out in the heat of summer.  Water is not provided to the clients unless specifically stated in the product detail notes and they must refill their water bottle(s) overnight and before departure the following day, to avoid dehydration, or heat stroke. Failure by a client to bring their own LifeStraw or to carry their own water in a rucksack means the client may not be able to join in the activity because it can result in possible death of the client from heat stroke.  The International Mountain Leader is under no obligation to carry water on behalf of any client and is permitted to refuse to accompany any adult that is not willing to carry their own water or a Lifestraw.  A client must consider their hydration and the water management plan for their trip properly. 

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Late Bookings

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Ordinary bookings are confirmed within 48 hours.   A Client  booking within 48 hours of the start time is not guaranteed a place and must wait for a confirmation text / Watts App from the Company.  This is required for all Clients to confirm their place on a trip and a confirmation text or Watts App message can be more or less immediate or not so please await a text or Watts App confirmation before setting off to the start point to avoid disappointment if booking late. If you only book a product within 24 hours before the starting time the International Mountain Leader cannot guarantee to be there so be very sure to await your confirmation text or Watts App message.

 

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