Refunds and Cancellations
Mountain Trip recognizes how difficult and disappointing it can be for climbers who must cancel expeditions which they have planned for a long time. Team members must also recognize that, due to the nature of planning expeditions and dealing with governmental permits and regulations, Mountain Trip also accrues significant expenses in the months prior to expedition departure dates. We must therefore adhere to a strict refund policy for all climbers. Trip cancellation and travel insurance is generally available for all expeditions. U.S. and Canadian residents should contact us for more information regarding travel insurance. Our refund and cancellation policy is outlined below.
• All expeditions require a deposit to secure a spot on the team. Your submission of a deposit constitutes your acceptance of this Fee Schedule, Refund and Cancellation Policy.
• All deposits for Carstensz expeditions include a non-refundable $1500 administration fee (we highly recommend that you consider Trip Cancellation Insurance to protect the administration fee, if not the entire cost of your climb).
• Final payments for expeditions must be received 120 days prior to the Team Meeting Day.
• Failure to pay expedition fees by the date they are due constitutes cancellation of your spot on the team and forfeiture of your deposit.
• Any cancellation 120+ days before your Meeting Day will be refunded in full, less the administration fee.
• If you cancel 120-90 days before your Meeting Day, you are eligible for a refund of 50% of any monies paid, less the deposit.
• No refunds will be provided for cancellations occurring within the last 89 days prior to an expedition.
• All requests for refunds must be made in writing and received in our Colorado office.
• If you register for a climb within 90 days of the Team Meeting Date, expedition fees will be due in full to secure your spot on the team.
• No refunds will be given for unused hotel bookings due to schedule changes, late arrivals, etc.
• Mountain Trip reserves the right to cancel an expedition prior to the departure date for any reason. In the event that the expedition is cancelled based solely on an internal administrative decision by Mountain Trip (Internal Cancellation), all monies, except for nonrefundable administrative fees, collected by Mountain Trip from team members for the canceled expedition shall be refunded within 30 days. That is the extent of our financial liability for such cancellations. This Internal Cancellation provision shall not apply when external factors that force Mountain Trip to cancel an expedition against its will, including, but not limited to, international political upheaval, terrorism, drought/famine, epidemics/pandemics, and/or cancellations imposed by foreign or domestic governments or permitting agencies (External Cancellation). All External Cancellations shall not be subject to a refund unless such cancellation occurs prior to the deadlines set forth in the Refund and Cancellation policies, above.
2022 Season COVID-19 Policy (effective July 6, 2021)
For the 2022 climbing season, Mountain Trip requires that all climbers be fully vaccinated prior to departing for their expedition. A person is considered fully vaccinated greater than or equal to two weeks after completion of a two-dose mRNA series or single dose of Janssen vaccine. (May 25, 2021 CDC Guidelines)
All climbers joining Mountain Trip for expeditions will be required to sign a COVID-19 Declaration stating all of the following:
- You are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
- You are not displaying any symptoms of COVID-19.
- You are not waiting for the results of a COVID-19 test.
- You agree to comply with all Mountain Trip COVID-19 specific guidelines and protocols.
The following applies only if all expedition fees are paid by the date they are due:
If Mountain Trip cancels your expedition due to External Cancellation factors resulting from coronavirus more than 90 days prior to the Team Meeting date, Mountain Trip will credit 100% of your paid expedition fees toward a future program with Mountain Trip or refund all monies paid except for the non-refundable administrative fee.
If Mountain Trip cancels your expedition due to External Cancellation factors resulting from coronavirus 90 days or less prior to the Team Meeting date, Mountain Trip will credit 75% of your paid expedition fees toward a future program with Mountain Trip or refund 50% of your expedition fee.
Inclusions and Exclusions for Carstensz Pyramid Expedition
Included in the Carstensz Pyramid Trip Fee:
• Unlimited pre-trip access to our office resources
• US trained, Mountain Trip guide(s)
• Airport transfers in Bali and Papua
• Up to three nights accommodation in Bali (shared room), two nights before your climb and one night after the climb
• Welcome dinner in Bali
• Up to two nights accommodation and all meals in Timika (shared room)
• Scheduled flights for the team between Bali and Papua
• Scheduled helicopter flights in Papua
• Permits for climb and travel in Papua
• All food for the climb
• All group equipment (tents, kitchen, ropes, med kit, satellite phone, etc)
• Custom expedition dispatch blog for your climb, complete with audio posts from the mountain
• Assistance arranging for post-climb activities such as cultural tours, museum visits, etc.
Not Included in the Carstensz Pyramid Trip Fee:
• Flights to and from Bali
• Indonesian Visa
• Personal clothing and equipment (please see our equipment list)
• Meals beyond the welcome dinner in Bali and the meals in Timika that are included in the itinerary
• Additional nights’ accommodation in Indonesia beyond those outlined above
• Additional helicopter expenses due to weather (Return to base) or early departure. This is if the helicopter is part way to basecamp and cannot make it in and we incur additional flight time. We will do our best to use the helicopter when we are confident the flight can proceed all the way to/from basecamp.
General Agreement Concerning Services to be Provided And Responsibilities of Carstensz Pyramid Team Members
When registering for a Carstensz Pyramid expedition with Mountain Trip we want to help make sure you understand the services we are providing and the services you are responsible for.
Transportation is incidental
The main purpose of becoming a team member is to join us on an expedition in the mountains. As such any transportation we provide or that you may contract for on your own is incidental to the trip. We suggest that you make sure you have as much as one week of extra time built into your itinerary for delays.
Transportation to and from your destination
We will designate a specific Team Meeting Day for your Carstensz Pyramid expedition. Transportation to the meeting point on your Team Meeting Day is to be provided by you. You must arrive in time to be ready to participate in a team meeting at the appointed time on the Team Meeting Day for your expedition. Expedition climbing is very dynamic and we will provide you with a recommendation as to when you should book your flights to and from your destination. We suggest you book a ticket that allows you to change your flight with little effort or cost.
Lodging off the mountain
Mountain Trip will provide lodging per the Inclusions and Exclusions section above. Any additional lodging is your responsibility.
Responsibilities of Carstensz Pyramid Team Members
You are ultimately responsible for your own well-being, including making all necessary preparations to ensure good health and physical conditioning. You are responsible for understanding the conditions that may exist on the climb and choosing a climb that is appropriate for your abilities and interests. You are responsible for having knowledge of all pre-departure information and for assembling the appropriate clothing and equipment for your climb.
While on the expedition, team members are responsible to maintain basic levels of hygiene and to conduct themselves respectfully with other team members and members of the local population. If a guide feels that a team member is putting other members’ health or safety at risk, the guide has the discretion to remove a team member from an expedition.
Use our office staff and your lead guide as pre-trip resources to ensure that all your questions are answered. Travel insurance may help recoup expenses if you need to leave an expedition due to an illness.
Airline Responsibility Passenger/Airline contracts are in effect while team members are on board any aircraft contracted for use in the expedition.
No Guaranteed Outcomes
While it is one of our goals to help every climber on every Mountain Trip expedition reach the summit, Mountain Trip cannot guarantee that you will reach the summit. Any number of factors, including weather, the conditions encountered on the route, your personal level of fitness or ability, the abilities of your team mate(s) or any number of other circumstances might result in you and/or your team turning around before reaching the summit. Failure to reach the summit due to any reason associated with mountaineering, such as weather, team dynamics, route conditions, your health or the health of a member of the team, avalanche hazard, rockfall hazard, etc, due to political or logistical problems, or due to your lack of fitness or preparation are not the responsibility of Mountain Trip and will not result in a refund or a rescheduling of your expedition.
