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Policies Detailed on this Page
- Privacy | Gratuities | Insurance | Transactions | Dates | Gear | Coronavirus | Safety | Groups | Turnarounds | Virtual
Privacy Policy
Your privacy and ours have equal importance in our eyes. Thus, we will protect your privacy as if it is our own and treat your information accordingly. We will not share, rent, lease, sell, or in any way divulge your data. We find this is a simple, yet effective policy. On this site we give your browser cookies to track your preferences and whatnot, and we can see what pages you visit, but we do not see identifying information. Honestly, we have better things to do than to track your every move. That said, if booking, registering for an event, subscribing, or emailing, we may retain your contact info so as to communicate with you in the future (to which you may opt out).
Gratuities
Gratuities are accepted and greatly appreciated — this being a service industry. That said, tipping should be based on the level of enjoyment had by you and your party, how safe and cared-for you felt, and how personable, attentive, professional, and knowledgeable your guide was. A gratuity of 15-25% or more is customary for a job well done. Tipping may be done by credit card, PayPal, or Venmo, but cash is preferred. Guides really love cash.
Gear Insurance
When renting gear from us such as our “Ready Packs” or Specialty Gear like ice axes, for example, or when renting gear like skis from third parties by way of our convenient pick-up service (a surcharge of $40/person plus rental fees applies), you will have an opportunity to purchase gear insurance for the low price of $10/person/day for our “Standard Ready Pack,” $20/person/day for our “Alpine Ready Pack,” and $30/person/night for our “Backpacking Ready Pack.”
These are nominal insurance fees for the hundreds of dollars worth of top-quality gear we will entrust to you.
These insurances will only cover so much, though. We will not forgive willful negligence, outright abuse, or any careless loss. In such cases we will charge the wholesale replacement or repair cost for such gear, plus 20% to cover associated shipping and administrative costs. Our gear insurances will cover normal breakage, regular wear and tear, including typical defacement, and accidental or unavoidable loss.
Deposits, Credits, & Refunds
- We require a 50% *deposit of the entire, un-discounted order at the time of the telephone booking confirmation for all activities, weddings, gear rentals, premium offerings, virtual content, and other charges, but with exception to our pick-up charge ($40) and to any outsourced or third-party gear rentals where we must charge 100% of rental fees up-front. This deposit is *non-refundable. If you cancel within 72 hours or don’t show up, we will keep the deposit paid, plus any guide/gear fees, miscellaneous expenses, card processing fees, and/or volume discounts, for whatever reason.
- If you cancel prior to 72 hours, we will apply your deposit as a credit toward a future activity with Redline Guiding LLC. but our Date Change Policy may be applied if the postponement is made within fourteen (14) days of the activity date.
- We will rarely cancel for weather or any other reasons, but if we have to, we will apply your deposit as a credit toward a future activity with Redline Guiding LLC and offer our deepest apologies.
- *If we have to cancel for reasons within our control, we will offer a full and prompt refund. Please note, however, in the field we will consider our four responsibilities: minimize risk, minimize impact, maximize learning, and maximize fun. In the field we oversee all and our assessment of any given situation will not be contestable. See the sidebar (or below) for related policies…
- The 50% balance is due prior to the start of any activity, course, session, or service, from which any discounts or coupons will be then applied.
Date Change Policy
We are often willing to change the date of an adventure or educational offering, particularly if 1) we are able to, and 2) it will help our guests meet their objectives. For example, if we have someone who wants to hike a Presidential traverse but wind conditions are dangerous — based on the opinion of the guide — making the trek impossible, we are willing to somehow work it out, to change the date. Or if for instance someone wants to do a backpack but it is supposed to be pouring rain the entire time making it a truly miserable experience, we are willing to somehow work it out, to change the date. We want to be accommodating. That said, if our guests request a change of date within fourteen (14) days for a random, unclear, or non-consensual reason, or in the “last minute” (meaning less than 72 hours), or even for a reason related to the examples, above, we reserve the right to charge, per date change, a Date Change Fee in the amount of $75/person.
Gear Rentals
We offer rental gear to our guests. Both fully outfitted “Ready Packs,” “Alpine Ready Packs,” and “Backpacking Ready Packs” — which by default include food and water, but may be supplied without it — and “Specialty Gear” which consists of technical and seasonal support items rented to participants with their own packs and gear. We also have access to third-party rentals like all-inclusive Nordic or Alpine Touring (AT) backcountry ski sets. Collectively this is all referred to as “Gear.” This latter group we also refer to as “Outsourced Gear.” Unless we pick-up that Outsourced Gear on your behalf (a surcharge of $40 plus 100% rental of fees applies), you will deal with individual vendors, ideally, so as to better confirm fit and comfort. In fact, we will not be accountable for poor fit if we rent your boots for you. Otherwise, our Gear terms apply.
We have chosen to supply our guests with top-quality Gear here at Redline Guiding. Instead of just hoping and praying our guests stay out of trouble in the mountains, we instead make sure they are actually prepared for it. We thoroughly outfit them in Gear that we ourselves as guides would be quite happy with and have personally tested.
That said, this policy excepts our trail running offerings which will allow athletes and participants, even our guides (to a certain extent) to practice and employ minimalistic, weight-saving methods to include foregoing certain gear recognizing that doing so — as well as accepting the inherent associated risks — is integral to the sport.
This Gear costs several hundreds of dollars per person and we hope to eventually reclaim our investment. We insist it is cared for, not neglected, nor abused, and if any is damaged from neglect or abuse, even accidental loss or damage (though certain damages, to gaiters from crampons, for example, is fully expected and allowed for), we will ask for compensation to repair or replace said Gear. In such cases, at our descretion, we will charge you for the wholesale replacement or repair cost for such Gear, plus 20% to cover shipping and administrative costs. We do offer Gear Insurance that forgives accidental loss or damage, but not neglect or abuse (see full policy, this page). That said, we will never put the importance of our Gear over life and limb. Our guests are the most important thing and come first.
Please note: The fitting of our Gear is approximate. People come in many sizes and shapes. We have done our best to supply Gear that is functional, but the fit may be less than perfect. We have opted for looser fits over tighter ones where we could for practicality, comfort, and safety. We will try our best to ensure your comfort and style, but our top priority is your safety and preparedness. As it pertains to Outsourced Gear, we will not be accountable for poor fit if we rent your boots for you. While we offer this service, we don’t recommend it.
Also note: Gear rented from us may be used from the start of the activity to the end of the activity only and does not extend beyond this period. On this site it is stated that Gear is rented on a per person, per day, basis, but this actually means for the duration of the activity unless said activity extends beyond 24 hours, in which case, more rental fees would apply under ordinary circumstances, i.e., we’re not offering a “Gear Included” special.
Coronavirus/COVID-19
Updated March 15th, 2023: As Covid 19 becomes endemic, and with Federal, State, and Local governments closing Public Health Emergency programs, we will in turn change our recommendations and restrictions as follows:
- Group Sizes: Most of our offerings have been private and will remain so in perpetuity. That said, group capacities and ratios will remain as published pre-Covid and be governed more or less by reasonable building capacities.
- Building Capacity: We will restrict the number of guests inside our building to twenty (20) with up to five (5) guides or other staff at any given time for a total of twenty-five (25) people. We don’t really have room for more, anyway.
- Face Masks: Masks will be required if you are ill (and it is advised you stay home if you are). Otherwise masks are optional. While never frowned upon, the choice is yours.
- Sanitizer/PPE: Our guests will not be required to carry these items, though we will recommend them for typical hygiene reasons. Moreover, this applies to our guides. Also, the bag-valve-masks (BVMs) will now be carried by our guides optionally.
- Health Checks: We will not be asking health questions. If you’re not feeling well, however, if dealing with flu or Covid-19 symptoms, we ask that you advise staff, remain outside of our facility, and mask up if in close contact with anyone.
- Vaccination Status: We will not ask guests about their vaccination status though they may ask us about ours. We encourage and hope for complete transparency, regardless.
We ask that our guests to be on the honor system in terms of their health so as to protect others and our staff. We invite any questions and concerns our guides or guests may have.
Questions?
If you have any questions about any of our policies, please feel free to contact us.
Last updated: March 16th, 2023