Acknowledgement of risk
Awaiting travel-law review — not yet final
This is an acknowledgement, not a waiver. It records that you understand the risks of winter climbing and choose them freely. It does not exclude or limit any liability that cannot be excluded by law — including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence.
1. The participation statement
In the tradition of the British Mountaineering Council's participation statement: climbing, mountaineering and ice climbing are activities with a danger of personal injury or death. Participants should be aware of and accept these risks, and be responsible for their own actions and involvement.
2. What the risks include
The hazards of a winter climbing week include, without being limited to: falling ice and rock; avalanche; crevasses and unstable ground; extreme cold and rapidly changing weather; benightment; equipment failure; the actions of other climbers and third parties; remoteness, and the possibility that rescue and medical help are delayed or limited. These risks exist on climbing days, walk-ins, and around venues, and they cannot be eliminated by planning, experience or equipment.
3. The Crew Week: you climb as an independent party
- On this trip no guiding, instruction or supervision of climbing is provided. Your host organises everything around the climbing — house, food, driving, venue and conditions planning — and is a host and photographer, not your guide.
- You climb as your own independent, self-directed party. Choice of route, assessment of conditions, decisions to continue or retreat, rope work, and all climbing judgements are yours.
- Venue suggestions and conditions information shared by your host are planning input, not professional mountain guidance, and do not transfer responsibility for your climbing decisions.
On trips with guided days, certified IFMGA mountain guides direct the climbing on those days; the inherent risks in section 2 still apply.
4. Your declarations
By ticking the acknowledgement box on the booking form you confirm that:
- you have read and understood this document;
- your climbing CV is honest, and your experience and fitness are adequate for an autonomous winter climbing week at the level described on the trip page;
- you are competent in the use of your technical equipment, or will obtain competent instruction elsewhere before the trip;
- you participate voluntarily, and accept the inherent risks described above;
- you will hold the mandatory insurance described in the booking conditions.
5. Record
We record the date, time and version of this document you accepted with your booking. This is version 1.