General Terms and Conditions

The Mountain Mantra – Introduction to participation on our trips.

The mountains are both awe-inspiring and perilous. To engage in activities like trekking, climbing, mountaineering, or skiing, it’s crucial to acknowledge and respect the inherent dangers. While experience and caution can mitigate risks, accidents are still possible, and zero risk is unattainable.

Safety is our utmost priority. As professional guides, we prioritise assessing and managing risks for a secure and enjoyable experience. If risks outweigh the benefits or, for example, if we aren’t moving quickly enough, we have options: altering itineraries, choosing alternative objectives, avoiding hazardous routes, or returning to safety. Making sound decisions is pivotal in mountaineering.

When you join us for a trip or guided climb, you assume personal responsibility for participating in the activities. Your mountain guide will be the final decision-maker, risk manager, and group leader. While you’ll have the opportunity to climb beautiful mountains and experience unforgettable moments like the first light of dawn and skiing in pristine powder, there’s always a risk of not reaching the summit or skiing on untracked snow slopes. Rest assured that we prioritise safety above all else and won’t take any unnecessary risks with our lives or yours. Even if we miss out on some activities, we’ll do our best to ensure a safe and memorable experience for all.

We deeply love the mountains and would be thrilled to take you on an alpine adventure. Before committing, please read our comprehensive and clear “Terms and Conditions” on this page to fully comprehend the risks and responsibilities. If you accept and agree, we look forward to having you join us. Otherwise, we encourage you to explore other companies that better align with your needs and expectations.

Terms & Conditions

You should carefully read through these terms and conditions (T&Cs), as they benefit both you and us in our wish to provide you with the best service.

These terms and conditions set the framework of a legally binding contract for all booking agreements made with EURL Norreslet Mountaineering, hereafter referred to as “NM.”

1. Our Company
   1. All bookings made through this site are made with the company EURL Norreslet Mountaineering or other trading variations of the name displayed on the site.
   2. EURL Norreslet Mountaineering (NM) is registered under No Siret: 819 163 700 00019, with the address 95 Chemin de l’Abreuvoir, Bois Rond, 74310 Les Houches, France.
   3. Norreslet Mountaineering is registered with ATOUT France, the French register for holidaymakers, and is fully bonded and insured in accordance with French legislation. We are registered with the following information: Norreslet Mountaineering,  Registration Number for the French Registry of Holidaymakers: IM07416009 (Registre des Opérateurs de Voyages et de Sejours). Financial guarantee: GROUPAMA Assurance – Crédit & Caution, 126, rue de la Piazza – 93199 Noisy-Le-Grand Cedex, France, Contrat n° 4000715030/1. Professional indemnity insurance: MMA IARD, 14 Boulevard Marie et Alexandre Oyon, 72030 Le Mans Cedex 9, France, Police n° 127314664
   4. Guides working with Norreslet Mountaineering are all UIAGM/IFMGA-qualified mountain guides, registered with the DDJS (Carte Professionelle), and hold personal liability insurance for their work.
2. Booking and Agreement
   1. To book a course or a private guided trip with us, please fill out our online booking form or contact us directly.
   2. A booking will be considered complete only after we receive a fully completed participant form from each member joining the trip, and the required deposit payment has been successfully processed and cleared in our account.
   3. Note that the amount received into our accounts must be at least the amount invoiced. You must bear any fees arising.
   4. When the booking process is completed, we will send you the final invoice to finalise our agreement.
3. Program and Itinerary
   1. Participating in our proposed activities means embarking on an adventure together in inherently dangerous and unpredictable terrain. All participants must acknowledge and accept the risks and uncertainties of mountain travel.
   2. Our programs aim to provide reliable and achievable itineraries with a high success rate. However, these programs or goals should be viewed as suggested itineraries or planned sequences of events rather than fixed contractual agreements. If the guide in charge determines that it would be unsafe to climb Mont Blanc, for example, the objective can be changed to another.
   3. We will make every effort to adhere to the proposed programs, provided the weather, mountain conditions, and the team’s fitness and health permit.
   4. However, we reserve the right to modify the climbing objective or proposed itinerary, or to shift the trip to a different location with different objectives, in case of severe weather conditions, high winds, dangerous snow conditions, or any other factors that make it hazardous for any or all participants to continue with the original program. This may also apply if we cannot maintain the necessary guide ratio as outlined in paragraph 12.
4. Payment
   1. To secure your booking for our trip/course, we require a non-refundable deposit of 30% of the total trip amount or a minimum of 200 euros per person.
   2. The final balance payment is due 90 days before the trip/course start date, unless we have made another agreement.
   3. If we do not receive your final payment on time, we reserve the right to consider your booking incomplete and cancel your participation in the trip. In such cases, our standard cancellation charges will apply.
5. Cancellation by the client
   1. You may cancel your participation in the trip at any time by providing written notice to Asmus Norreslet via email or letter. The date of receipt of your cancellation notice will be used as a reference for processing your cancellation.
   2. Our cancellation rules and charges:

Duration before the start of the course	Loss
More than 90 days before the start date	Loss of deposit
40-90 days before the start date	Loss of 50% of the course fee
Less than 40 days before the start date	100% loss of course fee

We hope you understand that this cancellation policy is necessary for us to fulfil our responsibility to book huts and guides, and to guarantee trips as early as possible.

6. Cancellation by NM
   
   We reserve the right to cancel trips and tours up to 3 weeks before the planned departure for any of the reasons stated below:
   
   1. We don’t have enough participants to run the trip.
   2. Getting reservations in the huts can be difficult on our Mont Blanc courses. Every company is facing the same difficulties. No company has priority access to reservations, as they are handed out on a first-come/first-served basis. If we cannot ensure enough hut places for the whole group, the hut places we have obtained will be allocated to those who have signed up first. We should know this at least six weeks before departure. If we cannot guarantee a place in one of the huts, we will let you decide if you want your full money back or come and do other climbs. Often, we can get “last-minute” places, but we don’t know this until three days before a course.
   3. Extreme conditions make the trip impossible to run (Force majeure, strikes, political instability, foreign office recommendations, etc.).
   4. Should we cancel a trip, we will do our best to suggest an alternative trip on other dates or propose an alternative solution. If, for some reason, this is not suitable, we will issue a full refund to our account.
   5. If we should cancel a trip, we cannot be held liable for any costs you might have incurred related to this booking or any costs not included in our service. These expenses could include, but are not limited to, flights, insurance, and personal gear.
   6. We may be forced to adjust the guide ratio for any course or activity to accommodate circumstances such as illness or the absence of guides. In such cases, we may be forced to change an itinerary or goal to uphold a sufficient level of safety in accordance with normal guide-ratio practices as set by either the French Association of Mountain Guides, SNGM (Syndicat National des Guides de Montagne), or the rules of a specific country.
   7. We will do our best to replace the guide as quickly as possible and adjust our activities to maintain the guide ratio to ensure safety.
   8. While we can’t promise direct financial compensation, we will do all we can to uphold the proposed program as long as possible regarding safety.
      
7. Mountain guide authority
   1. During the trip, the lead guide or any guide working with NM has the full authority to make changes to the proposed itinerary in response to factors such as group fitness, objective dangers, weather, or other conditions that may arise.
   2. The guide will make every effort to address any issues that arise during the trip in a manner that benefits the entire group. Participants must accept that the guide has the authority to make decisions that could impact individuals and the group.
   3. Suppose a guide determines that a participant is not adequately prepared for the trip or acts in a way that jeopardises their safety. In that case, the guide can exclude that participant from further activities for the safety of the group or the guide. No compensation or refund will be provided to the client in such cases.
8. Price
   1. We reserve the right to change prices on our website at any time. To ensure you are viewing the latest prices, we recommend clearing your computer’s cache and refreshing the page.
   2. We will let you know the exact price of the arrangement you choose as soon as we receive your booking request. The quote you receive will be the correct price for the moment.
   3. We cannot discount a course price if a client wishes to participate less in the services stated in the program.
   4. Prices may change at the last minute due to events we have no control over, and in extremely rare cases, surcharges. You may cancel your booking without penalty if this surcharge exceeds 10%.
9. Equipment
   1. If a participant damages or loses any equipment rented or issued as part of our package, regardless of the cause, we reserve the right to charge for such loss.
   2. We cannot be held responsible for any damages or loss to a client’s personal equipment.
   3. Participants are responsible for their equipment and should ensure it is in working order before participating in our trips. We cannot be held responsible for any malfunction or lack of functionality of gear participants bring themselves.
10. Participation
    1. Participants under 18 years of age may join our trips only when accompanied by their parents.
    2. The participant is responsible for providing honest and accurate information when completing the booking form. Participants should not omit any necessary or essential information.
    3. The information provided by the participant is critical for us to provide advice and determine whether a trip is appropriate for the participant. This is especially important for group tours, where a set goal requires a specific technical level, fitness, and good health. While we will do our best to provide guidance, we cannot guarantee we can accurately assess whether a participant is fit and healthy enough for the trip.
    4. If a participant is unsure of their fitness level, they should, on their own initiative, seek advice from a sports trainer or coach to help them assess their abilities. Participants should consult a doctor for a medical examination for health-related concerns.
11. Insurance
    1. Participants must take personal responsibility for ensuring that they are adequately insured for the activities they will be participating in, including mountain rescue (helicopter), hospitalisation, repatriation to their home country, and other necessary coverage. It is essential that participants ensure their insurance policy includes adequate coverage for these activities.
    2. We strongly recommend that participants also consider purchasing cancellation insurance to cover the cost of the trip in the event of last-minute cancellations due to accidents, illness, or other unforeseeable circumstances. While such situations are rare, this insurance can be useful if you cancel at the last minute.
    3. NM can provide confirmation of your booking and a summary of your payment information to assist you if you need to make insurance claims.
12. Guide ratio
    1. The guide ratio indicates the maximum number of participants per guide. A 1-3 ratio means one guide can have up to three clients on their rope.
    2. We may need to adjust the announced guide ratio if a guide cancels at the last minute due to reasons, but not limited to, such as injury, sickness, or family-related health issues.
    3. We will make every effort to replace the guide as quickly as possible. In the meantime, we will adjust the guide-to-participant ratio to ensure safety is not compromised.
    4. While we cannot guarantee direct financial compensation, we will make every effort to adhere to the proposed program, provided safety is not compromised.
13. Media use
    1. We use pictures or videos taken of you during our trips and courses in our promotional material. Participating in our courses, you accept that you might appear in image or likeness in material such as the web, printed material, videos, or other media not defined here. We do not sell pictures or videos to 3rd parties without your specific consent.
    2. Pictures shared by NM to clients should be used only for personal use. Please respect this and make contact if you want to use any such images commercially. If you do not wish to participate in this media exchange, please inform your guide at the beginning of the trip.
14. Complaints & Disputes
    1. If during a course you have any complaint, please forward it immediately to the guide in charge or an NM staff member so that action can be taken as soon as possible to resolve any disputes. If you have any complaints once the course is finished, please let us know within 14 days of your return.
    2. French law should decide upon any disputes or claims arising from this contract.
15. AMICABLE SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTES – CONSUMER MEDIATION
    In accordance with Articles L 611-1 and R 612-1 et seq. of the Consumer Code concerning the amicable settlement of disputes:
    When a consumer has submitted a written complaint to a professional and has not received satisfaction or a response within two months, they may submit their complaint free of charge to a consumer mediator. The mediator must be contacted within a maximum period of one year from the date of the initial complaint.
    The MCP MEDIATION mediator may be contacted directly online at the following address: www.mcpmediation.org or by mail at:
    
    MÉDIATION DE LA CONSOMMATION et PATRIMOINE
    12 Square Desnouettes
    75015 Paris