Legal, Booking & Cancellation Policy

Client Cancellations

All client cancellation requests must be submitted in writing by email. Red Raven Guides strongly recommends that all clients purchase travel insurance appropriate to their trip, including trip cancellation, trip interruption, medical, and emergency evacuation coverage.

Domestic Trip Cancellation Policy

Refund eligibility is based on the number of days before the scheduled trip start date:

Cancellation noticeRefund60 or more daysFull refund, less a $175 administrative fee31–59 days50% of the total trip cost15–30 days35% of the total trip cost14 days or fewerNo refund

Trip credit may be offered at the sole discretion of Red Raven Guides. Trip credit is not guaranteed, is not a cash refund, and may be subject to availability, scheduling limitations, and other conditions.

International Trip Cancellation Policy

International trips require substantial advance planning and often involve non-refundable expenses for permits, lodging, transportation, guide commitments, and other logistics.

Refund eligibility is based on the number of days before departure:

Cancellation noticeRefundMore than 90 daysFull deposit refunded60–90 days50% of deposit refundedFewer than 60 daysNo refund

Medical and emergency evacuation insurance is required for all international trips. Clients must provide proof of coverage before departure.

Cancellations or Changes by Red Raven Guides

Red Raven Guides reserves the right to modify, reschedule, alter the itinerary of, or cancel any trip when, in its judgment, conditions or circumstances make such action necessary or appropriate. Reasons may include, but are not limited to:

  • Weather, snowpack, avalanche hazard, or environmental conditions

  • Road closures, transportation disruptions, airline delays, strikes, or travel interruptions

  • Guide injury, illness, availability, or operational limitations

  • Inadequate enrollment for a public trip

  • Wildfire, natural disaster, public-health event, political unrest, or governmental restriction

  • Permit restrictions, land-management closures, or other circumstances beyond Red Raven Guides’ reasonable control

Red Raven Guides will make reasonable efforts to operate trips as planned and views cancellation as a last resort. However, mountain travel is inherently dynamic, and trip objectives, routes, locations, schedules, and daily plans may need to change at any time to manage safety, logistics, or conditions.

If Red Raven Guides cancels a trip before it begins for a reason within its control, clients will receive a full refund of amounts paid to Red Raven Guides for the canceled trip.

If Red Raven Guides cancels a trip after it has begun for a reason within its control, clients may receive a prorated refund for unused guided trip days, as determined by Red Raven Guides.

No refunds will be issued for cancellations, delays, itinerary changes, shortened trips, or missed objectives resulting from weather, avalanche hazard, environmental conditions, transportation disruptions, government action, public-health events, or other circumstances beyond Red Raven Guides’ control. Red Raven Guides is not responsible for incidental or consequential expenses, including airfare, lodging, rental vehicles, food, equipment rentals, or other travel-related costs.

Weather, Conditions & Arrival

Red Raven Guides operates in mountain environments where weather, snow conditions, avalanche hazard, terrain conditions, and transportation access can change rapidly.

Trips are not canceled due to weather alone unless Red Raven Guides determines that conditions create an unacceptable safety or operational concern. Clients should assume that a trip will operate as scheduled unless Red Raven Guides communicates otherwise.

Clients are responsible for:

  • Arriving on time and being ready to begin the trip as scheduled

  • Obtaining appropriate travel arrangements and allowing sufficient time for potential delays

  • Arriving physically prepared, properly equipped, and capable of participating in the booked activity

  • Following guide instructions and safety protocols throughout the trip

No refunds will be issued for missed trips, late arrivals, early departures, travel delays, inadequate preparation, insufficient equipment, illness, injury, or a client’s inability to participate.

Assumption of Risk

Backcountry skiing, ski mountaineering, alpine climbing, ice climbing, hiking, mountaineering, and other mountain activities involve inherent and serious risks. These risks may include, but are not limited to, avalanches, falls, rockfall, icefall, crevasses, snow immersion, changing weather, cold injury, altitude illness, unstable terrain, wildlife encounters, equipment failure, transportation hazards, and limited access to emergency services.

Participation in a guided trip does not eliminate these risks. Clients are responsible for making informed decisions about their participation, obtaining appropriate training and equipment, using sound judgment, and complying with all guide instructions and required safety procedures.

Information provided on this website is for general informational purposes only. It does not constitute professional instruction, a guarantee of safety, or a substitute for proper training, experience, qualified supervision, or sound personal judgment in mountain environments.

All clients will be required to review and sign the applicable Red Raven Guides participant agreement, assumption-of-risk agreement, and release of liability before participating in a trip.

Operating Areas & Equal Opportunity

Red Raven Guides operates under applicable special-use permits and authorizations, including permits with Alaska State Parks in Hatcher Pass, Chugach State Park, and Denali State Park, as well as special-use permits with the U.S. Forest Service in the Chugach National Forest, where applicable.

Red Raven Guides is an equal-opportunity outdoor recreation service provider.

Public Health and Illness

Clients should not participate if they are ill, have symptoms of a communicable disease, or have been advised by a medical professional not to travel or participate in strenuous outdoor activity.

If a client must cancel due to illness, including COVID-19 or another communicable disease, the applicable cancellation policy will apply unless Red Raven Guides agrees in writing to an alternative arrangement. Red Raven Guides may, at its discretion, offer trip credit, rescheduling options, or other accommodations when feasible; however, these accommodations are not guaranteed.

Clients are encouraged to obtain travel insurance that covers cancellation, interruption, medical treatment, evacuation, quarantine, and other travel-related expenses. Insurance policies vary, and clients are responsible for confirming that their selected policy provides the coverage they need.

Intellectual Property

This website, web domain, and all materials available through it—including, but not limited to, logos, trademarks, text, photographs, illustrations, videos, articles, blog posts, guides, trip descriptions, graphics, and opinions—are the property of Red Raven Guides, LLC, Elias Holt, their contributors, or their licensors, and are protected by applicable copyright, trademark, intellectual-property, and international laws.

All rights are reserved. No website content may be copied, reproduced, republished, modified, distributed, displayed, transmitted, or used for commercial purposes without the prior express written permission of Red Raven Guides, LLC and/or Elias Holt, except where otherwise permitted by law.

Agreement to Policy

By booking, paying a deposit for, or participating in a trip with Red Raven Guides, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agreed to this Booking, Cancellation, Assumption of Risk, and Website Use Policy.