Terms & Conditions
Confirmation
To participate in any of the activities organized by Climbing Sardinia you will need to send an email asking about availability and specifying any personal requirements. Climbing Sardinia will confirm availability and prices via e-mail. Climbing Sardinia will also try to provide additional services when required. Please verify that the activities and dates listed match your plans. If you have made reservations for others, you must provide each member of your party with a copy of the email message and all attachments. If you prefer, you can contact us with addresses and we will send packets to each member of your party.
Locations
Climbing Sardinia carries out activities on the whole island of Sardinia. Our Climbing Camps take place in Cala Gonone, Ulassai and Masua, while climbing courses, multi-pitches, canyoning and trekking take place over the mountainous areas known as Supramonte, Gennargentu and in the areas around Alghero, Monteleone Rocca Doria, Masua, Domusnovas, Cagliari and Tempio Pausania. When you contact us to reconfirm we will tell you where your activity is scheduled and provide directions and meeting times.
Acknowledgement of Risk and Registration Form
All participants must thoroughly read and sign our Acknowledgement of Risk form. If you are bringing a minor child that is not your own, you must arrange for this form to be read and signed by a parent or legal guardian of the minor child before you arrive. Please call us if you have questions regarding this form. A separate Acknowledgement of Risk form is required for each participant.
Medical Conditions
You should fill in our online Medical Questionnaire before starting the activities. The information on this form is only for use in the event of an accident or injury, so please do not withhold any information. Climbing Sardinia mountain guides and employees are not qualified to evaluate medical conditions. If you have any condition, illness or injury, or if you are taking any medication which might be of concern we strongly recommend that you obtain medical advice from a qualified physician before participation.
We will try to accommodate your conditions if possible and you must be aware that walking to reach the base of a crag can sometimes be a demanding activity, especially during the hot summer months. If you have such a condition that may prevent you from carrying out your scheduled activity you must tell us before your booking, so that we can help to arrange alternative plans with you and our instructors. Failure to carry out any activity due to a debilitating condition on which we were not informed will cause the immediate cancellation of your activity. Our instructors will take no risks.
Preparation
We will teach you all of the technical skills you need to climb, however, you must be in good physical condition to get the most out of your experience. Climbing, canyoning or walking are physically demanding endeavours and we recommend a training program consisting of any aerobic activity such as uphill walking, climbing up and down, hiking and biking. If you have access to weight training equipment, leg presses, extensions and curls are a great way to strengthen your quadriceps and hamstrings.
We don’t want you to be disappointed so please be prepared. It would also be beneficial for you to practice the two main knots we use: figure 8 and Bowline.
Transportation
You will need to arrange for your transportation to and from all of your activities. Public transportation in the area is limited, time-consuming, and expensive. Due to the distances, you will need to travel and the unpredictable finish times, we recommend renting a car for the duration of your stay in Sardinia. Climbing Sardinia employees CANNOT provide transportation under any circumstances.
What to Bring
Climbing Sardinia will provide all technical equipment (harnesses, helmets, ropes, quickdraws, slings, carabiners and belay devices). You must provide all personal equipment, appropriate clothing, trekking shoes, climbing shoes (these can be rented at Climbing Sardinia) and food. Please review the enclosed equipment list carefully. You must bring ALL items listed as essential for the activities you have planned. Weather on the island may be extremely hot in the summer and rainy from February to April. In Supramonte and Gennargentu the winter can be very cold with ice and snow. You must have clothing that can be layered and that keeps you warm and dry. Your safety, enjoyment and success depend on your having the correct clothing and equipment.
Climbing shoes: if you need climbing shoes you can rent them from us. Please email us so that we can reserve your pair. We have plenty of shoes in stock but if you have unusually large (over EUR 46) or small (under EUR 36) feet, we recommend that you bring or buy your own. We can recommend where to buy locally or online if necessary.
Arrival
You will meet at the designated location for your scheduled activity. It is very important that you arrive on time so please allow enough time to travel from wherever you are staying. We want your entire experience here to be positive so please do not speed. Once you arrive and meet your guide you will be required to complete some paperwork and sign an Acknowledgement of Risk form. You must read and consider it carefully before signing. As previously stated, a parent must sign the form for anyone under 18, so if you are bringing a minor that is not your child, you must arrange for the form to be signed before your arrival (please call the office for additional information).
Deposits Required
To book any activity, we will always require a deposit equal to or greater than 20% of the total amount. This shall be paid via PayPal to email address info@climbingsardinia.com
A deposit is always needed to reserve a space on our Climbing Camps or to book a course or day out with our instructors.
Payments
The balance due for your activity can be paid in cash or by card on the first day of activity.
One-day Activities: after contacting us and organizing the Course, Time, Location and eventual Details you should wire us the due deposit using our Payments Page or via PayPal. You should let us know when you intend to wire us the deposit. If we do not receive your deposit within 5 days of your activity we may consider your activity cancelled by you.
Multiple days activities: same as above.
Climbing Camps: when booking a climbing camp you should pay the total balance before the deadline using our Payments Page. You can pay a 25% deposit to reserve a place for you (and your group if you have one) and wire the remaining balance before the deadline. Please make sure you inform us in time if you have problems in paying the deposit or balance.
Cancellations
Long tours (such as the Selvaggio Blu or the Crossing of Supramonte): In the unfortunate case that you have to cancel your booking, we may keep part of it as a voucher that you may re-use for a future booking within the same year. This is subject to availability, and if we are not able to accommodate your trip in the same year, the voucher will be automatically extended to the next year.
- Over 2 months of notice: we refund 100% of what you paid
- Over 21 days of notice: we will refund 80% of what you paid*
- Less than 21 days of notice: we will refund 20% of what you paid*
*= In some cases the online payment platform may keep 1.4% of the transaction
Climbing Camps: our climbing camps can have a limited number of attendees and it is difficult, if not impossible, to fill spaces as the dates approach. Because of this, our cancellation policy is strict.
- 60 or more days’ notice: €100 cancellation fee
- 21 days’ notice: €200 cancellation fee
- Less than 21 days of notice: €400 cancellation fee
We strongly recommend that you obtain trip insurance as there will be no exceptions to this policy regardless of the reason for cancellation.
One-day activities: Cancellations with more than 7 days notice will be charged a cancellation fee equal to 20% of the activity’s total cost. Your entire payment is forfeited for cancellations within 48 hours (maximum €300).
Changes from you
You may change your activities or other multi-day climb dates, but only if space is available and when you are outside of the 60-day cancellation period noted above. The appropriate cancellation charges will apply when you are within 60 days of your scheduled climb, or if we do not have space on other dates within the same season to accommodate your change in plans. If we are unable to schedule your trip within the same season, the appropriate cancellation fee will apply. Again, we strongly recommend trip insurance. Changes for all other activities can be made as long as space is available and a minimum of 48 hours’ notice is provided.
Changes from Climbing Sardinia
Climbing Camps: although it never happened before, we suppose it may come a day when we have to make changes to dates or locations, and thus reserve the right to do so. In such a case we will call or email to inform you about any changes to previous plans, provide a new time and/or location or (when possible) arrange it with you. Our Climbing Camps require a minimum number of participants and we should cancel a camp if the number is not reached before its deadline. In case the number of participants registered to your camp was not met on time we will have to cancel the camp. If places are available in other camps we can offer you to move to that. In case of cancellation of a climbing camp, we will refund all payments and deposits.
We may have to make some minor changes to plans, such as climbing locations or restaurants. This will always be communicated to you in time. New restaurants will always keep the same standards as previously arranged, and we will not apply additional charges in case we book the dinners included in our climbing camps to a more expensive restaurant.
Significant changes (these are such changes that, provided the information you gave us, we believe may affect your stay and compromise your decision to participate in the climbing camp) will be communicated to you as soon as we become aware and you may be entitled to decide to have a full refund of costs (including all deposits) or book an alternative climbing camp or other activity. Such changes may be a change in accommodation (a very distant one, or one with much lower standards) or timing.
If changes will be made within 48 hours of your arrival and they affect your stay in Sardinia we will call you and arrange with you the best possible solution at no additional costs (within a 20% limit of our previous costs).
Cancellation by Climbing Sardinia
In the unlikely event that we may be forced to cancel a tour, we will refund 100% of what you paid.
Although cancellations from our side are rare, we advise all participants to always purchase insurance on flight tickets. This would guarantee no losses on your side.
Force Majeure
We will not be liable for compensations due to cancellations or modifications of previously agreed plans, or changes in the performance of our obligations under our contract with you or for any eventual damage, loss or expense of any nature as a result of “force majeure”. The term “force majeure” includes actual or threatened war, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity, industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, adverse weather conditions, fire and all similar events outside our control.
Adverse weather conditions
One-day activities: In case of adverse weather conditions we will try to re-schedule your activity at no additional costs. The date for the re-scheduled activity will depend on our instructors’ availability. If we cannot find a suitable date to re-schedule your activity we will keep a 25% booking deposit only and compensate for any other payment that was made for that day of activity.
Multiple-day activities: Same as above.
Climbing Camps: as the dates of our climbing camps are fixed we cannot re-schedule or compensate for any cancellation due to adverse weather conditions. Anyhow, apart from trying to climb on Wednesday (otherwise a resting day), we will try to arrange alternative activities or find alternative climbing locations at no additional costs.
Our Liability to you
Climbing Sardinia will strive and promise to make sure that all the activities agreed with you will be provided and carried out with reasonable skills and care. Any employee, instructor, representative or supplier of Climbing Sardinia will accept responsibility if your activity is not provided as promised or proves to be unsatisfactory, or in case you will suffer personal injury or death as a consequence of our scarce care or lack of skills.
If you wish to claim our performance you should always be able to prove the lack of satisfactory care and skills from us. Furthermore, we are only responsible for actions our employees, instructors and suppliers do or do not do while working under contract with us at the time of your scheduled activities.
We will not be responsible for any injury, illness, death, loss, damage, expense, cost or other sum or claim of any description whatsoever which results from any of the following: –
- The acts and/or omissions of the persons affected or any members of their group.
- The acts and/or omissions of a third party not connected with the provision of your holiday and which were unforeseeable or unavoidable.
- ‘Force majeure’ as defined in the clause above.
We will not accept responsibility for any service or person that is not part of our contract. This includes flights, accommodation, transport and any additional service or facility that other suppliers will provide to you and is not listed on our contract or written communications.
The details on our website, promises and written agreements, together with the laws and regulations of the country from where you made a claim, will be used as a base to judge whether the services in question were properly provided. As services are provided on Italian territory, Italian laws may be applied to judge whether a service was properly provided.
In case we are found liable for loss of and/or damage to any luggage or personal possessions (including money), the maximum amount we will have to pay you is €250 per person affected unless a lower limitation applies to your claim under this clause or clause below. You must ensure you have appropriate travel insurance to protect your personal belongings.
For all other claims which do not involve death or personal injury, if we are found liable to you on any basis the maximum amount we will have to pay you is twice the price (excluding insurance premiums and amendment charges) paid by you in total unless a lower limitation applies to your claim under the clause below. This maximum amount will only be payable where everything has gone wrong and you have not received any benefit at all from your holiday.
Please note, we cannot accept any liability for any damage, loss, expense or other sums of any description based on the information given to us by you concerning your booking before our accepting it, we could not have foreseen you would suffer or incur if we breached our contract with you or which did not result from any breach of contract or other faults by ourselves or our employees or, where we are responsible for them, our suppliers. Additionally, we cannot accept liability for any business losses.
Insurance
We advise you to purchase adequate and appropriate travel insurance to cover all the activities you will or may participate in during your holiday. Please remember that many travel insurance policies do not cover hazardous activities as standard. We generally recommend booking an insurance policy from one of the following companies, but we cannot give you legal advice on personal conditions or prices:
Please read your policy details carefully and take them with you on holiday. It is your responsibility to ensure that the insurance coverage you purchase is suitable and adequate for your particular needs.
PS: Please notice that although climbing has a bad reputation, Canyoning is actually the riskiest activity as walking on slippery rocks can easily cause ankle sprains and other injuries.
Complaints and problems
In the unfortunate and unlikely event that you have any reason to complain or experience any problems with your activity, you must immediately inform our local representative or agent or the supplier of the service in question. Any verbal notification must be put in writing and given to our representative/agent and the supplier as soon as possible and sent via e-mail giving us full details and a contact number. Until we know about a complaint or problem, we cannot begin to resolve it. Most problems can be dealt with quickly. If you remain dissatisfied, however, you must write to us within 30 days of your return giving your name and full details of your complaint. In the case of a group, only the party leader should write to us. For all complaints and claims which do not involve death, personal injury or illness, we regret we cannot accept liability if you fail to notify the complaint or claim entirely by this clause.
Behaviour and damage
When participating in any of our activities you are responsible for any damage or loss caused by you. For groups, the group leader is also responsible for any damage or loss caused by any group member. Full payment for any such damage or loss (reasonably estimated if not precisely known) must be made directly to the accommodation manager or other supplier or us as soon as possible.
If the actual cost of the loss or damage exceeds the amount paid when estimated, you or the group leader must pay the difference once known. If the actual cost is less than the amount paid, the difference will be refunded. You and the group leader will also be responsible for meeting any claims subsequently made against us and all costs incurred by us (including our own and the other party’s full legal costs) as a result of your / the group’s actions. You should ensure you have appropriate travel insurance to protect you if this situation arises.
We expect all attendees to have consideration for other people. If in our reasonable opinion or the reasonable opinion of any other person in authority, you or the group behaves in such a way as to cause or be likely to cause danger, upset or distress to any third party or damage to property, we are entitled, without prior notice, to terminate the activity of the persons concerned (which may be the whole group where we reasonably consider this to be appropriate). In this situation, the persons concerned will be required to leave the accommodation or other services. We will have no further responsibility toward such persons including any return travel arrangements. No refunds will be made and we will not pay any expenses or costs incurred as a result of the termination.
Conditions of suppliers
Many of the services that make up your Climbing Camp or other activity are provided by independent suppliers. These suppliers provide services by their terms and conditions. Some of these terms and conditions may limit or exclude the supplier’s liability to you, usually by applicable international conventions. Copies of the relevant parts of these terms and conditions and the international conventions are available on request from us or the supplier concerned.
Excursions, activities and general area information
In addition to the activities that are included in our Climbing Camp or other activities, we may provide you (through our website, newsletters or emails) with information about accommodations, activities and excursions that are available for you to book directly in the area you are visiting. We have no involvement in any such activities or excursions that are neither run, supervised nor controlled in any way by us. They do not form any part of your contract with us even where we suggest particular operators/other third parties and/or assist you in booking such activities or excursions in any way. We cannot accept any liability on any basis about such activities or excursions and the acceptance of our booking conditions will not apply to them.
We cannot guarantee the accuracy at all times of information given in relation to such activities or excursions or about the area you are visiting generally or that any particular excursion or activity which does not form part of our contract will take place as these services are not under our control in any way.
Flights
Climbing Sardinia never books flights for attendees and does not take responsibility for losses or damages caused by flight companies or other services provided by flight companies’ suppliers. It will be up to you to reserve your return flights to Sardinia. Please keep in mind that prices fluctuate, especially when using low-cost companies. You can fly into Sardinia at three different airports: Cagliari, Alghero and Olbia. Since the return time from climbing will depend on many factors we ask that you not schedule your departure flight until the day after your climb. We cannot guarantee that you will be able to make a flight on the evening that you complete climbing, and we are not responsible for any missed flights.
How to Reach Us
You can email us at info@climbingsardinia.com or call us at +393291547816The best time to reach us is between 10:30 am and 6:00 pm Italian time. We are open Monday to Friday from November to April and 7 days a week between May and October.