INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF MOUNTAINEERING

Booking Conditions – 2026

These Booking Conditions set out the terms on which International School of Mountaineering Limited (ISM) provides its courses, guiding, instruction and expeditions.

Please read them carefully before making a booking.

In these Conditions, “ISM”, “we”, “our” and “us” mean International School of Mountaineering Limited.

International School of Mountaineering Limited
Company Registration Number: 5594790
Registered Office: 21 Nightingale Way, Catterall, Preston, England, PR3 1TQ
Email: ism@alpin-ism.com

“You” and “your” mean the person making the booking and, where appropriate, each person participating in the booked activity.

Where applicable to your booking, we operate in accordance with the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018, as amended.

1. Making a Booking

Bookings can only be made by a person aged 18 or over.

Younger participants may be accepted on specific ISM courses by prior agreement and subject to appropriate written parental or guardian consent.

A booking is confirmed when:

• you have completed the required booking information;
• we have received the required deposit or full payment; and
• ISM has issued confirmation of your booking.

The contract between you and ISM comes into effect when we confirm your booking.

Your contract with us includes these Booking Conditions together with the relevant course information provided on the ISM website, your booking information and any other written information that we specifically confirm forms part of your booking.

Please check your booking confirmation carefully and contact us promptly if anything is incorrect.

2. Deposit and Final Balance

Unless otherwise stated for a particular course or expedition, a £300 non-refundable deposit is required to secure your booking.

Your final balance is due 8 weeks (56 days) before the course start date.

If you book within 8 weeks of the course start date, the full course fee is payable at the time of booking.

If your balance has not been received by the due date, we will contact you. If payment remains outstanding, we reserve the right to treat your booking as cancelled by you and the applicable cancellation terms may apply.

3. Course Confirmation and Minimum Numbers

Some ISM courses require a minimum number of participants in order to operate.

We recognise that clients need reasonable certainty before committing to flights, travel arrangements, additional accommodation and time away from work. We therefore actively monitor booking numbers rather than expecting clients to contact us to find out whether their course is likely to operate.

8 weeks before your course

ISM will review the booking status of courses subject to minimum numbers no later than 8 weeks before the course start date.

If the required minimum number has been reached, we will confirm that the course is operating and the final balance will be due in accordance with Section 2.

Once your course has been confirmed, you can proceed with your travel arrangements, taking into account the insurance requirements and recommendations in these Conditions.

If the minimum number has not been reached at the 8-week point, we will contact affected clients directly rather than simply issuing a standard final-balance request.

We will explain the current position, provide appropriate guidance regarding travel arrangements and continue to monitor bookings.

Where appropriate, we may also discuss possible alternatives with you, such as another course date or suitable ISM programme.

Final decision – 4 weeks before your course

Where minimum numbers have still not been reached, ISM will make a final decision about whether the course can operate no later than 4 weeks before the course start date, subject to any earlier notification period required by applicable law.

If the course cannot operate, we will contact you directly and explain the options available.

Depending on the circumstances, these may include:

• transferring your booking to another suitable course or date;
• offering an appropriate alternative programme;
• offering the opportunity for the programme to operate with a supplement where this is practical and mutually agreed; or
• providing the appropriate refund of payments made to ISM.

Our intention is that clients should not have to chase ISM to find out whether their course is likely to run. We will aim to keep you informed and give you as much certainty as reasonably possible.

4. What Your Course Fee Includes

ISM courses and programmes vary considerably, so what is included in your course fee is stated on the individual course page and associated booking information.

This information should be treated as the definitive description of the normal inclusions and exclusions for your particular programme.

Depending on the course, inclusions may include guiding or instruction, accommodation, meals, mountain huts, local transport, cable cars, mountain railways or the use of specified technical equipment.

Other courses may include only some of these services.

Unless specifically stated as included, you should not assume that a particular service or expense forms part of the course fee.

If you are unsure whether something is included, please contact us before booking or making additional travel arrangements.

5. Fitness, Experience and Suitability

Mountaineering, climbing, skiing and expedition activities can be physically and mentally demanding.

It is your responsibility to read the course description carefully and make a reasonable assessment of whether your fitness, experience and ability are appropriate for the programme.

If you are unsure, please contact us before booking. We would much rather discuss your experience and objectives with you beforehand and help you choose an appropriate course.

You must provide accurate information when we ask about your previous experience, fitness, health or other matters relevant to your participation.

If we reasonably believe that your fitness, experience, health or ability is not appropriate for the course, we may need to modify your participation or, in exceptional circumstances, ask you to withdraw from part or all of the programme.

Any such decision will be made with regard to your safety, the safety of the group and the safe delivery of the course.

6. Health and Medical Information

You must tell ISM about any medical condition, injury, medication, allergy or other health matter that may reasonably affect your ability to participate safely in your chosen activity.

If anything relevant changes between booking and the start of your course, you must update us.

Where reasonably necessary, ISM may ask you to obtain confirmation from an appropriate medical professional that you are fit to participate.

Relevant information may be shared with your guide or instructor where it is reasonably necessary for the safe delivery of your activity.

Medical and health information will be handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy and applicable data protection law.

7. Your Responsibilities

You agree to:

• provide accurate information relevant to your booking;
• follow reasonable instructions given by ISM and your guide or instructor;
• bring appropriate clothing and personal equipment as advised;
• obtain appropriate passports, visas, vaccinations and other travel documentation;
• maintain the required insurance;
• behave responsibly towards guides, staff, other clients and members of the public;
• tell your guide promptly if you are unwell, injured, struggling or have concerns that may affect your participation.

You remain responsible for your personal belongings and valuables throughout your course.

8. Equipment

The equipment required varies between programmes.

You are responsible for bringing the clothing, footwear and personal equipment specified in the information provided for your course.

Where ISM provides or loans technical equipment, you must use it in accordance with the instructions of your guide or instructor and take reasonable care of it.

If you are unsure whether equipment you already own is suitable, please contact us before your course. We are always happy to offer advice.

9. Insurance

All ISM clients are required to have appropriate insurance for their course or programme.

As a minimum, your insurance must provide appropriate cover for:

• emergency medical treatment; and
• mountain rescue, including helicopter rescue where applicable.

Your insurance must also be suitable for the activities you will undertake, the geographical area in which your course takes place and, where relevant, the altitude involved.

Depending on the programme, this may include cover for mountaineering, climbing, skiing, ski touring or other specialist mountain activities.

You may be required to provide evidence of appropriate insurance before participating.

ISM reserves the right to refuse participation where the required insurance is not in place or is clearly inadequate for the activity concerned.

Cancellation insurance

We strongly recommend arranging appropriate cancellation insurance at the time you make your booking, rather than waiting until shortly before travelling.

Unexpected circumstances can arise at any time. An illness, injury or even something as straightforward as a badly twisted ankle shortly before departure could prevent you from participating.

Appropriate cancellation insurance may allow you to recover eligible course fees and other travel costs from your insurer.

This is particularly important because, as your course approaches, ISM makes significant financial commitments in order to deliver your place.

These may include:

• contracting your mountain guide;
• hotel accommodation;
• mountain hut reservations;
• transport; and
• other services associated with your particular programme.

Many of these costs may already have been committed and may not be recoverable by ISM if you subsequently cancel.

If you are unsure whether an insurance policy provides appropriate cover for your ISM programme, please check directly with the insurer before purchasing it.

10. Changing Your Booking

If you wish to change your course or course date, please contact us as early as possible.

We understand that plans sometimes change and ISM does not apply a standard administration charge simply for requesting a change of course or date.

We will make reasonable efforts to accommodate your request where places and suitable alternatives are available.

However, we cannot guarantee that a requested change will be possible.

Where ISM or its suppliers have already made non-recoverable financial commitments relating to your original booking, we will explain the position to you before agreeing any change.

A significant change requested close to the course start date may need to be treated as a cancellation and new booking, in which case the cancellation terms below may apply.

11. Cancellation by You

If you need to cancel your booking, please notify ISM in writing as soon as possible.

As your course approaches, ISM makes increasing financial commitments in order to deliver your place.

The main costs of an ISM course can include contracting your mountain guide, hotel accommodation and mountain hut reservations, together with transport and other programme-specific costs.

For this reason, cancellation charges increase as the course start date approaches.

More than 8 weeks (56 days) before the course start date

Your £300 deposit is retained.

Between 8 weeks (56 days) and 30 days before the course start date

Your £300 deposit plus 50% of the remaining course balance is payable.

Fewer than 30 days before the course start date

The full course fee is payable.

These cancellation terms reflect the increasing costs and commitments associated with delivering your booking as the course approaches.

We strongly recommend appropriate cancellation insurance from the time of booking so that, where your reason for cancellation is covered by your policy, you may be able to recover eligible losses through your insurer.

12. Weather, Mountain Conditions and Changes to the Programme

Mountaineering takes place in a dynamic natural environment.

Weather, snow conditions, glacier conditions, objective hazards, lift operations, hut availability, the ability and experience of the group and many other factors can affect what is appropriate or possible on any particular day.

Published itineraries therefore describe the intended character and objectives of a course rather than guaranteeing a fixed day-by-day programme or particular summit.

Your guide will continually assess the conditions, the group and the available options and will use their professional judgement to select appropriate objectives.

Safety will always be an overriding consideration.

This may mean changing the order of the programme, choosing a different route, mountain or objective, modifying an activity or deciding not to attempt or continue with a particular objective.

Flexibility is an essential part of mountaineering.

Where possible, your guide will explain these decisions to the group. Understanding how objectives are chosen in response to weather, conditions and the abilities of the team is itself an important part of developing as a mountaineer.

A change of itinerary or objective for these reasons does not in itself constitute a failure by ISM to provide the course you booked.

13. Additional Costs During a Programme

Because ISM programmes vary considerably, there is no single rule covering every possible additional mountain cost.

The individual course page and joining information will explain the normal inclusions for your programme.

Occasionally weather, mountain conditions, hut availability or a change of objective may create an opportunity or requirement involving additional accommodation, mountain huts, lifts, transport or other services not included in the advertised programme.

Where reasonably possible, any significant additional cost will be explained and discussed with you before it is incurred.

The arrangements may vary according to the particular course and circumstances.

14. Guides and Guiding Ratios

ISM uses appropriately qualified guides and instructors for its programmes.

Guiding and instructional ratios are determined according to the activity, terrain, conditions, professional guidance and the safe delivery of the programme.

In exceptional circumstances, such as guide illness or another unforeseen staffing issue, ISM may need to change the guide or adjust arrangements.

We will only do so where we consider that the revised arrangements allow the programme to be delivered appropriately and safely and in accordance with applicable professional requirements.

15. The Nature and Risks of Mountaineering

Mountaineering, climbing, skiing and expedition activities take place in environments where risk cannot be completely eliminated.

Depending on the activity, hazards may include falls, rockfall, avalanches, crevasses, changing snow or ice conditions, altitude, severe weather, rapidly changing mountain conditions and other objective and subjective hazards.

Professional guiding, instruction, appropriate equipment, good decision-making and careful risk management can reduce risk, but cannot remove it entirely.

By booking an ISM course or activity, you acknowledge that the activity involves inherent risks and agree to follow the reasonable instructions and decisions of your guide or instructor.

Nothing in these Booking Conditions is intended to exclude or limit liability where it would be unlawful for ISM to do so.

16. Changes or Cancellation by ISM

Occasionally ISM may need to change or cancel a course because of circumstances outside our reasonable control, insufficient participant numbers, guide availability, safety considerations or other operational reasons.

Where possible, we will tell you as soon as reasonably practicable and explain the options available to you.

For courses dependent on minimum numbers, the specific 8-week review and 4-week final decision process in Section 3 will apply.

Depending on the circumstances and applicable law, the options available may include:

• transferring to another course or date;
• accepting an alternative programme;
• agreeing a supplement to allow a programme to operate with fewer participants; or
• receiving an appropriate refund.

Where cancellation or significant change results from unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances, your rights will be determined in accordance with applicable law.

17. Conduct

We want everyone participating in an ISM programme to have a safe, enjoyable and positive experience.

We reserve the right to remove a participant from a course where their behaviour presents a significant safety concern, seriously disrupts the experience of other participants or staff, or involves abusive, threatening or otherwise unacceptable behaviour.

We may also take appropriate action where a participant has deliberately withheld material information relevant to the safe delivery of their course.

Any decision to remove someone from a programme will be taken reasonably and with regard to the circumstances.

18. Passports, Visas and Travel Requirements

You are responsible for ensuring that you hold the passports, visas, permits and other travel documentation required for your destination.

You are also responsible for complying with relevant entry requirements, health requirements and vaccination requirements.

Please allow sufficient time to arrange these before travelling.

ISM cannot accept responsibility where you are unable to participate because you have not obtained the required documentation, except where the law provides otherwise.

19. Liability

ISM accepts responsibility for the performance of the services included in your contract to the extent required by applicable law.

Nothing in these Booking Conditions excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence where such liability cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.

Our responsibility may be affected where loss, damage or failure arises from:

• your own acts or omissions;
• an unconnected third party in circumstances that were unforeseeable or unavoidable;
• unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances; or
• another circumstance for which liability may lawfully be excluded or limited.

20. Complaints and Problems During Your Course

We want to know promptly if something is not right.

If you experience a problem during your course, please tell your guide, instructor or the relevant service provider as soon as reasonably possible. This gives us the opportunity to understand the issue and, wherever possible, put things right while you are still with us.

If the matter cannot be resolved during the course, please contact the ISM office.

If you wish to make a formal complaint after your course, please write to us with the relevant details as soon as reasonably possible so that we can investigate properly.

Where applicable, your obligations and our responsibilities regarding complaints will be governed by relevant consumer and package travel legislation.

21. Personal Information and Privacy

We collect and use personal information in order to respond to enquiries, administer bookings and safely deliver our courses and expeditions.

This can include health and medical information where it is relevant to your participation.

Further information about how we collect, use, store and share personal information can be found in the ISM Privacy Policy.

22. Website and Course Information

We take reasonable care to ensure that information published by ISM is accurate.

However, mountain programmes operate in changing environments and some information may need to be updated after publication.

Where there is a significant change relevant to your booking, we will communicate this to you as appropriate.

Photographs, example itineraries and descriptions are intended to illustrate the character of a programme and should not be interpreted as guarantees that a particular route, summit, mountain, condition or experience will occur.

23. Severability

If any part of these Booking Conditions is found by a court or other competent authority to be unlawful or unenforceable, that provision will be treated accordingly without affecting the validity of the remaining provisions.

24. Governing Law

Your contract with ISM is governed by the law of England and Wales.

25. Contacting ISM

If you have any questions about these Booking Conditions, your booking or your course, please contact us.

International School of Mountaineering Ltd
Email: ism@alpin-ism.com

We're always happy to answer questions and would much rather help you understand something before your course than have you remain unsure.

Last updated: October 2026