Open Expeditions Booking Terms & Conditions

To book onto any of our Open Expeditions, you will need to complete our Registration & Medical Consent Form and pay the required deposit. We will then send you confirmation of your booking along with our Information Pack. 

• Access to our online Factsheets and Training Videos.

• Access to our Joining Instructions, sent to you 3-4 weeks before each expedition.

• Inclusion in a WhatsApp chat group to enable you to share information with other participants.

• Office support from our Company Directors who will manage your booking and expeditions.

• Training & Supervision from our team of qualified and experienced Expedition Leaders.

• Experienced DofE Accredited Assessors for DofE Qualifying Expeditions.

• Campsite fees.

• Inclusive use of group kit required for your expedition:

  • 1. • Tents (Endurance Crag 300 lightweight expedition tents)

       • Trangia stoves & fuel (gas)

       • Maps & Map Cases (minimum 2 per team)

       • Group First Aid Kit

• Canoeing expeditions include:

  • 1. • Canoes

       • Paddles

       • Buoyancy Aids

       • Throwlines

       • Paddlesport Dry Bags (65 litre capacity)

• Transport to & from the expedition area.

• Personal equipment & clothing.

• Food during the training and expeditions.

• Supervision or transport for any participants who are withdrawn and are no longer able to continue on the expedition. A responsible adult will need to be able to be contacted who could come and collect you if you have to withdraw.

For Open Canoeing Expeditions, a minimum number of 8 participants are required.

For Open Walking Expeditions, a minimum number of 7 participants are required.

If we have less than the minimum number of participants registered with 6 weeks (42 days) to go before the start of the expedition, we will contact participants who have registered to discuss alternative options.

We try to avoid cancellations as these can be very disappointing and frustrating to all involved. However, whilst we will take every possible route to avoid doing so, sometimes it is unavoidable. We may have to cancel or postpone an expedition for reasons of safety at our absolute discretion or for other matters of serious concern beyond our control which may occur up to and including the date of the activity. The following are examples which may lead to cancellation but is not limited to these:

• Act of God

• war or civil war

• terrorism 

• invasion 

• revolution

• riot 

• disorder

• fire  

• civil disturbance and human and animal movement restrictions 

• regulations or other refusals to grant licenses by local authority or UK government 

• extreme weather

• flooding

• rivers in spate

• outbreak of infectious or notifiable disease & imposition of quarantine (e.g. COVID-19 or similar)

In the event that we have to cancel the expedition without any work having been delivered, then we will provide a full refund of any money that has already been paid. If work has been delivered, then we will deduct the cost of this activity from the amount refunded. If the expedition is rescheduled to a different date, then your booking and any money paid will be transferred to the new dates.

If you wish to cancel your booking we require notification by email (in writing). As we may not be able to find another person to take your place on the expedition and will have incurred costs with your booking, the following terms apply:

Notification received up to 42 days (6 weeks) before start of the expedition:

• Loss of deposit

Notification received less than 42 days (6 weeks) before start of the expedition:

• Following medical advice, including COVID-19: loss of deposit if supported by written evidence from GP, consultant or evidence from NHS Test & Trace app.

• Any other reason, no refund.

Once the expedition starts, we cannot provide any refunds, including if you have to withdraw during the expedition, even if this is due to injury or other medical situations. We do advise that you therefore take out cancellation and curtailment insurance in case you are unable to attend or have to withdraw during the expedition.

Dates

All participants must attend all activity dates as advertised. 

Equipment

Participants must look after any equipment issued for use by them and their team and return the equipment complete and in good condition. A charge will be made for any lost or damaged equipment.

Respect

Participants must respect all other participants, leaders and members of the public. All participants should, at all times, listen to and act upon any advice and instructions given, and conduct themselves with the highest standards of behaviour. Any participant who is disruptive or disrespectful will be asked to leave the expedition with immediate effect and will not receive any refund.

The Law

Participants must comply with the law, Countryside Code and the guidelines issued by campsites. All participants must conduct themselves in a manner which reflects and upholds the positive reputation of The Duke of Edinburgh's Award and Karos Adventure.

Mobile Phones

All participants must follow the Karos Adventure mobile phone policy at all times, when on an activity. Please refer to our mobile phone policy which can be found on our website www.karosadventure.com

We reserve the right to exclude any participant from an expedition if in our opinion their inclusion would pose a safety risk to themselves or any other member of the team. In the event of exclusion we will not offer any refund. Reasons for exclusion may include but are not limited to:

• Not having the correct equipment.

• Not being physically able to safely take part in the expedition.

• Disobeying a direct safety instruction.

• Disruptive or threatening behaviour.

• Use or possession of illegal substances.

Booking on to, and paying for, an expedition does not guarantee successful completion. Whilst we will endeavour to ensure that the training and/or expedition is successful for every participant, on rare occasions, we may feel that a participant or team requires additional training to reach the required standard for safety. 

Participants are required to demonstrate the expedition skills that they have learned before we can sign off their training and practice expeditions. Where skills have not been demonstrated to the appropriate standard, we may recommend that participant(s) undertake further Training and/or Practice Expeditions before they take part on their Qualifying Expedition. We accept no responsibility for any additional costs incurred as a result of participants not successfully completing Training, Practice or Qualifying Expeditions. 

Karos Adventure is insured by Activities Industry Mutual to deliver DofE Expeditions by foot, canoe or kayak and have a public liability insurance of £10 million. Further details of our insurance policy are available upon request.

Karos Adventure are licenced to deliver DofE Expeditions by foot, canoe or kayak under the terms of our Adventure Activities Licence issued by the Health & Safety Executive. 

Karos Adventure are licenced by the Duke of Edinburgh's Award as an Approved Activity Provider (AAP) to deliver DofE Expeditions and Residentials.

Transport is not provided either to/from or during your expedition. In the event of an emergency, you may be transported by one of our Expedition Leaders using their own vehicle under their own business insurance. Any travel in Karos Adventure leader's vehicle is conducted on a goodwill basis – no right to travel is intended or implied. Any travel arrangements made are non-commercial arrangements and any payments made are solely on a cost-sharing basis. No liability is accepted by Karos Adventure for any loss or damage experienced by a participant in such cases 

Participants must ensure that they:

• check that our expedition meets the requirements of your Operating Authority

• fully complete our online Application & Medical Consent Form

• inform us of any changes to the information provided on the Application & Medical Consent Form prior to the start of the expedition

• undertake any personal training to ensure that you are prepared and fit enough for the expedition

• ensure that you arrive with the appropriate kit and food that you will need for the expedition.

All participants are required to detail any medical conditions, illnesses and injuries (recent, historic, sporting or otherwise), allergies, medications taken or that may be needed while with us or any other details that may affect them during their expedition. This information is included on our Application & Medical Consent Form.

If any medical information changes between completing our online Medical Consent Form and the start of your expedition, it is your responsibility to inform us immediately – please email details to info@karosadventure.com.

Full medical information is required in advance so that we can make any preparations to support you throughout your expedition. We are supportive and have experience of working with a wide range of medical conditions and differing needs but can only provide you with a safe, high quality experience if we have information in advance.

Prior consent is requested from participants (or their parents/carers) that in the event of an accident or incident, authorisation is given for any emergency treatment as considered necessary by the medical authorities present. In such circumstances, authorisation would apply to ourselves to sign on behalf of the participant, any written form of consent required, provided that in the opinion of the GP or consultant any delay could endanger the health and safety of the participant.

On all activities run by Karos Adventure photographs will only taken for the following purposes:

• for use in a presentation or follow-up work produced by the participants.

• for use in Karos Adventure presentations within schools to promote our activities.

Participants are discouraged from using their mobile phones to take photographs whilst on an activity. An alternative device such as a camera should be brought for this purpose. Participants should not share photographs via social media unless they have permission from all who appear in the photograph.

In line with our safeguarding policy, Karos Adventure will not publish, on our website or on any social media platform, photographs that could reveal the identity of a participant. Karos Adventure staff will only take photographs using Karos Adventure equipment and will not take photographs using their own personal devices.

Karos Adventure cannot be held responsible for the content and destination of photographs taken by participants or by school staff.

Should you wish this participant not to appear on any photographs taken by Karos Adventure staff, please email us at info@karosadventure.com giving details of their name and which expedition they are attending.

Karos Adventure takes all reasonable steps to provide participants with a level of care and assurances of safety appropriate to the activity undertaken. However, there are certain risks which are integral to outdoor activities and which cannot be eliminated without destroying the unique character and benefits that such programmes bring.

Outdoor programmes, training, assessments and particularly, DofE Expeditions, may be unaccompanied, self-reliant and need to be completely by participants' own efforts with minimal external intervention. As such, participants will not be directly supervised 100% of the time – this is a requirement of DofE Qualifying Expeditions.

During our expeditions, participants may encounter the following:

• Walking on rough, uneven terrain

• Extended periods of tough, physical effort

• Environmental hazards (e.g. changeable weather and terrain)

• Feeling uncomfortable, tired and upset.