Booking and Cancellation Policy
Ireland 7 Summits
Our Ireland 7 Summits hike rates are kept low to allow you to reserve your place in advance and plan ahead without the fear of a financial burden.
All professional guides are booked and paid for eight weeks in advance of your hike date.
Date Changes: You may request a date change in writing to info@blackmountaineering up to six weeks prior to your event date. Changes can be made on a one-time basis only, transferring your entry to a subsequent hike date or year. There will be no refund on a transferred entry.
Cancellations: If you cancel your entry after the six-week deadline, you will forfeit your place. No refund will be issued.
No-Shows: If you do not attend on the day of your hike, you automatically forfeit your place. This will not roll over or be transferred to a subsequent year.
Deposits: All deposits are non-refundable.
Ireland 7 Summits package: If you have booked the full Ireland 7 Summits package and are unable to make a hike you can transfer that specific hike to the next year on a one year basis. It cannot be rolled forward indefinitely. The same six weeks notice period applies and a maximum of 3 hikes can be transferred in the first year of booking.
Ireland 4 Peaks Challenge
All transport and professional guides are booked and paid for eight weeks in advance of your challenge date. Our booking deposits are kept low to allow you to reserve your place in advance and plan ahead without financial burden.
Date Changes: You may request a date change in writing to info@blackmountaineering up to eight weeks prior to your event date, on a one-time basis.
Entry Transfers: You may transfer your entry to another person in writing to info@blackmountaineering up to eight weeks prior to your event date, on a one-time basis. There will be no refund on a transferred entry.
Cancellations: If you cancel your entry entirely within eight weeks of your event date, you must pay the total balance due.
No-Shows: If you do not attend on the day of your hike, you automatically forfeit your place.
No refund or transfer will be issued.
International Expeditions
Payment Schedule
The following payment schedule applies to all International Expedition bookings:
| Payment Stage | Payment Due at Booking |
| Deposit | At time of booking |
| 50% of total cost | 6 months before departure |
| Remaining balance | 3 months before departure |
The payment milestones are fixed to the expedition date, not to when you book. If you book late and a payment stage has already passed, that payment becomes due immediately at the time of booking. For example:
| Booking Scenario | Payment Due at Booking |
| More than 6 months before departure | Deposit only |
| Between 6 months and 3 months before departure | Deposit + 50% of total cost |
| Less than 3 months before departure | Full payment |
We are flexible with final payment dates on a case-by-case basis. If you require a payment extension, please contact us up to 4 months prior to the expedition date.
Cancellation & Refund Policy
The following cancellation tiers apply regardless of when the booking was made or how much has been paid at the time of cancellation. All cancellations must be notified in writing to info@blackmountaineering.com.
| Notice Period | Refund |
| 12 weeks or more | 100% refund |
| 12 – 8 weeks | 50% refund |
| 8 weeks or less | No refund |
Depending on the reason for cancellation, you may be able to reclaim cancellation charges less any applicable excess under the terms of your travel insurance policy. Claims must be made directly to your insurance provider.
Exceptional Cases — Pre-Paid Permits & Logistics
For certain expeditions, booking deposits must be paid in advance to expedition logistics companies or climbing permit authorities. Regardless of the notice period given, refunds are not recoverable for the following:
- Aconcagua
- Mt. Everest
- Ama Dablam
- Mera Peak
- Island Peak
- Kilimanjaro
- Himlung Himal
This list is not exhaustive. We will inform you at the time of booking if your expedition falls into this category.
Transferring Your Booking
You may transfer your place to another person (introduced by you) if you are prevented from travelling, subject to the following conditions:
- We must be notified in writing to info@blackmountaineering no less than 8 weeks before departure
- The transfer must be practically possible given the bookings made in your name.
- All costs and charges incurred by us or our suppliers as a result of the transfer must be paid in full before the transfer can be effected.
- In some cases, a change of name on a permit may not be possible and a new permit may be required from the climbing authorities which will be your responsibility to discharge.
Insurance
We strongly advocate taking out travel insurance as soon as possible after booking.
Up to and over 4,000m: www.truetraveller.com
6,000m – 8,000m: partner.globalrescue.com/jasonblackmountaineering
Changes to Your Confirmed Trip
We reserve the right to adjust trip prices if the authorities in the country of destination increase logistics fees, climbing permits, or any other expedition element at short notice. We will only pass on extra costs that are directly incurred or imposed by our suppliers.
If you change your trip dates, this will normally be treated as a cancellation of the original booking and a new booking, in which case cancellation charges will apply. Changes may also result in a recalculation of the trip price.
The itinerary is a guide which we will endeavour to follow. However, it may be necessary to alter it at short notice due to circumstances outside our control, such as adverse weather, road conditions, or force majeure events. Your itinerary will remain the same in content as far as is reasonably possible. Should weather conditions result in additional costs such as accommodation, transport, or meals, these will be borne by the client.
Changes and Cancellations by Us
We reserve the right to make changes to and correct errors in advertised and confirmed details and to cancel confirmed bookings. Our trips may require a minimum number of participants. If the required minimum has not been reached, we are entitled to cancel and will notify you no less than 28 days prior to departure.
Most changes will be minor. Where we must make a significant change — one which could reasonably be expected to have a major effect on your trip — or cancel before departure, we will inform you as soon as possible and offer you the choice of:
- Accepting the changed arrangements; or
- Transferring to an alternative trip.
If the alternative is cheaper, we will refund the price difference.
If the alternative is more expensive, you will need to pay the difference.
These options are not available for minor changes caused by force majeure.
In very rare circumstances, force majeure may require us to change or terminate your trip after departure. In this event, we regret that we will be unable to make refunds (unless obtained from our suppliers), pay compensation, or meet any costs or expenses incurred as a result.
If your booked trip fails to reach the minimum booking number, we will refund the payments you have made in full or offer you an alternative trip.
If the alternative is cheaper, we will refund the price difference.
If the alternative is more expensive, you will need to pay the difference.
Force Majeure
“Force majeure” means any event which we or the supplier of the service(s) in question could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid. Such events may include war, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity, industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, significant health risks such as disease outbreaks at the travel destination, adverse weather conditions, fire, and all similar events outside our control.
Except where otherwise expressly stated, we cannot accept liability or pay compensation where the performance of our obligations is prevented or affected by force majeure, or where you suffer damage, loss, or expense as a result.
Our Liability to You
We promise to make sure that the trip arrangements we have agreed to provide are made, performed, or provided with reasonable skill and care.
We will only be responsible for what our employees, agents, and suppliers do if they were acting within the course of their employment or carrying out work we had asked them to do.
We will not be responsible for any injury, illness, death, loss (including loss of possessions or enjoyment), damage, expense, cost, or other claim which results from:
- Your own act(s) and/or omission(s); or
- The act(s) and/or omission(s) of a third party not connected with the provision of your trip and which were unforeseeable or unavoidable; or
- Force majeure as defined above.
We cannot accept responsibility for any services which do not form part of our contract, including any additional services which a supplier agrees to provide independently.
Behaviour and Decisions On-Trip
While the trip is in progress, all decisions are made by Jason Black staff or regional staff. You must follow all reasonable instructions given. A team leader, guide, or other authorised staff member may withdraw you from the trip at any time if, in their reasonable opinion, your continued presence is prejudicing — or is likely to prejudice — the good order, safety, or successful operation of the trip, or the wellbeing of any participant or third party. This also applies if you break any law or regulation of any country where the trip takes place.
We or our regional staff are also entitled to withdraw you from a trip where information provided on your application form or medical questionnaire proves to be materially inaccurate or incomplete. Where you are withdrawn, you will be required to leave the trip immediately. No refunds will be made and no expenses or costs incurred as a result of your withdrawal will be covered. You will also be required to indemnify us against any loss or expense arising from your actions.
You accept responsibility for any damage or loss caused by you. Full payment must be made directly to the accommodation owner, manager, supplier, or to us as soon as possible. You will also be responsible for meeting any claims subsequently made against us as a result of your actions.
Delays
We regret we are not in a position to offer assistance in the event of delay at your outward or homeward point of departure. If you are travelling with an EU carrier, the airline may be required to pay compensation and/or provide accommodation or refreshments in the event of significant delay or cancellation — however, this is the airline’s responsibility and not ours. You must pursue the airline or transport operator directly for any payment which may be due.
It is your responsibility to ensure you arrive at the departure location for your tour. All costs associated with this are your sole responsibility, even in cases where we assist you in making additional arrangements following a delay.
Passport, Visa & Health Requirements
Passport & Visa
Passport and visa requirements are shown on the relevant page of our website, but requirements may change. You must check the up-to-date position in good time before departure. We cannot accept liability if you are refused entry onto any transport or into any country due to failure to carry all required documentation.
Health Requirements
It is your responsibility to ensure you are aware of all recommended vaccinations and health precautions in good time before departure. Information is available from your GP and from the National Travel Health Network and Centre (travelhealthpro.org.uk).
For trips in the EU/EEA, you should obtain an EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) prior to departure. An EHIC is not a substitute for travel insurance.
Complaints
In the unlikely event that you have a reason to complain or experience any problems during your trip, you must immediately inform your trip guide or our local agent and the relevant supplier. Any verbal notification must be put in writing as soon as possible.
If your complaint is not resolved to your satisfaction, you must contact us immediately in writing to info@blackmountaineering giving full details of your complaint and a contact number.
Other Matters
Website Information
The information contained in our website and other advertising material is believed to be correct at the time of publication. Errors may occasionally occur and information may change. You must verify all details of your chosen trip, including the price, with us at the time of booking.
Overseas Standards
The requirements and standards of the country in which services are provided apply to those services — not those of the EU. These requirements and standards may differ from and may be lower than EU standards.
Conditions of Suppliers
Suppliers, including transport operators, provide their services in accordance with their own terms and conditions. These terms may limit or exclude their liability to you in the event of death, personal injury, delay, or loss or damage of personal possessions.
Foreign Travel Advice
We recommend consulting your government’s travel advice before booking and in good time before departure:
