Terms & Conditions

Policies on Cancellation, Trip Operations, & Personal Responsibility

Payment Schedule

To qualify for a payment schedule, you must register for your American Alpine Institute (AAI) program more than 150 days before its start date. If you register less than 150 days prior to your course start date, the full tuition is required at the time of registration. Registration is officially recognized when AAI staff have processed your submission and issued the initial invoice. Please be aware that failure to pay fees by their due date will be considered a cancellation, subject to our standard cancellation policy.

Domestic Programs (excluding Alaska Programs and Mt. Rainier Programs )

• Registration Fee ($500) is due no more than 7 days after Registration. This non-refundable registration fee holds your position on the program until the next tuition payment due date.
• Half of the remaining tuition is due 150 days before the start of the program.
• Full remaining tuition is due 120 days before the start of the program.

Mt. Rainier Programs

• Full tuition (the registration fee is equal to the full tuition) is due no more than 7 days after Registration. This registration fee (equal to full tuition) is non-refundable. No payment plan is available for Mt. Rainier climbs.

Alaska Programs

• Registration Fee ($2,000) is due no more than 7 days after Registration. This non-refundable registration fee holds your position on the program until the next tuition payment due date.
• Full remaining tuition is due 150 days before the start of the program.

Foreign Programs

• Registration Fee ($500) is due no more than 7 days after Registration. This non-refundable registration fee holds your position on the program until the next tuition payment due date.
• Half of the remaining tuition is due 150 days before the start of the program.
• Full remaining tuition is due 120 days before the start of the program.

Veterans Benefits Recipients

• Registration Fee ($500) is due no more than 7 days after Registration.
• If the applicant registers for one or more vocational course(s), this registration fee acts as a floating registration fee. The applicant needs to pay only one registration fee of $500. Once the first course is completed, the same $500 is applied to the second course’s registration fee and so on. Once the training is complete or the applicant has finished their desired courses for training, the floating registration fee of $500 will be refunded to the applicant.
• NOTE: VA Benefits payments are typically received no more than 30 days after the completion of a program.

AAI strongly advises purchasing trip cancellation insurance for all programs. AAI maintains a strict cancellation and refund policy due to the significant upfront costs incurred for logistical services and permits. A partial refund or credit may be issued at AAI’s discretion, but only if all cancellation costs are recovered through subsequent registrations. All refund requests must be submitted in writing and received by our office by the deadlines specified below.

Domestic Programs (excluding Alaska and Mt. Rainier climbs)

• If cancelling more than 150 days before the start of program, AAI retains your Registration Fee ($500) as Registration Fees are non-refundable. Your remaining tuition paid is eligible to be refunded.
• If cancelling within 150 – 120 days before the start of your program, AAI retains your Registration Fee plus half of the remaining tuition.
• If cancelling less than 120 days before the start of the program, AAI retains your full tuition and no refund is available.

Mt. Rainier Programs

• No refund or credit available, regardless of cancellation date, unless the trip is full and your placement on the trip has been filled by another climber. If your place has been filled, only then are you eligible (at AAI’s sole discretion) for a refund of your tuition, minus $500.

Alaska Programs

• If cancelling more than 150 days before the start of program, AAI retains your Registration Fee ($2,000) as Registration Fees are non-refundable. Your remaining tuition paid is eligible to be refunded.
• If cancelling within 150 days before the start of your program, AAI retains the full tuition and no refund is available.

Foreign Programs

• If cancelling more than 150 days before the start of your program, AAI retains the Registration Fee ($500) as Registration Fees are non-refundable. Your remaining tuition paid is eligible to be refunded.
• If cancelling within 150 – 120 days before the start of your program, AAI retains the Registration Fee plus half of the remaining tuition.
• If cancelling less than 120 days before the start of your program, AAI retains the full tuition and no refund is available.

Veterans Benefits Recipients

• If an applicant cancels within 5 business days (excluding Sundays and holidays) after the day the contract is signed or a registration fee/deposit payment is made, all monies will be refunded – unless the student has begun training.
• AAI will retain a registration fee/deposit of $500 if the applicant cancels after the fifth business day after signing the contract or making an initial payment.
• If a student drops out of a course after attending at least one day, they will be charged 10% of the course fees, as calculated by the Veterans Administration.

Agreement

I understand, accept, and agree to all the conditions set forth above in prose and in table form as well as to the following:

All Trips:

I understand that most American Alpine Institute, Ltd. (AAI) groups range in size from seven to ten participants down to just a few participants depending on the program and participant to guide ratios, that with such small groups individual cancellations can seriously affect the finances of the program, and that this policy has been established to protect the participants from the cancellation of their trip because of late withdrawals by others and to cover the planning, administration, logistical, and other costs experienced by AAI.

I understand that in the unlikely event AAI is unable to operate this program because of inadequate participation, I will receive a refund of all land fees paid for it, and that if I cancel from a full program and it is refilled prior to departure, AAI may choose to issue a partial refund or credit except for the non-refundable registration fee as specified above.

I understand that AAI strongly encourages the purchase of trip cancellation insurance and that I have been advised to buy travel insurance to protect myself against any financial loss related to my program participation, including but not limited to costs of illness, injury, loss of property, non-attendance due to personal issues with weather/environmental/mountain conditions, or tuition forfeited as a result of early withdrawal or non-attendance. I agree to self-insure for any losses not covered by my travel insurance policy.

I understand and agree that AAI retains the discretion both prior to and after departure to cancel any tour, trip, course, expedition, or program (collectively the “program”), and to alter or omit any part of an itinerary, to substitute hotels, to change leaders, and to change any means of conveyance without notice.

I understand that AAI may need to alter the conditions of my enrollment in a program due to outbreaks of infectious disease and, in order to mitigate the risk to the health and safety of myself, my guide, and my team, may unilaterally impose additional requirements for participation, including, but not limited to, testing and vaccinations.

I understand and agree that in the event of the cancellation of a program, AAI is not responsible for expenses incurred in preparation for the program (including, but not limited to airfare and travel insurance).

I further understand and agree that if programs are canceled due to acts of insurrection, strikes, acts of God (force majeure), mountain conditions, weather conditions, road conditions or any other cause beyond the control of AAI, AAI may issue partial refunds, at its sole discretion, either based on the pro-rating of program fees (program days used in relation to total program length) or based on the difference between original and revised program budgets.

I understand that it is my responsibility to select a program appropriate to my physical abilities, mental preparedness, and interests and that I am responsible for being in sufficiently good health to undertake the program.

I understand that I am responsible for studying all pre-departure information, for bringing all the clothing and equipment included on the program’s equipment list, for conforming to standards of personal hygiene to minimize the risk of illness to myself and fellow program members, for fulfilling climber responsibilities as outlined in the program information and as directed by AAI, and for acting in a manner considerate of fellow program members, and the communities, and the natural regions visited.

I understand and agree that, if in the opinion of AAI, I fail to fulfill these obligations, AAI may terminate my participation in the program without refund of fees.

I understand that if I lose or damage AAI or individual guide equipment while on the program, beyond normal wear and tear, I am responsible for replacing it at the full manufacturer’s suggested retail price.

Promotions: I understand that to take advantage of any special promotional pricing I must mention this at the time of registration.

I understand that these conditions are set forth to protect the safety, health, integrity, and success of the program.

Privacy Policy:

American Alpine Institute takes precautions to protect your privacy. Our website forms use encryption to help prevent theft of personal information. Credit card payments are processed through a third-party web service which uses advanced encryption for credit card data. AAI does not sell, rent, or share personal information about its clients with other businesses or individuals, except for the express purpose of providing the requested services.

In the course of arranging our expeditions and programs, AAI will provide limited personal information about its clients to its regular partners and service providers, as well as to government agencies that require it.

AAI occasionally publishes the names and/or photographs of their participants in marketing and/or instructional materials, including websites, blogs, dispatches, print and social media. In addition to this, AAI guides may also publish photographs of their participants on their personal social media, as well as in articles, books, and in other media.

Any participant who wishes to be omitted from any of these materials is required to provide a written request to our administrative office prior to the start of the program. Unless I submit such a written request, I agree that AAI and AAI Guides are free to publish such information and materials as described above.