The Important stuff before you sign up. 14.05.2020
Deposit / Payments
A deposit of 20% to be paid at time of booking.
This is non-refundable and constitutes payment for preparatory work and outlays done on your behalf in preparation for your expedition prior to its departure.
Payment of your deposit confirms your acceptance of all of the following conditions and constitutes an agreement between client and expedition provider.
• An interim payment to the value of 40% of total expedition fee will be paid 4 months / 124 days prior to expedition schedule. (20% deposit + 40% = 60% final fee)
• Final payment of outstanding fees (40%) to be paid 3 months / 93 days prior to expedition schedule.
Failure to make payments on time could result in your booking being cancelled without refund.
Insurance
It is recommended that clients take out an insurance policy that meets the special requirements for your expedition. It must include “sea kayaking” “worldwide cover” and hill walking below 1000 metres and wild camping.
It is advisable to take out your insurance at time of booking to cover deposits and your flights.
Clients are responsible for their own flight bookings and payment and any excess baggage charges etc.
Martin Rickard or your expedition leader will not be held liable for uninsured costs due to the unsuitability of insurance cover enacted by the client or which proves insufficient in the event of a claim. In the event of you needing to submit a claim for insurance Martin Rickard cannot help, advise, or recommend any action on your behalf and you must discuss all matters directly with your insurance company.
If for any reason you must leave the expedition early for reasons not covered by your insurance policy, or without prior approval from your insurance company, you will be required to pay all such travel, evacuation, repatriation and related costs yourself by credit card prior to leaving Greenland. Clients must have in place access to sufficient funds to cover this using credit card payments. No such costs will be met by Martin Rickard or his representatives.
Itinerary
The itinerary for each expedition is an approximate plan or aim rather than a specific objective. It is not a contractual agreement and local conditions, especially weather and sea ice may sometimes lead to a change of plan.
Martin Rickard or his representatives holds no financial responsibility for such changes, nor liability for subsequent related additional costs and/or refunds of whatsoever nature. Any financial compensation for additional costs, whether foreseeable or not, are the responsibility of the client or should be claimed through the client’s insurance company where applicable.
Boat transport
Boats are used to transport groups between airport locations and base camp locations during many of our expeditions. Our intended itinerary will include dates on which we intend to carry out this transportation of clients and equipment. These dates however are not contractual because weather and other local factors, including mechanical breakdown, can result in delays or the requirement to transport groups and individuals on dates other than those shown. No refunds will be given as a result of a change of transport date. An example would be if bad weather was approaching and support staff choose to collect the group earlier than planned at the end of an expedition, to ensure their safe return to the airport in time for their connecting flight.
Boat transport is therefore not day or date specific but is planned on a ‘preferred date’ basis.
Martin Rickard is not responsible for any costs incurred due to missed flights as a result of bad weather, mechanical break down or delays caused by transfer boats, or missing said boat due to weather / ice conditions or group issues delaying our return to base or rendezvous with support team.
Helicopter transport, if available is not covered within the expedition schedule and such costs would be down to the client.
Equipment damage / loss
Equipment - Use includes general and reasonable wear and tear on group equipment and any other items, including items of personal equipment.
Martin Rickard reserves the right to apply post expedition surcharges for unreasonable wear and tear and for accidental damage to such equipment.
Lost, broken or damaged items that require replacement, will be charged at the full UK recommended retail price (including VAT), including postage and packing and a 50% service charge to include loss of earnings on damaged/lost equipment and freight charges for sending replacement items to Greenland. For example – if you drag your boat up the beach, or damage equipment through stupidity – standing on your paddle - I will charge you for repairs / replacement.
Expedition communications
All expeditions carry a satellite telephone for the expedition leader to communicate either with our designated contact in the UK or support contacts in Tasiilaq (Greenland) They are also used during expedition to receive weather and ice reports and updates. Limited battery life and recharging facilities means that this phone is not for everyday client use, although the occasional call may be permitted.
Should the phone be required to communicate with a client’s insurance company regarding any insurance related issues a charge of £5 per minute or part thereof will be charged to the client.
Medical issues
All clients must report any personal accident, injury, or illness to their expedition leader at the earliest opportunity, however minor the incident. The client must work with the expedition leader to ensure that the incident is properly recorded.
Direct and Indirect supervision, Downtime, and Personal time
All expeditions will involve periods of direct supervision, indirect supervision, downtime, and personal time. Direct supervision is where a leader will manage the participants during part of the venture with the ability to intervene in person immediately. During indirect supervision he/she will still be managing the participants but without the ability to intervene immediately. During Down Time and Personal Time clients are expected to comply with previously set expectations on movement / boundaries and the expeditions environmental ethos. Example - following Bear watch procedure unsupervised.
Assistance and rescue ethos
In the unlikely event your expedition encounters local people or another group in distress, all appropriate assistance will be offered. Such involvement could potentially affect the itinerary of your expedition and should be accepted from the outset.
At no time would you be put in an enhanced risk environment.
Expedition curtailment / Leader / Guide illness or injury
Any client arriving at the group meeting point in Greenland, or subsequently being identified, who has not fully and accurately confirmed their health status or level of fitness, mobility or skill set, may be denied from joining or asked to leave the expedition. No refunds of whatsoever nature will be given and all subsequent costs relating to that client will be the sole responsibility of the client.
Martin Rickard reserves the right to curtail any expedition at any time, without financial compensation to the clients, on the basis of safety grounds following an unforeseen situation arising which jeopardizes the safety or physical, mental, emotional or psychological well being of any member of the expedition, including the expedition leader, beyond that normally foreseeable as part of the planned itinerary. If for any reason leaders / guides must be evacuated from the expedition, that expedition is deemed to have ended as a professionally led/guided expedition. Clients must have in place insurance cover to protect against curtailment of the expedition due to such injury to or illness of other members of the expedition or the expedition leader.
Martin Rickard and / or his representative, reserves the right to have any member of the expedition removed or evacuated at any time and at the client’s own expense, if that client is deemed by the leader/guide to be unsuitable to carry on, for whatever reason, or is having a detrimental physical or psychological effect on the rest of the expedition team members.
Where a deputy leader exists, the deputy leader will take over the role of expedition leader if the original leader becomes ill or injured and can no longer fulfill his/her duties. This will depend on the skills and experience of the individuals or group involved. If it is deemed inappropriate or unsafe to allow individuals to continue on the expedition, under this new format, the group will be extracted from trip and returned to base camp / settlement / airport.
Expedition leader
Expeditions advertised on the website may include the name and details for the expedition leader. This demonstrates an intention only and it may on some occasions not be possible for the anticipated leader to be able to lead the expedition.
Client experience
Clients must truthfully reveal, by means of a detailed questionnaire in their booking form or other written notification, their relevant sea kayaking and expedition experience and relevant medical history, to enable the expedition organiser or leader to make an informed decision on the suitability of the client. When deciding on the suitability of a client the expedition organiser and leader will consider their previous relevant experience, technical ability, physical and mental toughness, fitness, and group compatibility. Any client joining an expedition for which they do not possess the necessary skills required for that trip, through misrepresentation of their past experience, could be requested to leave the expedition. This decision will be at the sole discretion of the expedition leader. All such related costs will be the sole responsibility of the client.
Polar Bears
East Greenland, even in summer can contain Polar Bears. Although an encounter is very unlikely, we must take all due care. Full safety briefings will be given on expedition, for hiking, exploring, and spending time around camp. When on the water similar briefings and protocols will be explained and clients are expected to comply with these. While on trip all group members will be expected to take their share of a “waking night watch”.
The expedition leader carries Polar Bear deterrents, and a firearm. However, these cannot completely guarantee the safety of any individual.
You must understand, acknowledge, and accept this risk.
Passport and visa
It is your responsibility to ensure that your passport and Visa are valid. British citizens do not require a Visa for entry into Iceland or Greenland.
Foreign citizens should check with their relevant Embassy.
Cancellation due to insufficient numbers
I/ Martin Rickard reserve the right to cancel any expedition which does not receive the minimum number of bookings as outlined for that expedition. If so, client’s payments will be reimbursed. I also reserve the right to refuse or cancel without refund, any booking if I feel it necessary, should previously unknown / undisclosed client information come to light.
Cancellation charges
For client’s cancelling their booking - the following cancellation charges apply from the day on which a written notification of cancellation is received.
At any point prior to expedition – Loss of full Deposit.
124 days prior to expedition schedule – 60%.
92 days or less prior to expedition departure – 100%.
I / Martin Rickard will not be liable to give a refund of whatsoever nature for clients opting to withdraw from the expedition prior to departure (ie -once in Greenland) or who subsequently cease their holiday / tour / expedition part way through and return to Iceland or their country of departure.
Complaints procedure
Any complaints or disputes arising whilst on an expedition should be notified to the expedition leader as soon as possible during the expedition. This is to give time and opportunity for the leader to make every effort to rectify the situation at the time, and to allow you to continue your expedition in a satisfactory manner. Complaints or disputes that can not be rectified to your satisfaction whilst overseas should be sent to
Martin Rickard Vogan, Vidlin, Shetland ZE29QB UK, in writing or by email info@seakayakadventures.co.uk, no later than 14 days after the completion date of the tour.
No dispute or complaint received after this period will be entered in to or replied to.
By not sending a complaint during this period you acknowledge your agreement to a satisfactory completion and conclusion of your expedition.
Martin Rickard and or his representatives are not responsible for any expenditure or compensation due to lost baggage, flight delays, flight cancellations, industrial actions, missed connections, volcanic action, adverse weather, ice conditions, mechanical breakdown, illness, health protection measures, boarder closures, travel restrictions, war, terrorist action.