Policies

This page covers the less fun but important details about how Wilder Walks trips work: money, cancellations, weather, illness, and expectations. If anything here feels unclear, ask before you book.

About Wilder Walks

“Wilder Walks” is an experience of Wilder Pursuits, LLC. Wilder Pursuits, LLC is locally owned in San Francisco, California and licensed to operate throughout California. Wilder Pursuits, LLC operates under special use permits and commercial use authorizations from Point Reyes National Seashore, Stanislaus National Forest, and Yosemite National Park.

Contact us if you have any questions regarding these policies.

Essential Eligibility Criteria

Wilder Walks trips take place in remote environments, often at higher elevations and on uneven terrain. For your safety and the safety of the group, all participants must meet some basic eligibility criteria. These criteria are based on the real demands of our trips, not on any specific diagnosis or condition.

To join a Wilder Walks trip, you should be able to:

  • Read the trip description and Trip Levels & Difficulty information and honestly assess whether the physical demands are appropriate for you.

  • Hike on uneven terrain at the pace and distances described for your trip.

  • Carry a backpack with your personal gear, water, and a share of group gear and food, as described in your trip materials.

  • Maintain basic personal care (clothing, hygiene, blister care, hydration, and nutrition) for the duration of the trip.

  • Communicate clearly with your guide and other participants, understand and follow safety instructions, and participate in group decision-making when asked.

  • Manage any personal medical conditions in a way that does not create an unreasonable risk to yourself or the group, including bringing and self-administering prescribed medications as needed.

We welcome participants who can meet these criteria with or without reasonable accommodations. If you are unsure whether a trip is a good fit, contact us before booking and we can talk through it.

Age and minors

Unless stated otherwise, our trips are designed for adults 18 years and older.

However, we welcome minors when accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. If you’re interested in signing up with a minor, please contact us so that we can discuss whether or not a group trip would be appropriate for their abilities. Private and custom trips can be easily designed around their needs.

^ Back to top

Participation Policy

A deposit is all that’s needed to reserve your spot on a trip, but your participation is not guaranteed until we’ve reviewed your signed Participant Agreement and completed Health History form and approved you for the trip. We are committed to helping you choose a trip that fits your capabilities and to helping you get ready for it. If, after reviewing your Health History form, we determine you are unable to participate, you will receive a full refund.

Some advanced trips require an application and brief conversation before we confirm your participation. In those cases, you’re not considered booked and your spot is not reserved until your application is approved and your trip deposit has been received.

Forms are due within one week of booking. If you do not submit completed forms by then, we will treat it as a cancellation under our Cancellation and Refund Policy.

We expect all participants to meet the Essential Eligibility Criteria and to arrive at the trailhead with the essential personal gear needed for the expected conditions. Don’t worry. We’ll tell you exactly what to bring and help you prepare.

Our trips are intentionally educational and participatory. We expect all participants to help create a positive learning environment on trail. This includes:

  • Following Leave No Trace ethics that minimize our impact on the land.

  • Packing, carrying, setting up, and caring for your portion of group gear and food.

  • Treating other participants, guides, and land managers with respect.

We reserve the right to remove a participant from an ongoing trip if the guide determines that their continued participation poses a safety risk or significantly affects the experience of other participants. In that case, no refund will be given.

^ Back to top

Payment Policy

Trip cost includes all taxes and fees, but does not include National Park entrance fees (only applicable to Yosemite National Park trips).

Application fees for select trips

Some application-only trips (for example certain Level 3 Immersions) may include a small application fee. If an application fee applies, it will be clearly stated on the trip page.

The application fee:

  • Is fully refundable during the application process. If we decide you’re not a good fit for the trip, or you choose not to move forward after the application review and conversation, your application fee will be refunded in full.

  • Is not a trip deposit and does not, by itself, reserve a spot on a trip.

  • Is applied to your trip cost once your application is accepted and you pay your trip deposit. At that point it becomes part of your overall trip payment.

After your application is accepted and your deposit is paid, any payments you’ve made (including the application fee) are subject to the standard Cancellation & Refund Policy for that trip.

Trip deposits

  • For group trips open to the public
    A non-refundable $300 deposit is due at the time of booking and is required to secure your spot on a trip. Deposits are accepted online 24 hours a day until trips are full.

  • For private and custom trips
    A non-refundable deposit equal to 50% of your trip cost is due at the time of booking and is required to secure your trip dates. You will be issued an invoice for the deposit amount.

Gear damage deposits

A $200 gear damage deposit will be charged to each participant and will be due with final payment. Private groups paying together may be charged a different amount.

This deposit will be refunded less the cost of any gear repair or replacement due to participant negligence. Any refunded deposit will be initiated within 10 business days of the trip end date.

Please read the Gear Damage Policy for more details.

Final payments

  • For trips open to the public
    Full payment is due 60 days prior to your trip start date.

  • For private and custom trips
    Full payment is due 90 days prior to your trip start date.

You will be issued an invoice for the final payment amount. Contact us if you would like to arrange a different payment method or split your payment into multiple installments. Additional fees may apply.

^ Back to top

Cancellation & Refund Policy

Our trips are popular and demand often exceeds supply. Trip planning and preparation require significant time and expense. We’ll always try to work with you to find an equitable solution when things change. To be fair to us and to others who may want to join a trip, we use the following cancellation policy.

For group trips open to the public

If you cancel, or fail to complete required forms, for any reason:

  • More than 60 days before your trip start date
    You’ll be refunded all payments minus your $300 deposit. The trip deposit is non-refundable.

  • Within 30 to 60 days of your trip start date
    You’ll receive a credit equal to 50% of your paid trip cost that you can apply to a different trip within 12 months of your original trip start date. No cash refund will be provided.

  • Less than 30 days before your trip start date or after your trip has started
    No cash refund will be provided.

For private or custom trips

If you cancel, or fail to complete required forms, for any reason:

  • More than 90 days before your trip start date
    You’ll be refunded all payments minus your 50% deposit. The trip deposit is non-refundable.

  • Within 90 days of your trip start date or after your trip has started
    No cash refund will be provided.

If we reschedule or cancel your trip

We’ll always make every reasonable effort to deliver the trip you signed up for. However, we reserve the right to reschedule or cancel your trip for any reason. If we do, you have options:

  • Transfer your payment to another trip within 12 months, subject to availability and our discretion.

    • If the new trip costs more, you’ll pay the difference.

    • If it costs less, we’ll refund the difference to you.

  • Receive a full refund, unless the trip has already begun.

    • If the trip is shortened or canceled on or after the start date, you’ll receive a prorated credit for your trip cost that you can apply to another trip within 12 months.

If we refuse your participation under the Participation Policy

  • After reviewing your required forms, before any preparation session or trip start
    You’ll be refunded in full.

  • After the first preparation session or after the trip has started
    No refund will be given.

If a participant leaves a trip early

Sometimes a participant may need or choose to leave a trip before it is scheduled to end.

  • If a participant leaves early for personal reasons, fitness, or non-emergency medical reasons, and the guide determines that it is safe and practical for the rest of the group to continue, the trip will continue as planned. In this case, no refund or credit will be provided to the participant who leaves early.

  • On most trips, especially remote ones with a single guide, a participant leaving early may require the entire group to exit the backcountry together for safety and logistics. If the guide decides that the group must end the trip early primarily due to the needs, condition, or choices of a specific participant (for example, injury, illness, inability to continue, or personal reasons), the following will apply:

    • The participant whose situation required the early exit will not receive a refund or credit beyond what is already provided under this Cancellation & Refund Policy.

    • All other participants will receive a prorated credit for the unused portion of the trip cost that can be applied to another trip within 12 months.

Trip credits

When this policy provides a trip credit instead of a cash refund, that credit:

  • Is non-refundable.

  • Is valid for 12 months from your original trip start date.

  • Expires if it is not applied to a new trip by that date.

You’re responsible for booking early. We cannot guarantee availability on specific dates or trips, especially during popular seasons.

If we significantly reduce or suspend trip offerings during your credit period, we may choose to extend your credit or offer an alternative at our discretion.

^ Back to top

Transfer Policy

If you would like to transfer to a different trip or trip date more than 60 days from your original trip start date, no fees will apply. If you would like to transfer less than 60 days from your original trip start date, the Cancellation & Refund Policy will apply.

Instead of canceling, you may transfer your trip to a friend or family member without fees or penalties, subject to our approval.

^ Back to top

Minimum Group Size

Many of our public trips require a minimum number of participants to run. If a trip has not met its minimum group size by a certain date, we may adjust the itinerary, offer you the option to pay a supplemental fee to run the trip with a smaller group, or cancel the trip.

If we cancel a trip for this reason, you will have the choice to transfer your payment to another trip within 12 months or receive a full refund, as described in our Cancellation and Refund Policy.

^ Back to top

Weather, Conditions, Acts of Nature

Your trip will continue regardless of expected or unexpected conditions as long as your guide determines that it’s safe to do so. The route may be modified due to weather, trail conditions, or in order to prioritize participant safety. You should not expect a cancellation or postponement due to inclement weather or less-than-ideal conditions.

When venturing into the wild, unknown trail conditions, unpredictable acts of nature, and weather of all types are possible and should be expected. Your guide is trained in risk management and will always prioritize the group’s safety above all else.

Due to climate change, the risk of high-intensity forest fires and unhealthy air quality is increasing. We’ll never start or continue a trip that would be unsafe due to a nearby active fire. However, trips will still run even if the air quality is diminished unless the air quality index (AQI) at a nearby monitoring station is expected to average 150 or higher and conditions are not expected to improve based on available forecasts.

If weather, trail conditions, or other acts of nature require us to modify your itinerary, your guide will make every reasonable effort to maintain the quality of your experience after ensuring the safety of the group.

If we shorten, postpone, or cancel for any reason, our Cancellation and Refund Policy will apply.

^ Back to top

Illness & Injury Policy

If a participant shows signs of an illness or injury that the guide believes would make participation unsafe for them or the group, they will not be allowed to join or continue on the trip. For participants, this will be considered a cancellation by the participant and the Cancellation & Refund Policy will apply. We strongly encourage you to work with your travel insurance provider in these situations.

If someone becomes ill or injured during a trip, the guide will make decisions based on safety and risk management, which may include changing the route, adjusting the itinerary, or ending the trip early. If the trip is shortened because of one participant’s illness or injury, all other participants will receive the prorated credit described in the Cancellation & Refund Policy. The participant whose illness or injury required the early exit will not receive a refund or credit.

^ Back to top

Medical Care & Evacuations

Your guide will manage risk and respond to incidents to the best of their training and ability. However, you are responsible for any costs related to medical care, emergency transportation, or evacuation. This includes ambulance or helicopter transport, hospital or clinic visits, and any follow-up care.

These costs are not covered by your trip fee. This is one of the reasons we strongly recommend that you purchase travel insurance that includes medical and evacuation coverage.

^ Back to top

Gear Damage Policy

The gear provided by Wilder Walks is high quality and often prioritizes low weight over durability. This means that some gear may be more susceptible to damage if treated with negligence. Normal wear and tear is expected. We may even have opportunities to teach gear repair, and some of the gear we use may already have been repaired.

Any loss or damage to gear due to participant negligence may incur additional charges up to the cost of total gear replacement. These repair or replacement costs will be deducted from your gear damage deposit, and any cost beyond your deposit will be billed to you separately.

^ Back to top

Travel Insurance

Things happen that we can’t always anticipate. That’s why travel insurance exists. If you’re uncomfortable with the financial risk described in these policies or simply want peace of mind, we highly recommend that you purchase travel insurance as soon as you book a trip.

When you purchase a policy, consider coverage for trip cancellation, trip interruption, medical care, and emergency evacuation, since these costs are not included in your trip fee.

^ Back to top

Privacy Policy

We’ll never sell your personal information. If you opt in to receive updates from us, we may use your contact information to communicate with you. If you complete a post-trip evaluation, we will use the information you share to improve our offerings. If you give us consent to use a testimonial or review, we may use it for marketing purposes.

The information you provide on your Health History form will only be shared with your guide for your safety, and it may also be shared with medical personnel in the event of an incident.

We may take photographs and videos of participants while on trips and we may use these photographs and videos for promotional or commercial use without compensation to any participant. We generally avoid close-up “smiling at the camera” photos and tend to use images of people from a distance, in context, experiencing the landscape. You can always contact us to ask that we stop using a specific photo or video.

^ Back to top