Terms and Conditions

Updated 11/1/2023

TSX Challenge LLC (“TSX Challenge”, “us”, “we”, “our”) is committed to delivering safe and rewarding outdoor experiences (“trips”, “events”, “hikes”, “treks”, “challenges”, “backpacking”). Our terms and conditions below help ensure a safe and rewarding experience. Please read them carefully before registering for your TSX Challenge event. Your registration indicates your understanding and acceptance of these terms and conditions.

1. CANCELLATION POLICY

Cancel up until the day of your trip: When you cancel a reservation, credit will be issued in full for any payments made less deposit which can be applied to any future TSX experience. Credit can be transferred to family or friends at no additional charge. Your 100% credit less deposit is valid for use on any TSX backpacking experience for up to two years from the date of cancellation. Credit can only be applied to future trip bookings and may not be used for merchandise or other online purchases. A new deposit will be required at the time of rebooking. This policy applies to all cancellations, up until the day of your trip.

Early cancellation for Grand Canyon experiences: A $500 deposit per person is required with balance due 60 days prior to the event. Deposits are 100% refundable until 90 days prior to trek departure. The exact dates for your trek may be adjusted +/- one day until permits are finalized roughly 4 months (120 days) in advance of departure (when Grand Canyon permits are issued), providing ample time to plan transportation to and from the Canyon, or decline the dates and receive your deposit back in full. Cancellations made at least 60 days prior to departure will receive a full refund, less deposit. For cancellations made within 60 days of departure, credit will be issued in full for any payments made, less deposit, which can be applied to any TSX experience, transferred to family or friends, and valid for up to two years from the date of cancellation.  Credit can only be applied to future trip bookings and may not be used for merchandise or other online purchases.

Early cancellation for all other experiences: A $500 deposit per person is required with balance due 60 days prior to the event. Cancellations made at least 60 days prior to departure will receive a full refund, less deposit. For cancellations made within 60 days of departure, credit will be issued in full for any payments made, less deposit, which can be applied to any TSX experience, transferred to family or friends, and valid for up to two years from the date of cancellation.  Credit can only be applied to future trip bookings and may not be used for merchandise or other online purchases.

2. TRIPS CANCELLED OR CHANGED BY US
On rare occasions, we must cancel or change trips. If this occurs, our responsibility is limited to a refund of any trip fees you’ve already paid. TSX Challenge is not responsible for airline tickets, other tickets or payments, or any similar fee penalties that you may incur as a result of any trip cancellations or changes.

There are no refunds due to bad weather, inaccessible trails or routes, natural disasters (including forest fires), disease outbreaks, or for any other occurrences that TSX Challenge or trip leaders deem unsafe or unfit for travel. 

While uncommon, we have had to re-route trips to different locations due to forest fire, weather conditions, blocked trails, damaged trails, snowed-in passes and impassable access roads.

In cases where trips cannot be executed as planned, we will design an alternative itinerary for you. Reasonable effort will be made to keep the vital aspects of the trip itinerary you originally signed up for intact. Your safety is paramount, and we reserve the right to entirely re-route your trip itinerary to keep you safe.

In instances where trips are cancelled in advance of your trek start date due to unfit or unsafe travel conditions, credit will be issued in full for any payments made which can be applied to any TSX experience, transferred to family or friends, and valid for up to two years from the date of cancellation. Credit can only be applied to future trip bookings and may not be used for merchandise or other online purchases.

3. RESERVATIONS
A deposit is due at the time of reservation. For all treks, an additional 5% charge will be applied when your reservation is made to offset new fees mandated by the National Park Service and National Forest Service. Balance payments are due 60 days prior to your event, and will be drafted automatically when due for participants with payment methods on file.

4. ELIGIBILITY AND APPROVAL
Our trips are open to all over the age of 18. All youth under 18 years of age may participate in an outing with parent consent; participants must weigh at least 75lbs. Some exceptions may apply, please contact us for details.

After placing your reservation, you’ll receive a link to complete our Reservation Confirmation Form online including a Participant Experience Questionnaire, Medical Questionnaire, and Acknowledgment of Risks. Your safety and the safety of our travel group are incredibly important to us. We review your responses to make sure that each trip participant has the appropriate equipment, experience, and physical conditioning needed for TSX Challenge outdoor experiences. We ask that you please follow the link and complete this form as soon as possible. If the form is not completed within 15 days of receipt, your reservation will be subject to cancellation. After reviewing the forms, we will contact you should any concerns arise, or to confirm approval.

For all participants under the age of 18, we require a letter of reference from a teacher, coach, or youth leader highlighting the participant’s academic commitment, physical fitness and personal character prior to approval. All letters should be emailed to [email protected] within 15 days of submitting your reservation. Please be sure all recommendations include relevant contact information.

We do our best to accommodate all individuals. However, due to the demanding physical requirements, remote setting of the experience and our need to ensure the safety of all participants, it may be determined that this trip is not suitable for you. In the event you are not approved for the trip, we will refund any trip payments you have made to date.

If you have any questions about your suitability for a TSX Challenge experience, please contact us directly.

5. WAITLIST

If there isn’t space available when you register, we will place you on a waitlist, and your deposit will hold your place. As long as you remain on the waitlist, your deposit remains fully refundable at any time. If space becomes available and you are moved onto a trip, we notify you via email and by phone. You then have three (3) business days in which to cancel with a full refund.

6. TRAVEL INSURANCE
We strongly encourage you to purchase travel insurance to cover: cancellation fees associated with an outing as well as airfare or other nonrefundable expense in the event you need to cancel a trip; medical expenses incurred on a trip; and the cost of a possible medical evacuation from a trip.

7. EMERGENCY CARE
In the case of accident, illness, or other unforeseen emergency, TSX Challenge trip leaders will attempt to provide appropriate first aid, and will try to arrange for search and evacuation assistance when the trip leader determines it is necessary or desirable. Please note that our trip leaders don’t always carry communication devices (due to the remote nature of certain areas and lack of reception), and that emergency help or evacuation may be difficult to arrange. Costs of an evacuation and/or search (e.g., helicopter), and of medical care beyond basic first aid, are the financial responsibility of the ill or injured person. Backcountry medical aid is costly, and TSX Challenge does not provide this coverage for participants on any of its trips. Therefore, we advise you to obtain medical and evacuation insurance. You can usually purchase it as part of a travel insurance package.

8. PRIVACY
Personal and confidential information submitted as part of our registration or approval process (Participant Experience Questionnaire and Medical Questionnaire) will only be used by staff, medical personnel, or others who know and understand its confidential nature. Information may be retained in hard-copy format, along with your Acknowledgement of Risks for a period of time following the trip, after which it will be destroyed. Information will only be shared and retained as required to conduct business in order to provide the services requested, and as required by law. For privacy policies applicable to use of TSX Challenge LLC’s website, tsxchallenge.com, please review our privacy policy.

9. YOUR RESPONSIBILITY
Your safety and the safety of others on the trip are incredibly important to us. To help us ensure a positive experience for all of our TSX Challenge participants we ask that you be responsible by providing accurate and complete personal information requested for approval; carefully reviewing all trip information provided, and understanding as thoroughly as possible the physical and mental demands of the trip, as well as possible risks; properly equipping yourself in accordance with recommendations of your trip leader and TSX Challenge; avoiding breaking any applicable laws, and refraining from antisocial conduct during the trip; following environmental guidelines and regulations in accordance with direction from the trip leader; and always respecting the rights and privacy of other trip members.

10. TSX Challenge LLC operates under permit on Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Grand Canyon National Park, Sierra National Forest and Inyo National Forest
In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, and reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.)

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible State or local Agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information is also available in languages other than English.

To file a complaint alleging discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, or at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provided in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (a) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (b) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (c) email: [email protected]

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.