TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR NORWAY KAYAKING HOLIDAYS
AND NORWAY HUT TO HUT SKIING
Terms & Conditions
These general conditions of contract (“Agreement”) govern the contractual relationship between customers (“You”) who use our services to purchase Trips (“Trip”) through www.Nordicpaddling.no (“Site”) or purchase Trips through any of our OTAs (Online Travel Agent) in respect of guided Trips and courses organised by Nordic Paddling and performed by its guides.
You must read this Agreement before booking a Trip. This contract is concluded once Nordic Paddling have accepted a booking You have made in writing (email or via the internet) or by telephone. By booking a Trip, You warrant that You understand, agree to and accept all terms and conditions contained here.
You agree that Norwegian law applies to this Agreement, as well as all to other legal concerns between You and Nordic Paddling.
In addition, our general terms and conditions and privacy policy apply. Nordic Paddling reserves the right to make changes to all conditions and agreements.
1. TERMS OF PAYMENT
Payment for guided Trips organised by Nordic Paddling is due in advance. You can pay by credit card.
2.1 – Alterations and Cancellations by You
You are responsible for providing accurate, timely, and complete information in connection with booking any Trip and Course.
Alterations
Includes changes to dates, times, and numbers of participants on confirmed Trips or Courses.
Requests for alterations by You must be submitted by telephone or email at least 48 hours before the Trip or the Course start.
Adding extra participants to Your booking will induce normal additional costs according to the prices stated on the Site but are free of extra service fees. Any unadvised reduction in the number of participants or in the duration of the Trip or the Course will not alter the already-calculated costs for the booked Trip or Course.
During private Trips, if You arrive late for Your Trip’s scheduled pick-up time, the duration of the Trip will be reduced accordingly.
Cancellations
Cancellations by You must be made by telephone or email at least 48 hours before the Trip or the Course starts and must be acknowledged by Nordic Paddling.
CANCELLATION FEES
The cancellation will only be effective from the date that the cancellation is received in writing by email. Cancellation charges will be payable as follows:
• Cancellation fee of 100% of the full trip cost is charged if cancelled 44 days or less before the trip
• Cancellation fee of 30% of the full trip cost is charged if cancelled 45 days or more before the trip
CANCELLATIONS DUE TO COVID
If you are unable to attend because you have tested positive or you have been asked to self-isolate by NHS Track & Trace, our normal cancellation policies apply as above.
You are strongly advised to have the appropriate travel insurance at the time of booking.
No Show
In the event that You are not present and ready to depart at your scheduled pick-up time and location (otherwise known as a ‘no show’), Nordic Paddling’s guide must continue without You. In such cases, Nordic Paddling will make no refunds.
Alterations
Trip or Course programs may be altered in unforeseeable circumstances and cases of force majeure, such as – but not limited to – natural catastrophes, social unrest, strikes, the event of government action, road closures, accidents, technical defects, weather conditions, etc. Nordic Paddling will do all it can to offer alternative arrangements or another solution in such cases.
After the Trip or Course has started – defined by You meeting the guide – any change and/or early turn around / return is considered an alteration, not a cancellation.
Alterations in Trip or Course programs – prior and/or during the Trip or Course – by Nordic Paddling do not give You the right to cancel without penalty, or the right to claim full or partial refunds and/or compensation.
Cancellations
Prior to the Trip or Course start – defined by You meeting the guide – Nordic Paddling is entitled to cancel Trips or Courses in cases of:
● unforeseeable circumstances and cases of force majeure, such as – but not limited to – natural catastrophes, unrest, strikes, the event of government action, road closures, accidents, technical defects, weather conditions, etc.
● weather conditions in the event that personal-safety can no longer be accounted for.
● inefficient capacity utilisation
In case of cancellations, Nordic Paddling will offer You the following alternatives:
● A rescheduling / rebooking of the Trip or the Course – if possible ● A credit / voucher towards an alternative Trip or Course
● A full refund of all costs paid, minus possible cancellation, booking and transaction fees from involved partner institutions (booking software provider, credit card / bank companies, bus companies, hotels, restaurants etc.) for services already booked and paid.
In the event that You show up for a Trip or a Course without having with You the necessary equipment, clothes, and water/food, as stated in the Product Description and Additional Information on the Site, the Trip information sheet, and/or information sent to You by email and/or SMS prior to the trip, Nordic Paddling has the full right to cancel Your booking at the start of the Trip and deny Your participation. In such a case, You agree that no refund will be given by Nordic Paddling.
2.3 – Equipment supplied by Nordic Paddling
You are responsible for any equipment supplied or rented to You by Nordic Paddling in association with our courses or Trips. Any damage to the equipment beyond reasonable tear and wear must be covered by You. If the equipment is damaged beyond repair or otherwise missing you will be charged the full price for the item.
3. MULTI-DAY TRIPS
3.1 – Covid-19 Policy
It is Your responsibility to keep up-to-date with travel restrictions within Your own country as well as Norway’s.
Ease of mind
Book with ease of mind, knowing that if travel is prohibited or Your trip gets cancelled due to Your own country Government or the Norwegian Government restrictions You will be offered a full refund, credit voucher or a free date change.
All You need to do is to let us know 30 calendar days before the Trip, or if restrictions are put into effect after this point You can let us know any time up to 24 hours before the trip starts.
Low deposit
Secure Your spot on the trip with a deposit of just 25% and give yourself something to look forward to. Finally payment is due 30 calendar days before the trip starts.
Your money is safe
We’ve partnered with TrustMyTravel to offer full financial protection of your bookings through our site.
Prevention
The first line of defence in protecting both employees and customers is not getting exposed to the virus in the first place. We encourage You to stay home if You show any of the symptoms.
Symptoms of COVID-191
● Cough
● Shortness of breath
● Chills
● Repeated shaking with chills
● Muscle pain
● Headache
● Sore throat
● New loss of taste or smell
Client Questionnaire (Health Screening Form)
Upon arrival You must fill and sign the client questionnaire. You will not be allowed on the trip without.
If You upon arrival show any of the symptoms, we will have the right to deny You access to the trip with no refund.
Steps for protection
● You must wear a face mask when in transit (bus).
● You must bring your own personal hand sanitizer.
● Frequent hand washing, with soap and water, for 20 seconds.
● On trips, when serving food, we will set up a handwashing station. Anyone must wear disposable gloves when fixing and serving food.
● Social distancing, keeping 1 metre apart, is hard to do in our types of communal outdoor activities, but we encourage it as much as possible.
3.2 – Payment
Upon booking we will ask for a 30% deposit to secure your space on the trip you wish to book. Final payment is due 45 calendar days before the trip start date.
3.3 – Alterations and Cancellations by You
You are responsible for providing accurate, timely, and complete information in connection with booking any Trip.
Alterations
Trip programs may be altered in unforeseeable circumstances and cases of force majeure, such as – but not limited to – natural catastrophes, unrest, strikes, the event of government action, road closures, accidents, technical defects, weather conditions, etc. Nordic Paddling will do all it can to offer alternative arrangements or another solution in such cases.
Safety must come first, and Nordic Paddling always respects the weather conditions.
Due to the possibility of rapidly-changing weather conditions, your day activities may need to be rescheduled, altered, or – worst case scenario – cancelled on short notice. In the event of a cancellation due to unsafe weather, Nordic Paddling will consider alternative activities. In the event that weather conditions deteriorate during your kayaking/ hikes, it may be necessary to turn around on the planned trail / kayaking route or head back earlier than planned. If this happens, no refunds will be given.
After the Trip has started – defined by You meeting the guide – any change and/or early turn around / return is considered an alteration, not a cancellation.
Alterations in Trip programs – prior and/or during the Trip – by Nordic Paddling do not give You the right to cancel without penalty, or the right to claim full or partial refunds and/or compensation.
Cancellations
Cancellations prior to the Trip start – defined by You meeting the guide/Trip leader – Nordic Paddling are entitled to cancel the complete itinerary in cases of:
● Unforeseeable circumstances and cases of force majeure, such as – but not limited to – natural catastrophes, social unrest, strikes, the event of government action, road closures, accidents, technical defects, weather conditions, etc.
● Weather conditions in the event that personal-safety can no longer be accounted for.
● Inefficient capacity utilisation and/or not reaching any set requirement for the minimum number of participants one month before the departure date.
In case of cancellations, Nordic Paddling will offer You the following alternatives:
● A rescheduling/rebooking of the Trip – if possible
● A credit/voucher towards an alternative Trip
● A full refund of all costs paid, minus possible cancellation, booking and transaction fees from involved partner institutions (booking software provider, credit card/bank companies, bus companies, accommodations, restaurants etc.) for services already booked and paid.
In the event that You show up for a Trip without having with You the necessary equipment, clothes, and water/food, as stated in the Product Description and Additional Information on the Site, the Trip information Sheet, and/or information sent to You by email and/or SMS prior to the trip, Nordic Paddling has the full right to cancel Your booking at the start of the Trip and deny Your participation. In such a case, You agree that no refund will be given by Nordic Paddling.
Force Majeure
Nordic Paddling will not be liable or pay you compensation or refund a cancelled trip if its contractual obligations to you are affected by extraordinary circumstances - unless expressly stated in these Terms. “Extraordinary circumstances” are defined by any event beyond Nordic Paddling’s control, which despite any reasonable measures that had been taken, consequences could not have been avoided.
Examples of this (but not limited to) include warfare, terrorism (and terrorism threats), civil strife, political disturbance, industrial dispute, labor difficulties, earthquakes or weather conditions which make it impossible to travel safely to the travel destination or remain at the travel destination, interference by authorities, significant risk to human health such as the outbreak of serious disease at the travel destination or natural disasters such as floods, the act of any government or other national or local authority including port or river authorities, lock closure, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, chemical or biological disaster, unavoidable technical problems with transport and all similar events outside the Nordic Paddling’s or the supplier(s) concerned control.
3.5 – Equipment supplied by Nordic Paddling
You are responsible for any equipment supplied or rented to You by Nordic Paddling in association with our courses or Trips. Any damage to the equipment beyond reasonable tear and wear must be covered by You. If the equipment is damaged beyond repair or otherwise missing you will be charged the full price for the item.
4. REQUIREMENTS FOR PARTICIPATION
Skills and Level of Physical Fitness
Each course/Trip offered by Nordic Paddling is labelled with a symbol that indicates the Trip’s level of kayak difficulty, as described in our Kayak Difficulty Scale.
It is important that You do not book Trips that exceed your skill-level or physical abilities. Based on the information presented on Our website, it is Your responsibility, prior to booking, to determine whether You are physically-fit and skilled enough to safely complete the Trip.
Being a capable swimmer is required for all of our kayaking activities.
During the Trip, if Our guide determines that You are neither skilled nor physically-fit enough to safely complete the Trip (kayak and hike), Our guide has the right and duty to turn You around at an early stage. In such a case, You will not be eligible for a refund.
Alcohol and drugs
Being affected by alcohol and/or drugs during the activities are not allowed. Guides will refuse participation of intoxicated participants. In such a case, You will not be eligible for a refund.
Age and size
Each Trip offered by Nordic Paddling has minimum age and size requirements for participation, which are listed on the respective Trips’ webpages. Our kayaks and equipment can take up to 110kg per person. It is Your responsibility to make sure all participants in Your party meet or exceed these requirements prior to booking.
None of the Trips offered by Nordic Paddling is suited for small children. Participants must be at age 16 years or above.
In the event that any member of Your group fails to meet the Trip’s specific minimum age and size requirements, Nordic Paddling reserves the right to deny the participation of any person who does not meet these requirements. In the event that this occurs, You will not receive a refund.
Advance Preparations
Upon receiving Your booking, Nordic Paddling will send You a Trip Information Sheet (PDF format) for each booked Trip. The PDF document contains important information and instructions regarding the Trip. To be eligible for participation on Nordic Paddling’s Trip(s), You are required to arrive prepared, as described in the Trip’s online Product Description, Additional Information, and the Trip Information Sheet.
In the event that You show up for a Trip or a Course without having with You the necessary equipment, clothes, and water/food, as stated in the Product Description and Additional Information on the Site, the Trip information Sheet, and/or information sent to You by email and/or SMS prior to the trip, Nordic Paddling has the full right to cancel Your booking at the start of the Trip or the Course and deny Your participation. In such a case, You agree that no refund will be given by Nordic Paddling.
Pick-up Location / Meeting Time
During the booking process, You can choose between a list of pick-up locations, each of which has corresponding pick-up times.
One of Nordic Paddling’s guides will pick You up at the time and pick-up location time You selected when booking. You must arrive at Your chosen location at least 15 minutes before the pick-up time. If You are not present and ready for pick-up/meeting when the pick-up/meeting time has passed, our guide must continue without You. In such a case, You will not be eligible for a refund.
In the event of last-minute changes, You must be reachable by phone at/before Your scheduled pick-up time. Nordic Paddling will contact You on the phone number You entered during the booking process. This phone number will also be used by our guide in the event that they cannot locate You for pick-up/meeting.
If you don’t remember your pick-up location and/or time, or would like to change it, please contact us.
Dietary requirements
Certain Trips offered by Nordic Paddling include meals. Our standard meals, which are based on supplying guests with the calories needed to maintain energy while kayaking/hiking, may include meat, fish, dairy, and allergens (such as gluten, shellfish, nuts, and yeast).
If You would like to join one of Our Trips that includes a meal(s), and have special dietary requirements, it is Your responsibility to communicate this to Us at least 1 week before the start of the Trip. Special dietary requirements include, but are not limited to, meals that are: gluten-free, dairy-free, or meals that must be free of allergens.
Specialty foods are substantially more expensive in Norway. Therefore, to offset the increased costs related to supplying guests with food that is suitable for specific dietary restrictions, there is a per-person surcharge when requesting special food/meals. The amount of the surcharge is dependent on the Trip booked. Pricing information can be found under the ‘Extras’ tab on each Trip page.
To add special food/meals to Your booking, You must do the following:
● Send Us an email requesting that we add special food/meals to your booking + information about dietary requirements.
We will send You a payment link for confirmation.
On rare occasions, because of logistical and/or sourcing limitations, it may not be possible for Us to provide meals that meet Your specific dietary requirements. If you have uncommon dietary restrictions (serious/deadly allergies to specific foods, for example), You must communicate this information to Us, and get confirmation that we can fulfil Your requirements, prior to booking Our Trip(s).
5. Photos / Video
During a course, while under the direction of Nordic Paddling AS, pictures of the participants may be taken. These pictures can be used in Nordic Paddling’s publications, on our websites, and in other media related to Nordic Paddling’s activities. If you do not want pictures taken, you must inform the Trip leader of this when the Trip starts.
6. RISK AND LIABILITY
We follow strict HMS routines (Norwegian safety protocols), however, You acknowledge that, while all travel involves an element of risk, Trips offered by Nordic Paddling are adventurous in nature, involve a higher level of personal risk than most activities, and can be potentially hazardous/dangerous/lethal.
Risk is always a factor during outdoor Trips activities, especially when weather is unfavourable/unpredictable, or when unforeseen events or conditions create a hazardous situation. There is also an inherent risk involved in joining Trips that require being exposed to other people. There are many risks, both natural and/or man-made, that could lead to injury or death, including, but not limited to, lightning, flooding, snow/ice, falling trees and/or rocks, landslides, exposure to allergens and/or illnesses, etc.
Bookings confirmed by Nordic Paddling will be allocated suitably qualified guides to meet the client’s requirements. Our guides have taken either Wilderness first aid course or first aid course and will be carrying a first-aid kit, water and food supplies, and safety, emergency, navigation, and communication equipment.
Any wild food (including, but not limited to, edible plants/flowers, seaweed, mushrooms, fish, shellfish, clams, etc.) presented to you by the guide during the Trip/course, is consumed at your own risk.
Prior to joining Nordic Paddling’s Trips, it is Your responsibility to familiarise Yourself with the kayaking/hiking skills necessary for joining our Trips, as outlined in Nordic Paddling’s Kayak Difficulty-scale. Furthermore, if You or anyone in Your group has concerns related to medical conditions and/or allergies, it is Your responsibility to communicate this to Nordic Paddling prior to joining our Trips. During Nordic Paddling’s Trips, You must assume responsibility for Your own actions, exercise sound judgement, and be prepared for all types of conditions.
Prior to the Trip commencement, Nordic Paddling will ask You to sign a Liability Release. Signing the Liability Release is required to participate in Nordic Paddling’s Trips.
By signing the Liability Release You assume all such risks and You, Your estate, Your family, heirs and assigns release Nordic Paddling and its guides from any and all claims and causes of action arising from any injury, death, or other damages, both pecuniary and non-pecuniary, to You that may occur as a result of Your participation in the Trips/Courses offered by Nordic Paddling or as a result of the negligence of any party, including the guide or any employee, officer, agent, contractor or assign of Nordic Paddling, whether such negligence is passive or active.
Under no circumstances will Nordic Paddling be liable to You for any indirect, incidental, consequential, special or exemplary damages arising from any provision of this Agreement or from the provision of any Trips purchased from the Site. Furthermore, the total liability of Nordic Paddling arising with respect to this Agreement and the Site shall in no event exceed the total amounts paid by You to Nordic Paddling under this Agreement.
7. INSURANCE
You are strongly encouraged to obtain suitable medical and travel insurance prior to booking a Trip, as well as cancellation insurance.
Cancellations due to guest illness are perceived as a risk to be covered by the guest, or their travel insurance. Such cancellations do not induce a refund by Nordic Paddling.
You must carry proof of valid travel insurance, covering all registered participants of Your booking and all activities and risks, as well as all geographic regions related to Your Trip with Nordic Paddling for the total duration of the Trip. Nordic Paddling may ask to present such proof prior to and during the Trip.
Reviewed 23.03.2022