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Timberline Mountain Guides reserves the right to cancel or modify a trip due to circumstances beyond our control. Payments are always non-refundable, even under these circumstances.

• A 20% deposit per booking is required to reserve your trip. This deposit is non-refundable under all circumstances because we begin to spend this money on your behalf right away.
• Full payment is due 60 days before your program’s start date. This payment is non-refundable under all circumstances. No cancellations, group-size changes, or date-changes are allowed after this date. (International programs, third-party organizations and large group programs are due in full 120 days prior to start date.)
• Date-change requests are subject to availability and cost $50 per booking. Date-changes are not allowed within 60 days of your program’s start date, and your new date must be within the same calendar year. 

We adhere to these policies under all circumstances, and therefore we recommend that you purchase trip/travel insurance or wait to register until closer to your desired date.

Private Group Registration:

If you plan to schedule a private group climb, the Group Leader will be responsible for all deposits and payments for the entire group. Each individual must still complete our Registration Form. We require younger climbers (under 16 years) to join us in a private setting.

Inclement Weather:
Challenging weather conditions are often a part of climbing in the mountains. Timberline Mountain Guides will lead your climb in any weather conditions, although there is no guarantee that we will reach the summit. 

• Once a trip begins, there are no refunds or date-changes available due to bad weather.
• Regardless of the forecasted weather, we are unable to offer refunds, exchanges or rainchecks in the weeks or days before a scheduled trip.
• We will uphold our cancellation policies in all cases.

Turning around without reaching the summit:
The guide will make a decision to turn back if they feel that the group is being placed in jeopardy. We are not in a position to evaluate your fitness level. Our guides can only make decisions based on the speed and coordination of the team relative to current conditions and forecasted weather. If you have any chronic health conditions, please consult your doctor before signing up for any trip.

Climber-to-Guide Ratios:
Each climbing program has a maximum climber-to-guide ratio, listed at the bottom of the climb description. These ratios are determined based on the hazard exposure and the limitations of protection systems that we employ. For that reason, our guides will not exceed this ratio in technical terrain, and climbers in open group programs can be turned around to maintain the maximum climber-to-guide ratio of 3:1 for those continuing climbing. Private Guides are available for anyone concerned about climbing with unknown partners.

Acknowledgement of Risk Forms:

At the start of your program you will be asked to sign an Acknowledgement of Risk form. We recommend that you take the time to read this form prior to arriving, and we invite you to call our office in advance if you have any questions about it.

Climbing and mountaineering involve inherent risks  – many that we can manage to a degree – some that are beyond our control. By signing, you assume responsibility for all the risks associated with this activity, and you acknowledge the hazards that are beyond our control. We do not assume liability for injuries or death. All participants are completely responsible for all medical and hospital costs associated with any injury, rescue or evacuation. You go at your own risk.

Snowcat Transportation:

We partner with the Timberline Lodge to provide snowcat transportation on our Summit Program. This machine is a great resource for bypassing the lower flanks of the mountain however, due to the extreme weather and snow conditions that we experience on Mount Hood, there is no guarantee that it will be able to access any particular location or elevation. We do not offer refunds, nor will we reschedule programs in relation to the snowcat’s ability to travel in the conditions presented. Climbs will depart from the lodge at the planned time, with or without snowcat transportation.

Fitness and Training

Mountaineering, Rock Climbing and Ski Mountaineering are demanding activities and are very serious undertakings. The more prepared you are, the more enjoyable your trip will be. Physical fitness is one aspect of preparation that takes time and commitment. It is an important component of risk management, because the more fit we are as a team, the more capacity we have to deal with challenging situations.

Most mountaineering challenges involve long duration and medium to low intensity. All of our mountaineering climbs require very good physical fitness. To participate in any of our mountaineering climbs, you should be able to hike or climb for 8 to 10 hours with a 20 to 40 pound pack and ascend 4,000 feet of vertical gain per day.

In order to prepare for such a feat, you should be exercising 3 to 4 times per week for at least one hour per session. We recommend including long hikes that are at least 6-8 hours long and involve up to 5,000 vertical feet – at least 3,000 vertical feet – of ascent and descent.

The guide will make a decision to turn back if they feel that the group is being placed in jeopardy. We are not in a position to evaluate your fitness level. Our guides can only make decisions based on the speed of the team relative to current conditions and forecasted weather. If you are overweight or are in poor health, please consult your doctor before signing up for any trip.

On some trips you will be carrying heavy loads, climbing technical terrain with an overnight pack, climbing at high altitude, and climbing on little or restless sleep. These conditions require that you be in excellent fitness. If these activities are at your absolute physical limit, there will be little room to handle additional challenges like inclement weather, adverse conditions or discomfort. Please be in the best fitness you can be, before arriving to climb Mount Hood.

To help you prepare for your next mountain adventure, we recommend Lisa Thomp­son and her com­pa­ny Alpine Ath­let­ics. She founded Alpine Athletics in 2018 to help climbers of all experience levels prepare for their next mountain adventure. Lisa can work with you to devel­op the best plan based on your trip objec­tive, your current fitness level and your training environment.

Medical History

First and foremost, it is imperative that you inform your guide of all your medical history and current physical condition. This information helps your guide to make informed decisions about your program, and in the event of an emergency, potentially life-saving decisions. Our programs operate in remote locations where advanced medical care and evacuation may not be available for hours or days.

If you have any long-term side-effects from past injuries or illness please include these in your medical history. Any current injuries or conditions – even those that seem irrelevant – should be disclosed, as well as a list of all medications that you are taking. Any asthma or allergies to food, animals or the environment must be included in your form.

Acclimatization

The key to this is to try to be well hydrated, and well fed before your trip begins. Another helpful tactic is to spend some time at 6000’ at Timberline Lodge before your trip. If you aren’t staying at Timberline, consider coming a couple days earlier and taking some day hikes above the lodge to gradually expose your body to the increased demands of exertion at altitude.

Altitude

Our programs operate between 7,000 and 15,000 feet in the United States, and up to 19,000 feet internationally. If you are traveling from sea-level we recommend that you arrive early to give yourself time to acclimate to the altitude before you exert yourself on the climb. If you are going to elevations above 15,000 feet, we recommend speaking with your doctor about obtaining a prescription of Diamox. If you have a history of altitude illness, you may want to talk to your doctor about using Diamox at even lower elevations, as well as obtaining a prescription for emergency dexamethasone.

Weather

On some trips you will be carrying heavy loads. Sleeping and eating conditions on overnight trips are not always ideal. Weather is often unpredictable and may disrupt climbing. The mountain environment is constantly changing, so you must be prepared for any weather.

Personal Responsibility

No one can control the weather and route conditions. We cannot control your fitness, but you can. Sometimes conditions make the climbing more tiring, for example in the cold and the wind. Sometimes conditions dictate that we move fast to catch a weather window, or else we’ll be forced to turn around. The more physically prepared you are, the better opportunity your team will have to reach the summit in the variety of conditions that we find in the mountain that we guide. We will make every effort to help you get to the summit. However, our priority is always to descend safely, even if that is because we can’t move fast enough to complete the objective. Please do your best to prepare adequately for the physical demands of mountaineering.