Notice givenWithin 24 hours of booking
RefundFull refund
Available when the trip starts at least 7 days later. Already committed third-party costs are excluded only when disclosed before payment.
Clear before anyone pays
Cancellation &
weather policy.
This policy applies when paid bookings open. Until payment is taken and the guide accepts, choosing a guide is only a request to continue the conversation.
- Policy version
- 1.0
- Published
- 26 August 2026
The short version
Fair to the traveller.
Fair to the guide.
Guides reserve dates that may be difficult to refill, while travellers deserve clear and proportionate refunds. The same refund percentage applies to the guide price and our booking fee.
01
If the traveller cancels
Refunds are based on notice.
Notice given30+ days before the trip
RefundFull refund
100% of the guide price and Mountain Linkup booking fee is returned.
Notice given15–29 days before the trip
Refund50% refund
50% of both the guide price and Mountain Linkup booking fee is returned.
Notice givenFewer than 15 days before the trip
RefundNo automatic refund
If the guide rebooks the same dates, recovered guide fees are returned after documented, non-recoverable costs.
Cancellation notice must be sent in writing using the contact method in the booking confirmation. Timing is measured in New Zealand time. Traveller illness, injury, travel disruption and personal circumstances follow the same schedule, so appropriate travel insurance is strongly recommended.
02
If the guide cancels
The traveller chooses what happens next.
Move the booking
Choose a replacement date or an appropriate verified guide. Any price difference is shown and agreed first.
Take a full refund
All money collected by Mountain Linkup is returned, including the booking fee. We do not retain our fee when the guide cancels.
03
Weather & mountain conditions
The route can change. Safety cannot.
The guide makes the safety call
A summit, route or exact itinerary is never guaranteed. The guide may change the objective, venue, approach or activity because of weather, avalanche conditions, access, fitness or another safety concern.
A suitable alternative counts
If the guide provides a reasonable alternative of similar duration and value—such as another route, climbing day or skills day—the booking proceeds. Not reaching the original summit does not by itself create a refund.
No safe day means a choice
If the guide cancels the entire service before it starts because no reasonable safe alternative can be delivered, the traveller may reschedule or receive a full refund of all Mountain Linkup-collected amounts.
Once the trip has started
Guide time and safe alternatives already delivered are not automatically refundable because conditions changed. Unused third-party costs that are recovered must be returned.
04
Important details
No hidden exceptions.
Third-party costs
Huts, permits, transport or equipment costs may have separate supplier terms. A non-refundable cost must be clearly disclosed before payment and supported by the actual supplier charge.
Late arrival or unsafe participation
A guide may change or end the activity if a traveller arrives too late, materially misstates their ability or health, lacks required equipment, or behaves unsafely. Refunds are reviewed against the service the guide could reasonably provide.
Platform fee and donation
For traveller cancellations, the booking fee is refunded in the same proportion as the guide price. Cancelled bookings do not count toward the public donation total; donations are recorded after completed trips.
Your legal rights
Nothing in this policy removes rights or remedies that cannot be excluded under New Zealand consumer law. Where the service fails to meet those obligations, the law takes priority over this schedule.