STEVE BANKS OUTDOORS

Enrolments on courses, trips and activities can be made by email, telephone and by post. Due to the nature of outdoor and adventurous courses Steve may wish to discuss your requirements with you to ensure that you are provided with the most appropriate programme possible. You are strongly encouraged to ask questions and to seek advice about any aspect of your intended course, trip or activity.

Fees quoted on this website usually comprise the tuition and/or guiding fee alone. Course information sheets should be consulted to identify what else is covered by the fees, though you must contact us to check if you are unsure. As with all prices, the ones advertised here may fluctuate in line with costs. Whilst the right to alter prices at any time is reserved, every effort will be made to do this as far in advance as possible. The price advertised at the time of your completed payment will be honoured even if the price subsequently rises. Please note: you are not assured of a place on any course, trip or activity until you have paid the fees in full.

British Canoeing charge administration and certificate fees for many of their courses. These are additional to our fees and will be collected at the start of each course then sent to BC with the relevant paperwork when the course is complete.

You are welcome to pay by cash, cheque or electronic bank transfer. Cheques are payable to Dr Steve Banks. Please put your name clearly on any electronic payment.

Please note: you are not assured of a place on any course, trip or activity until you have paid the fees in full.

Due to the very high ratio of staff to clients on most courses, trips and activities, the withdrawal of even one person can seriously compromise the economic viability of a course, trip or activity. Therefore, to protect the course, trip or activity for both the provider, staff and the remaining clients, it is not possible to refund monies to individuals who withdraw from their course, trip or activity within the time frames stated below:

The majority of Steve Banks Outdoors courses, trips and activities are run relatively locally in Cumbria and the Yorkshire Dales. Withdrawal from any of these events within 30 (thirty) days of the start date will incur the loss of all fees.

Several courses and trips every year are run further afield (for example in Scotland, Wales, elsewhere in England, France, Spain) requiring the booking of transport, accommodation, outfitting, specialist insurance, permits and so forth, far in advance by both Steve Banks Outdoors and the participants. In the case of these events run further afield, withdrawal from the trip or course within 80 (eighty) days of the start date will incur the loss of all fees.

Additionally, in some special circumstances when trips are run further afield and require us to book outfitting, transport, accommodation etc. for the participants and staff far in advance (e.g. canoe expeditions in Canada), we will ask for a significant, non-refundable deposit on enrolment to secure a place on the trip. The remaining monetary balance for these events will become non-refundable 80 (eighty) days prior to the start date.

Please note: The cancellation and refund policy also applies if your course, trip or activity has been postponed to a later date and you agree to your booking being transferred to that new date, or, if you transfer your booking and monies from a course not running to a different Steve Banks Outdoors course. In both these latter cases withdrawal, within the relevant time frames above, prior to this new or alternative start date, will incur forfeit of all fees.

In the case of national governing organisation courses (e.g. British Canoeing, British Caving Association) which we are able to only part complete (e.g. due to inappropriate conditions) we will offer a place on a future event, to complete the missed part, for no additional fee. If we are not intending to run a future event and, therefore, candidates are not able to fulfil the remaining part of the course with us, a refund not exceeding the amount of course time remaining may be provided. Please note that this does not apply when a candidate chooses to withdraw from a course part way through or withdraws before we have provided alternative opportunities to complete the course. It also does not apply during trips and expeditions when activity time may be lost due to circumstances beyond our control (e.g. poor conditions, illness etc.).

In the case of a course, trip or activity being prevented from taking place through no fault of Steve Banks Outdoors within the 30 or 80 day period (e.g. due to government or local authority restrictions or advice, travel or access bans, disasters, war, terrorism, epidemic, civil unrest or any other factor) then no refunds will be provided. In such circumstances Steve Banks Outdoors may attempt to reschedule the course, activity or trip. Full written evidence of your booking and payment will be provided if required. You must ensure you have appropriate activity and travel insurance.

If a course, trip or activity is cancelled by Steve Banks Outdoors due to insufficient participants enrolling, staff not being available to run the event or there being inadequate conditions for the activity to take place (e.g. insufficient water in rivers), and you do not wish to transfer your booking to an alternative date or event, then a full refund of the course, trip or activity fee only will be provided. Steve Banks Outdoors will not refund any additional costs you have incurred (e.g. for travel, accommodation, equipment etc.). You must ensure you have appropriate activity and travel insurance.

Steve Banks Outdoors is not in a position to indemnify clients against any occurrence which interferes with or prevents the client’s attendance on a course, trip or activity for which fees have been paid.  You must ensure you have appropriate activity and travel insurance.

Whilst every endeavour is made to provide up to date and comprehensive advice and guidance on national governing organisation course prerequisites, Steve Banks Outdoors cannot be held responsible for omissions or errors.

It is the client’s sole responsibility to check with the appropriate national governing organisation to ensure they meet all the necessary criteria for their chosen course before enrolling on it. If you enrol on and/or attend a course and do not meet the necessary prerequisites, it is possible that you may not be able to take part and/or gain any recognition sought from participating (e.g. from a national governing organisation). In such circumstances no refunds will be provided.

All clients will be required to complete an informed consent form bearing in mind the statement on risk below. It will be necessary to provide any medical, health or fitness information which may affect participation on a chosen course, trip or activity, or which may be required by rescue or medical staff in the case of an emergency.

If you’d like to see a copy of the current consent form please get in touch.

All participants are required to complete an informed consent form and to divulge relevant medical, health and fitness information. We will always treat this information sensitively and only collect that information which is critical to the safe and effective delivery of your course, trip or activity. In the case of national governing organisation courses, we may require additional information to satisfy their administration requirements. Consent forms are stored on paper and/or digitally, depending on how clients complete them, as a record of your participation and consent.

Outdoor Activities, by their very nature, embody an element of risk. People have suffered serious injuries, have become very frightened and have died as a direct result of their participation in such activities. Steve Banks and anyone working for him will use all their experience and expertise to mitigate against these risks to protect you from physical and psychological harm. They will do this without removing the adventure and excitement from your experience. It will never be possible however, to guarantee that all incidents and accidents are either foreseeable or preventable. Whilst such events are very rare, and have never happened on a Steve Banks Outdoors course, you must accept this risk if you wish to take part.