altituder & short-term altituder
booking terms & conditions
Thank you for choosing to spend time with Altitude Mission. These terms explain how a booking works, what you can expect from us, and what we ask of you in return, whether you’re joining us as a full-season Altituder or as a Short-Term Altituder (STA). Please read them carefully before paying your deposit. Your deposit payment means you’re agreeing to be bound by these T&C’s.
Deposits and due dates:
The Altituder deposit is £500, this is due 1st October before the winter season begins.
The Short Term Altituder deposit is £50 per week of your stay, this is due 8 weeks before your arrival.
1. Definitions
In these Terms, the following definitions apply: “Confirmation Letter” means the letter from us confirming your booking and sent by post, email or other electronic means; “Contract” means the contract for the provision of the Services; “you” or “your” means the person named as the lead name on the Confirmation Letter; “we” or “us” or “our” means Altitude Mission; “Short-Term Altituder” or “STA” means someone joining us for a shorter placement of between three and six weeks during the winter season, as set out in your Confirmation Letter; “Placement” means the period of time you spend with us, whether as an Altituder or a Short-Term Altituder, as set out in you Confirmation Letter; “Services” means the provision of catered chalet accommodation to include such additional extras as specified in the Confirmation Letter; “these Terms” means the terms and conditions as set out in this document.
2. Making your booking
2.1 These Terms, together with your Confirmation Letter, form the Contract between you and us. Any changes must be agreed in writing between us.
2.2 Once we’ve offered you a place and you’ve accepted, we’ll send a Confirmation Letter and, separately, a request for a non-refundable deposit to secure your place (see clause 3.5 for how to pay):
• Altituders: the deposit is £500.
• Short-Term Altituders: the deposit is £50 per week of your placement — for example, £150 for a three- week placement or £300 for a six-week placement. Your booking is confirmed once we’ve received cleared funds — the Contract isn’t formed until then. Please check your Confirmation Letter carefully and let us know straight away if anything looks wrong.
2.3 Paying your deposit means you’ve accepted these Terms.
2.4 Each person travels under their own individual Contract with us — if you’re applying alongside friends or a partner, each of you will need to apply separately and will be sent your own Confirmation Letter.
2.5 We reserve the right not to offer you a place if we don’t feel Altitude Mission is the right fit for you. If that happens, we’ll refund everything you’ve paid in full.
2.6 You must be 18 or over by 15th November of the winter season you’re joining (or, for Short-Term Altituders joining later in the season, by the start of your placement).
2.7 These Terms apply equally to Altituders and Short-Term Altituders, except where a clause says otherwise.
3. Your contribution towards your placement
3.1 The minimum contribution is shown on our website and confirmed in your Confirmation Letter.
3.2 If there’s ever an obvious error in the amount shown, we’ll issue a corrected Confirmation Letter rather than be bound by the mistake.
3.3 The balance is due as follows:
• Altituders: by 1st October ahead of the winter season. If you book after that date, full payment is due when you’re accepted onto the programme.
• Short-Term Altituders: 8 weeks before your placement start date. If you book after that date, full payment is due when you’re accepted onto the programme.
3.4 Money worries shouldn’t stop you applying — we can offer a flexible or deferred payment plan to help spread the cost. Get in touch to talk it through, ideally before a payment becomes overdue.
3.5 We accept payment in pounds sterling — by debit or credit card, bank transfer, or cheque made payable to Altitude Mission.
3.6 If we haven’t received full payment within 15 working days of the due date, and after a reminder call or email, we may end the Contract. That would mean losing your place and your deposit — so please talk to us before it gets to that point.
4. If your plans change
4.1 If you need to cancel, let us know immediately in writing (email or letter). The following charges apply from the date we hear from you:
Altituders:
• Before 1 October: you’ll lose your deposit.
• 1 October – 1 November: 80% of the season cost.
• After 1 November: 100% of the season cost.
Short-Term Altituders (charges calculated relative to your placement start date):
• More than 8 weeks before your start date: you’ll lose your deposit.
• 4–8 weeks before your start date: 80% of your placement cost.
• Less than 4 weeks before your start date, or after you've arrived: 100% of your placement cost. Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to claim some of this back through your travel insurance — see clause 4.6 too.
4.2 If you decide to leave partway through your placement — for example due to injury or any other personal reason — we’re not able to refund any part of the remaining placement. We’ll give you whatever documentation you need to make a claim on your insurance.
4.3 In the unlikely event that we have to cancel your booking before your arrival for reasons within our control, we’ll offer you a full refund or a suitable alternative. This is the full extent of our liability in these circumstances.
4.4 We can’t be held responsible for the weather, forecasts or snow conditions. If skiing isn’t possible at points in the season because of snow conditions, we won’t be able to offer a refund — though please see clause 4.6.
4.5 We don’t control resort facilities such as lifts, ski areas, pools, saunas, ice rinks, buses or après-ski venues, and can’t be held liable if any of these close for maintenance, weather, low visitor numbers, health situations or any other reason. No refund will be offered in these cases either, subject to clause 4.6.
4.6 Pandemic and unforeseen events (not poor snow) clause. In light of recent years, we’ve built in cover for pandemic-related and unforeseen events disruption. We’d still strongly encourage you to take out robust travel insurance, as our own ability to refund is limited to the situations set out below. Do get in touch if you have any questions about this before booking.
• If non-essential travel restrictions delay your arrival, you’ll receive a pro-rata refund from the start date of your placement until restrictions lift.
• If we need to delay your arrival until we know the lifts are opening as planned, you’ll receive a pro-rata refund from the start date of your placement until you’re able to travel. Any cost of changing your flights is yours — please don’t book outbound travel until we’ve confirmed dates with you.
• If the lifts close mid-season we’ll keep running the programme, focusing on discipleship and outreach where we can. We may need to move you to alternative accommodation. If we’re required by the authorities to leave the resort for a period, you’ll receive a pro-rata refund for the closed weeks and any onward travel is at your own cost. When the resort reopens, getting back to resort is at your cost. If you choose not to return, we won’t be able to refund the remaining open weeks.
• If the season ends before 10th April for any reason, your travel home is at your cost, and you’ll receive a pro-rata refund for the weeks affected. Please hold off booking your journey home until we’ve confirmed the season’s end date.
• If the season ends early, but after 10th April, there will be no pro-rata refund on any missed weeks. Travel home will still be at your cost.
• The decision on whether Altituders and STA’s can stay or need to return home always sits with Altitude Mission’s management, based on the latest guidance from local and national authorities. If you choose not to travel, or to come home early by your own choice, that’s at your own cost, with no pro-rata refund as set out above.
• This clause covers pandemic-related and unforeseen events closures only. This clause does not cover closures due to poor snow (see clause 4.4).
5. Accuracy of information
5.1 We do our best to keep our website and marketing materials accurate and up to date, but things can change after publication and we can’t be held liable for this. We’ll let you know of anything significant before you book. Photos are there to give a general feel for the accommodation and resort, not an exact representation.
5.2 Because verbal conversations can be hard to confirm later, we only treat something as part of the Contract if it’s been put in writing and separately confirmed by us.
6. Your responsibilities to us
6.1 Please tell us about any special requirements — dietary needs, accessibility, or anything else important to you — at the time you apply.
6.2 We’ll do our best to accommodate these, though we can’t guarantee it, and they don’t form part of the Contract.
6.3 Please also let us know about any pre-existing medical conditions that might affect your placement. This stays strictly confidential. If, after taking medical advice, the management of Altitude Mission considers that a placement at Altitude Mission is unsuitable for you, you will be offered a full refund of monies paid, provided you have made us aware of your pre-existing medical condition by 1 October or at the time of booking (whichever is later). If a medical condition means you can’t complete your placement once it’s started, we won’t be able to offer a refund, though see clause 4.2 regarding insurance.
6.4 You’ll need a valid passport (and any necessary visa) for the whole of your placement. If you’re refused entry into France, we won’t be able to refund your placement payment.
7. Behaviour, safety, and leaving the programme
7.1 If anything belonging to the chalet is lost, damaged or broken as a result of your actions, we may recover the cost from you — including by charging your payment card directly, without needing to check with you first — so that we’re not left out of pocket with the chalet owner.
7.2 At the start of the season, you’ll be asked to sign a code of conduct. If your behaviour doesn’t meet this — or if it’s unsociable, abusive, or otherwise unacceptable towards our staff, other residents or guests — we’ll first sit down with you to talk it through and agree what needs to change. If things don’t improve, we reserve the right to end your place on the programme. If we ask you to leave the programme because you’ve broken our code of conduct or the rules of your placement, no refund will be given for any remaining part of your placement, and no deposit or contribution already paid will be returned. This applies to Altituders and Short-Term Altituders alike. We don’t take this decision lightly — it’s always a last resort after trying to work things through with you first.
7.3 We don’t allow you to bring pets.
7.4 Smoking is only permitted outside the chalet.
7.5 You’re expected to follow local law at all times. If you don't, we reserve the right to end the Contract — and the refund position at clause 7.2 above will apply.
7.6 If you ever feel you’re being treated unfairly, please raise it with the resort management straight away. If it isn’t resolved to your satisfaction, please follow the Complaints Policy procedure.
8. Insurance
8.1 You’ll need Carte Neige mountain rescue insurance for the duration of your placement. This is purchased along with your ski pass.
8.2 You’ll also need full travel insurance covering you from before you book until after your placement ends, and you’ll need to send us a copy of your policy schedule when you book. If your existing annual cover expires during your placement, please send us proof of renewal at least 7 days beforehand.
9. Liability
9.1 We won’t be liable for loss, cost or damage arising from information or instructions you give us that turn out to be incomplete or incorrect.
9.2 We’ll take all reasonable care over your safety, but you understand that skiing carries an inherent risk of accident or injury. You ski at your own risk.
9.3 We won’t be liable for unforeseeable loss or delay caused by events beyond our reasonable control — for example acts of God, war, terrorism, or power failure.
9.4 If something goes wrong because we’ve failed to deliver the Services, our liability is limited to the cost of the season.
9.5 We can’t take responsibility for costs arising from your own unsuitability for the season (for example, your fitness level).
9.6 Wherever “we” is used in this clause 9, it also covers our employees, sub-contractors, licensors and suppliers, who benefit from the same protections under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999.
9.7 We can’t be held responsible for delays in your own travel to Méribel.
9.8 Your personal belongings and any ski equipment (owned or hired) remain your responsibility — we can’t accept liability for loss or damage to these.
9.9 Nothing in these Terms limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraudulent misrepresentation, or affects your statutory rights as a consumer.
10. If something goes wrong
10.1 If you’re unhappy with anything, please speak to the on-site management first — we’ll do our best to sort it out quickly.
10.2 If the issue isn’t resolved, please follow the Complaints Policy procedure – available online and in the chalet.
10.3 If we still can’t reach a resolution together, you can refer the matter to the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (www.ciarb.org).
11. Your data
We’ll only use the personal information you give us to provide the Services, or to let you know about similar opportunities in future, unless you tell us otherwise.
12. Photos and videos
12.1 We may take photos and video during the season to help promote, publicise and raise support for Altitude Mission. If you’d rather not be included, just let us know in writing before the season starts.
12.2 If you share any of your own photos or videos with us, we’ll only use them for the same purposes, on the understanding that they’re free of any royalty claims.
13. The legal bits
13.1 Nothing in this Contract gives any third party the right to enforce any part of it under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999.
13.2 This Contract is governed by English law, and the English courts have exclusive jurisdiction.