Flight, Accommodation and Travel Costs
We sell all our scheduled courses and expeditions on a guided-only basis. While we will organise and co-ordinate the whole expedition, the fee you pay us is just for leadership and/or instruction (in practice you'll get a bit of both on any expedition we run). This fee includes all the leaders costs such as accommodation, travel and airfares. It also includes your use of all communal camping and climbing equipment - e.g. tents, stoves & cooking utensils, climbing ropes, belay and security gear.
The fee you pay ANDES does not include your own personal travel and accommodation costs.
So, firstly, you will need to buy your own flights to the expedition venue.
Secondly you'll have to pay for local accommodation and land travel costs related to the expedition. On our Calendar page we give you an estimate of what we think these local costs will be for each course or expedition. Each expedition also has an information page where we give more specific details of some of the costs involved. How much you actually pay for these items will depend on a variety of factors. For example your choice of airline & travel class, your choice of single vs. shared room. Also vehicle rental and/or mule/porter costs may be more or less than our estimate if there is a smaller or larger group to share the cost. Our estimates are based on a group size of 3 or 4 clients.
There are brief notes on what is and isn't included in the ANDES guiding fee in the tables below and more detailed explanations for hyperlinked items in the notes which follow.
| WHAT'S INCLUDED -- in ANDES fee | |
| ITEM | NOTES |
| Organisation | We organise and co-ordinate the group, plan the itinerary, and troubleshoot problems. |
| Guiding/Instructing Fee | |
| Leaders Expenses | All the Leaders costs for Flights, Travel, Meals & Accommodation. |
| Communal Climbing Equipment. | Ropes, Belay gear, etc. Anything shared amongst the group. |
| Communal Camping Equipment | Tents, Stoves, etc., and where applicable mess tents, chairs and tables! |
| Food while in the mountains. | All meals while camping, plus lunches on day trips. |
| WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED -- Items that you will have to pay for beforehand, or in South America, or bring with you. | |
| ITEM | NOTES |
| Flights and airport taxes. | |
| Personal Insurance. | |
| Travel Costs | Widely variable, but can include hired 4x4 vehicles, private vehicle transfers, taxis, bus travel, mules and porters! |
| Accommodation abroad | Typically two sharing in a ** or *** hotel room. Sometimes we use huts & hostels. |
| Peak fees or permits necessary | Not applicable in most places, but expensive for Aconcagua. |
| Restaurant and cafe meals | You'll need to pay for all meals & drinks eaten in hotels, restaurants and cafes. |
| Personal camping and climbing equipment | Anything used personally, such as Sleeping Bag & Mat, Ice-axe, Crampons, Harness, Helmet, Headtorch. |
Flights
We can advise you about buying flights to South America, and we will co-ordinate the arrival and departure dates between the leader and all the clients. When booking your own flights we recommend that you send us your proposed schedule before committing to a payment, so that we can check your schedule will work for the expedition. We strongly advise you not to book flights until we have enough fully-paid clients to guarantee the expedition will run (normally this is 4 months before departure)
Insurance
All clients must be insured for medical costs, rescue and repatriation in an emergency. We strongly recommend having insurance for baggage and effects, personal liability and cancellation (in case you are ill or unable to travel). Most good travel insurance policies will cover these items, but make sure you'll be covered for anything that happens on the trek or climb as well. If you'd like advice on insurance please ask us, or contact the companies we recommend Snowcard or The BMC
Travel Costs
We use a wide variety of different modes of transport on different holidays and expeditions, with very different costs. Consult your trip information pages for an estimate of the total costs for your expedition. For example on some trips we'll hire a 4x4 vehicle and split the cost, while in other places we'll be driven by a hired driver to a remote drop off with a pre-arranged pick-up. Occasionally we'll use buses and there will also be some use of airport and town taxis, etc. Out in the mountains we often use mules, donkeys or porters for easier access to base camps. These mountain costs also come under the broad title of Travel Costs, and are payable in South America on a shared basis by our clients.
Accommodation
In cities we usually stay in mid-range *** hotels which are clean, comfortable and secure. Normally you will be in a double room with private bathroom, shared with another client of the same sex. Single rooms are often available if that is what you prefer. Hotel costs can vary greatly from one country or region to another. Consult your expedition or course information pages for an estimated total. In remote villages accommodation can be a wee bit less luxurious, sometimes in triple or quadruple rooms or even dormitory style accommodation, and hot showers may not be possible. In the mountains we normally camp, using modern lightweight tents provided by us; again these are normally on a two person sharing basis, except where you are the only male or female on a trip. In the few areas where it is an option we may use mountain huts.
Meals
Meals in hotels, and other meals in towns and cities are not included. There is usually a wide choice of restaurants and cafes. Once again costs can vary quite widely from one country or region to another.
Equipment
We provide top quality tents, stoves and climbing safety equipment manufactured by well known names such as Terra Nova, MSR, Mountain Hardwear, DMM, Edelrid and Mammut. Expedition members are expected to have their own personal climbing and camping equipment although we can hire or loan selected small items (see below). We will send you a full equipment list and our hire form when you book. However if you would like any advice or information before then please just phone or email us.
Equipment Hire
We can hire a range of equipment to customers for a small fee, including ice-axes, crampons, helmets and harnesses as well as sleeping bags and down jackets. Unfortunately we are unable to hire mountaineering or ski boots, due to the need to stock a huge range of sizes. Please request our equipment hire form.
