Terms & Conditions

1. Acceptance of Terms

By booking a tour with GorgeTales, you ("Guest") agree to be bound by these Terms & Conditions. A booking is confirmed when you submit your booking form and, where applicable, complete payment. These terms constitute the full agreement between you and GorgeTales regarding your participation in any tour.

If you are booking on behalf of others in your party, you represent that you have authority to agree to these terms on their behalf and that all members of your party have been informed of and agree to these terms.

2. Cancellation & Refund Policy

The following cancellation schedule applies to all GorgeTales tours. The cancellation window is calculated from the scheduled tour start time.

Group Size Minimums: Some tours require a minimum number of confirmed bookings to operate. If GorgeTales cancels a tour due to insufficient group size, all affected Guests will receive a full refund or the option to transfer their booking to another available date at no extra charge.

How to Cancel: To cancel a booking, email gorgetales@polsia.app with your booking reference number. Cancellation requests are effective when confirmed in writing by GorgeTales. Refunds are issued to the original payment method within 5–10 business days.

Rescheduling: Guests may reschedule a booking at no charge with 72 or more hours' notice, subject to date availability. Rescheduling requests with less than 72 hours' notice are treated as cancellations under the schedule above.

3. Assumption of Risk

GorgeTales tours take place in natural outdoor environments, including but not limited to forest trails, waterfall viewpoints, rocky terrain, and areas subject to unpredictable weather in the Columbia River Gorge. By booking and participating in a tour, you voluntarily assume all risks associated with outdoor recreational activity, including but not limited to:

• Uneven, slippery, or unstable trail surfaces
• Steep grades, exposed ledges, and trail obstacles
• Rapidly changing weather conditions, including rain, wind, cold, and reduced visibility
• Wildlife encounters, including but not limited to bees, wasps, snakes, and other native species
• Natural hazards such as falling branches, rock slides, or high water at creek crossings
• Physical exertion, dehydration, and altitude changes

You acknowledge that outdoor adventure activities carry inherent risks that cannot be entirely eliminated, and that you assume full responsibility for these risks.

4. Physical Fitness Requirements

GorgeTales tours involve moderate hiking. Guests should be prepared for:

• Walking 1 to 3 miles on natural trails, depending on the tour
• Moderate elevation changes and uneven surfaces
• Standing and moving for extended periods of time

Guests are responsible for honestly assessing their physical fitness prior to booking. GorgeTales does not provide medical advice. If you have a medical condition, physical limitation, or health concern that may be affected by moderate hiking, please consult your physician before booking.

GorgeTales reserves the right to refuse participation or ask a Guest to return to the meeting point if, in the guide's judgment, that Guest's condition poses a risk to themselves or others. No refund is guaranteed in this circumstance.

5. Children & Minor Policy

GorgeTales welcomes families. The following policies apply to Guests under the age of 18:

• Children under the age of 8 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian throughout the tour. Infants and toddlers must be carried in an appropriate child carrier; strollers are not suitable for trail use.
• Guests ages 8–17 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian who accepts responsibility for the minor's conduct and safety.
• The parent or legal guardian is responsible for ensuring that all minors in their party understand and comply with guide instructions.
• GorgeTales staff are not responsible for supervising unaccompanied minors.

By booking on behalf of a minor, you represent that you are the parent or legal guardian of that minor and accept full responsibility for their participation in the tour.

6. Weather Policy

Tours operate rain or shine. The Columbia River Gorge is a temperate rainforest environment, and light to moderate rain is normal and expected during spring and fall. We recommend dressing in layers with waterproof outer layers.

GorgeTales reserves the right to:

• Modify tour routes, itinerary stops, or hiking distances due to trail conditions or weather
• Shorten a tour and return early if conditions deteriorate to the point that safety is at risk
• Cancel a tour entirely in cases of extreme weather (high winds, lightning, severe ice, or trail closures) — in which case, affected Guests receive a full refund or free reschedule

Weather-related route modifications do not entitle Guests to partial refunds unless GorgeTales cancels the tour entirely.

7. Guide Authority

Your guide has final authority over all safety decisions during the tour. This includes:

• Selecting, modifying, or changing trail routes
• Calling an early return to the meeting point at any time
• Requiring Guests to remain in designated areas or wait while others proceed
• Removing a Guest from the tour if their conduct endangers the safety of themselves or the group

All Guests are required to follow guide instructions promptly. Failure to comply with guide directives may result in removal from the tour without refund.

8. Photo & Video Release

GorgeTales may photograph or video-record tours for use in marketing materials, social media, website content, and promotional purposes. By participating in a tour, you grant GorgeTales a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use your likeness as captured during the tour.

To opt out: Guests who do not wish to appear in GorgeTales marketing materials must notify their guide at the start of the tour. We will make reasonable efforts to exclude opted-out Guests from published content, but cannot guarantee the removal of incidental appearances in group photos or video.

GorgeTales will not sell or license photos of Guests to third parties for commercial use without separate written consent.

9. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, GorgeTales, its guides, employees, agents, and affiliates shall not be liable for:

• Personal injury, illness, or death arising from participation in a tour, including injuries resulting from falls, slips, wildlife encounters, or other trail hazards
• Loss or theft of personal property, including equipment, electronics, clothing, or valuables
• Cancellation or modification of tours due to weather, trail closures, natural events, or circumstances beyond GorgeTales' reasonable control
• Any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising from your use of GorgeTales services

GorgeTales' total liability to any Guest for any claim arising from a tour shall not exceed the amount paid by that Guest for the specific tour giving rise to the claim.

Nothing in these terms limits liability for gross negligence, willful misconduct, or any liability that cannot be excluded by applicable law.

10. Contact

Questions about these Terms & Conditions or the Cancellation Policy? Reach us at:

Email: gorgetales@polsia.app
Website: gorgetales.com

GorgeTales reserves the right to update these Terms & Conditions at any time. Material changes will be noted by updating the Effective Date above. Continued use of our booking services after any update constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.