Risk Disclosures

Sunset over the Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park, New Zealand

Introduction

At Silver Beech Outdoors Limited, your safety and well-being are our highest priorities. We take reasonable precautions to manage risks during our guided walks, outdoor activities, and transportation. However, these activities involve inherent risks that cannot be completely eliminated.

This document explains potential risks and your responsibilities so you can make an informed decision about participating. Your guide will explain hazards relevant to your trip and any additional precautions required.

Acknowledgment of Risks

Depending on the activity, location, season, and conditions, risks may include:

Environmental Hazards: Rapidly changing weather, strong winds, rain, snow, ice, strong sunshine, and hot or cold temperatures. Exposure may cause hypothermia, heat illness, or dehydration.
Terrain Hazards: Uneven, slippery, steep, or unmaintained ground; exposed sections; loose rocks; tree roots; and stream crossings where applicable. These may lead to slips, trips, falls, or other injuries.
Natural Events: Rockfalls, falling trees or branches, landslides, flooding, and avalanches where relevant to the route and season.
Flora and Fauna: Encounters with wildlife, insects, or plants that may cause injury, bites, stings, or allergic reactions.
Farm and Pastoral Land Hazards: Livestock, farm vehicles and machinery, electric or wire fences, gates, and uneven ground. Access may be shared with other authorised recreational users. Your guide will explain relevant hazards and precautions.
Physical Demands: Sustained physical effort, fatigue, or overexertion. Existing injuries, medical conditions, or fitness limitations may affect safe participation.
Transportation Risks: Road conditions, other road users, adverse weather, vehicle faults, and traffic accidents.
Remote Locations: Limited or unavailable mobile coverage. Emergency assistance and evacuation may be delayed by location, terrain, or weather.

These risks may result in injury, serious illness, death, or loss of or damage to personal belongings. Not every hazard applies to every trip.

Participant Responsibilities

By participating, you acknowledge the inherent risks and agree to:

Follow your guide’s safety instructions and remain with the group unless otherwise directed.
Take reasonable care for your own safety and avoid actions that could harm others.
Consider the trip’s stated difficulty and physical demands, and discuss any concerns with us before departure.
Bring the clothing and equipment specified for your trip, or arrange to borrow available items in advance.
Use equipment as instructed and participate in the guide’s pre-trip gear check.
Inform your guide promptly if you feel unwell, become excessively tired, notice a hazard, or feel uncomfortable continuing.
Wear a seat belt during vehicle travel.

Notification of Health and Fitness Concerns

Please notify Silver Beech Outdoors Limited in writing at the time of booking of any medical conditions, injuries, allergies, medication requirements, or fitness limitations that may affect your participation or require additional support.

Notify us of any changes before departure and tell your guide about relevant concerns during the trip. Please bring any personal medication you may need.

Providing this information helps us assess suitability and plan appropriate precautions. If you are unsure whether an activity is suitable for you, please discuss this with us before booking.

Private Land, Pastoral Lease and Farm Access

Some activities take place on private land or Crown pastoral lease land under authorised access arrangements. Our Mt Alfred/Ari walk operates within the Earnslaw pastoral lease under a commercial recreation permit, with the pastoral lessee’s consent.

Participants must remain with the guide, follow the authorised route, and comply with the access and safety instructions explained during the briefing.

When visiting these areas, participants must:

Use only existing formed tracks that are open for use. Do not take shortcuts or enter closed tracks.
Ensure footwear, packs, and other equipment are clean of weeds, seeds, and plant material before entering, and follow any additional biosecurity instructions.
Respect livestock, farming operations, and other authorised activities. Do not approach or disturb livestock or interfere with vehicles or equipment.
Cross fences and operate gates only as directed by the guide, leaving gates as instructed.
Follow Leave No Trace principles and carry out all rubbish.
Do not light fires, remove vegetation, disturb soil, or damage property.
Do not feed or disturb wildlife, including kea and native lizards. Keep food and belongings secured.
Use toilet facilities before entering where available. If facilities are unavailable during the walk, follow your guide’s instructions for collecting and carrying out solid toilet waste.

Access is shared with other authorised users and is subject to applicable permit conditions, farm operations, and safety requirements. Routes or trip arrangements may change where necessary.
Joining a guided trip does not grant independent access rights or permission to return without any permission otherwise required.

Trip Alterations and Participation Decisions

Silver Beech Outdoors Limited may alter, postpone, shorten, or cancel an activity where weather, terrain, natural hazards, farm operations, access restrictions, participant suitability, or other circumstances make it unsafe or prevent authorised access.

Your guide may change the route, turn the group back, or decline or stop a participant’s involvement where necessary for safety. Reaching a summit or completing the planned route cannot be guaranteed.

Refunds and alternative arrangements will be handled in accordance with our booking terms and applicable New Zealand law.

Third-Party Activities

Some itineraries include activities delivered by independent operators, such as cruises, scenic flights, or other attractions. These operators manage the delivery and safety of their activities and may require separate safety briefings, participation conditions, or risk acknowledgments.

Participants must follow the relevant operator’s instructions and disclose any health or fitness concerns that may affect those activities. Where appropriate, we will pass relevant information you provide to the operator to help arrange your participation safely.

Nothing in this section excludes any responsibility Silver Beech Outdoors Limited has under applicable New Zealand law.