Terms of Service

These are the basic terms under which The Mountain Child (“we”, “us”) operates. We’ve kept them short and plain. If anything below is unclear, just ask.

What we do

The Mountain Child curates and personally guides small-group journeys through the Himalayas, and operates a homestay (Mountain Child Home) in Upper Jagatsukh, Manali. Founded by Kavita Agarwal, registered in Himachal Pradesh, India.

Inquiries vs bookings

Filling in the form at /inquire is an inquiry, not a booking. We’ll reply within 24 hours to talk through what you have in mind. A booking only exists once you and Kavita have agreed on dates, group size, scope, and payment terms in writing (email or WhatsApp is fine).

Pricing and payment

Prices on the website are shown in EUR primarily and INR where applicable. Some journeys are priced “On Request” because they’re custom-built per group. All prices are subject to availability and may change between inquiry and booking confirmation.

Payment terms (deposit amount, balance schedule, accepted methods) are agreed individually for each booking. Currency conversion fees and bank charges, where they apply, are the traveller’s responsibility.

Cancellation and changes

Cancellation terms are agreed in writing at the time of booking and depend on the journey, season, and how far in advance the cancellation happens. We do our best to be fair on both sides — we have to commit to homestays, guides, and permits in advance, but we also understand life happens. The specific terms for your booking will always be in writing.

If we have to change or cancel a journey ourselves — weather, permits, safety, anything outside our control — we’ll offer alternative dates or a refund of any payments held.

Travel insurance — mandatory

All travellers on our journeys are required to have valid travel and medical insurance covering the activities you’ll be doing, including high-altitude trekking and motorcycling where applicable. Coverage for emergency evacuation is strongly recommended for any journey above 4,000m.

We don’t sell or arrange insurance ourselves. We’ll ask for proof of cover before the journey starts.

Risk

Mountain travel carries inherent risk — altitude, weather, road conditions, animal encounters. We mitigate where we can with experienced guides, careful acclimatisation schedules, satellite communication on remote routes, and well-maintained equipment, but zero risk doesn’t exist.

By joining a journey, you accept that you’re responsible for your own choices, that you’ll follow your guide’s safety instructions, and that the inherent risks of mountain travel are understood. We’ll talk this through before any booking is confirmed.

Behaviour and respect

Our journeys depend on the goodwill of the mountain communities we work with. Travellers are expected to engage respectfully — ask before photographing people, dress sensibly at religious sites, leave no trace on trails, follow your guide’s lead in villages. We reserve the right to end a journey for anyone whose behaviour puts the group, our staff, or our community partnerships at risk, with no refund.

Liability

We’re a small operation, not a large tour company with a legal team. Our liability for any single journey is limited to the price paid for that journey. We’re not liable for losses caused by events outside our reasonable control: weather, permit changes, government restrictions, medical conditions, your own equipment, or third-party providers (airlines, insurers, etc.).

Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of India. Any dispute that can’t be resolved between us directly will be handled by the courts of Himachal Pradesh.

Contact

Kavita Agarwal · The Mountain Child
Upper Jagatsukh, Manali · Himachal Pradesh, India
[email protected] · +91 88941 26756