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MCA FORM 4: Acknowledgement of Risk and Contract, Waiver, Release and Indemnification (Page 1 of 4) IMPORTANT:
THIS IS A LEGAL DOCUMENT MOUNTAIN CLIMBING ADVENTURES (hereinafter also referred to as "MCA") has taken care to assure that our Participants experience a rewarding mountaineering expedition. We wish to inform our Participants that mountaineering and foreign travel are not risk free. The same elements that contribute to the unique character and fun of exploring and climbing mountains, such as the physical exertion or outdoor living, can cause loss or damage to equipment, injury, illness, or in extreme cases, permanent trauma, paralysis, or death. We do not want to heighten or reduce your enthusiasm for the experience, but we do want you to know in advance what to expect and to be informed of some of the possible risks. We ask that you read this release of liability, sign it, and return the original documents to our office. ACKNOWLEDGMENT
OF RISK Travel is by vehicle, animal, bus, and on foot. Travel by foot is over rugged unpredictable trail and off-trail terrain, including boulder fields, downed timber, river crossings, high mountain passes, snow and ice, glaciers, steep slopes, and slippery rocks. Attendant risks include vehicle accidents, falling, drowning, and others usually associated with such travel, as well as environmental risks. This travel in foreign countries includes automobile, taxi, truck, bus, train, aircraft, helicopter, pack animal, and other modes of transportation. Many times the risks associated with transportation can be as great as the mountaineering risk itself. You assume the risk of all travel arranged by yourself or by MCA. Meals are prepared over stoves and sometimes-open fires. Water often requires disinfecting before use. Camping hazards may include burns, tent fires, carbon monoxide poisoning, cuts, diarrhea and flu-like illness. All water must be treated before ingesting once you leave Canada or the United States. Environmental risks include rapidly moving, deep or cold water, insects, snakes, and predators including large animals, falling and rolling rock, lightning, avalanches, flash floods, and unpredictable forces of nature, including weather that may change to extreme conditions without notice. Additional risks are frostbite, high altitude illness, sunburn, heatstroke, dehydration, and other mild or serious conditions. Climbing and Mountaineering are hazardous. The obvious accidents that occur in climbing are falling while climbing, whether you fall only a few feet, part way down the mountain, or all the way to the bottom. As you fall you may hit objects or the terrain in your path. If a rope stops your fall, the jolt from the rope may cause injury. Falling to the ground may cause serious injury from any height. In addition to the hazards of falling, falling objects may hit you. Rocks, ice, snow, climbing equipment and even people may fall and hit you as you are standing or while climbing. Equipment may fail. The extreme conditions of the environment in which climbing and mountaineering equipment is used in conjunction with the damage caused by the environment can cause climbing equipment to fail. The rock or ice to which you are holding or to which you have placed protection may break, causing you to fall or causing your protection to pull out from the rock or ice. As you climb you may pull out protection from the rock or ice. You may experience injury from holding on to the rock or using equipment. You may also experience rope burns from handling the rope. There are many hazards associated with snow, ice, and glacier climbing. Ice climbing is a technical activity involving the use of technical equipment including ice axes and crampons. Ice axes must be used properly to be effective and to prevent injury to you or other people. Crampons have sharp points on the bottom and front of the boot. These points are dangerous to you and other people. Ice climbing involves cold, water, and steep terrain. |