Guided Tour Booking & Cancellation Policy
Cliffhanger Guides is a fully permitted, professional rock climbing and adventure guide service operating in Joshua Tree National Park. We are authorized by the National Park Service to lead day trips for Rock Climbing, Hiking and Deserteering, offering safe, high-quality experiences in this unique desert environment.
All of our guides are certified climbing guides through either the AMGA or PCGI, both are nationally accepted guide training and certification organizations. We spend an extensive amount of time on mentoring and guide training to provide our guests with excellent, safe, competent, fun, and well-rounded guides whose pleasure it is to share adventures in the park with you.
Deposits & Reservations
● A 50% deposit is required to reserve and confirm your guided trip. Your reservation is not secured until the deposit is received.
● Upon making a reservation, an invoice will be emailed to you from Square. Payment can be remitted online with a credit card or ACH bank transfer. Deposit payments can also be made over the phone.
General Cancellation Policy
● More than 72 hours’ notice: If you cancel your trip more than 72 hours before the scheduled start time, your deposit may be applied toward a future trip.
● Within 72 hours of the trip: Cancellations made within 72 hours of your scheduled trip are nonrefundable, and the deposit will be forfeited.
Last-Minute Group Size Changes
● If your group size is reduced within 72 hours of the trip date, we are unable to refund the climber rate for the absent participant(s).
● However, we can offer a 50% discount on the climber rate for each individual who does not attend.
Rain or Inclement Weather
Climbing, Deserteering, and Hiking trips in JTNP are often possible in light or spotty rain, immediately after a storm, and in windy and/or cold conditions. Undesirable weather alone does not automatically result in cancellation. Cliffhanger Guides will determine when conditions are unsafe. If safety concerns arise, we will reach out to discuss moving your trip to a more preferable day.
If inclement weather is forecasted within 48 hours of your trip (including a greater than 50% chance of rain, very high winds, or other potentially hazardous conditions), we will work with you to reschedule your trip to a more suitable date or time.
● If rescheduling is not possible:
○Your deposit may be applied toward a future trip, or
○You may request a deposit refund minus 20% of the total trip cost, which will be retained as an administrative fee.
● If inclement weather occurs during a trip and the day must be canceled partway through, the trip cost will be prorated based on the amount of time guests were able to climb.
Safety First
All decisions regarding weather, conditions, and trip viability are made with safety as the top priority. Final determinations are at the discretion of the company.