The trip fee that you pay includes coverage for emergency medical evacuation and assistance through an emergency service provider. This is not standard medical insurance or trip cancellation insurance. It will cover up to $5,000 for accident expenses (and sickness expenses only for international trips) and up to $200,000 for emergency evacuation and repatriation. Coverage only includes the dates of travel of the official AMC trip, so coverage for early arrival or trip extension is not included. This coverage includes access to global emergency assistance services that provides the support you or your family may need in a crisis, beyond what the AMC and/or the volunteer leaders may be able to provide. It will also document the incident should a claim need to be filed. 

​

No one expects to cancel or interrupt a planned trip, or to incur costs due to emergency medical expenses or lost luggage. However, such events do occur. If you are concerned about this possibility, we recommend purchasing travel insurance. Please review the travel insurance information. The insurance is designed to protect you from trip cancellation and interruption penalties, and provide medical expenses, medical evacuation, baggage, accidental death coverage and emergency assistance. (Note: You do not have to buy your additional insurance through the AMC-recommended company; we are providing this information as a courtesy. If you have another preferred vendor, please feel free to use that company.

As participant safety is a high priority for all AMC-sponsored events, procedures and policies have been developed to attempt to limit participant risk. Participants are expected to work with volunteer leaders to reduce risks and make the experience successful for all. Participants should be aware that there are risks associated with outdoor adventure activities, including but not limited to adverse weather and environmental conditions, remote locations of our trips and camps, and transportation in vehicles, on foot, by boat, or on a bike. When you apply for acceptance onto a trip, please carefully read and sign the Adventure Travel Acknowledgement and Assumption of Risks and Release and Indemnity Agreement and call if you have any questions. 

A mixture of warm weather and cool weather clothing is recommended since we will be at higher elevations for most of the trip. A complete packing list will be sent in future newsletters. We will have luggage transport! Here are some essentials:

​

• 1 daypack for hiking and using as a carry-on. It should be large enough for warm layers, rain gear, water bottle, camera, snacks, and other items you want to carry.

• Small suitcase or duffel to hold items you will not need during the day.

• Water bottles or water bladder (bring at least one quart per smaller child)

• Hiking shoes/boots (broken-in, preferably waterproof) – good sturdy bottoms are necessary on wet, slippery rock. 

• Microspikes or lightweight crampons in case we run into some snow on passes

• Good quality lightweight breathable rain gear, such as a Gore-Tex rain/wind shell jacket with hood and full-length rain pants or rain Pancho

• Synthetic hiking shorts and pants or zip offs

• Synthetic hiking shirts – short and long sleeve

• Medium layer, such as fleece or light merino wool

• Gloves/mittens and a light-weight fleece or wool hat

• Bathing suit

• Comfortable street/travel clothes

• Sunglasses

• Sunscreen

• Bug repellent with deet

• Toiletries

• Wide brimmed sun hat or baseball cap that can also double as rain protection.

• Hiking socks

• Personal first aid kit 

You will be responsible for making your way to Chamonix by July 21st and from Zermatt on August 3rd. Geneva is the closest airport to Chamonix and Zermatt, so if you do not plan to travel before or after the trip we recommend you fly into Geneva. The next larger airports are in Paris and Milan, with other smaller airports in Lyon and Zurich. Most international flights will be overnight and we will spend two nights in Chamonix to allow for flight or baggage delays.

​

We will give you explicit instructions on how to travel to Chamonix and from Zermatt from the various airports nearby. Europe has excellent public transportation options and private shuttle services so you should have no problem meeting us in Chamonix.