GENERAL EXPEDITION TERMS (AEB) & LIABILITY DISCLAIMER

Note: This English translation is provided for convenience only. The German version is legally binding.

1 Introduction

Dear participant,

These General Expedition Terms (AEB) and this liability disclaimer apply to all expeditions and undertakings of Global Pioneers and supplement our General Terms and Conditions (AGB). Together with the AGB, they form part of the travel contract between you and Global Pioneers. In addition, the information in the respective tour announcement on our website and in the final travel information that you will receive from us separately before the start of the trip applies – in particular regarding the requirements for your physical and mental suitability for the chosen expedition. Should a provision of these AEB deviate from the AGB in an individual case, the AGB take precedence. Our task is to deliver the described services as far as the conditions on site allow, so that you experience an authentic adventure. Please read both documents carefully. If you have any questions, you can contact us at any time. In the following, you are addressed as “you” and Global Pioneers as “we”.

2 Characteristics of the trips

The expeditions offered by Global Pioneers are not classic hiking, study or package tours. They are small expedition groups of usually no more than 10 to 12 participants, setting out into remote regions with little or no tourist infrastructure. Accordingly, you cannot expect Central European comfort and safety standards – they are deliberately and regularly not met. This applies in particular to transport, route safety, accommodation, food, the general security situation, hygiene, medical care, the qualifications of local partners and the level of difficulty of the respective tour.

2.1 Transport

Where motorised transport is part of the expedition (such as off-road vehicles in Mauritania or boat transfers in the Yukon), we predominantly rely on locally customary means of transport. You must not expect a European level of comfort or safety.

2.2 Route safety

Our routes often lead through areas without marked or secured paths – for example along unregulated river sections in the Yukon or through rough desert terrain in Mauritania. Steep sections, currents and other natural hazards are part of the trip. Global Pioneers is not an alpine climbing school and does not provide officially certified mountain guides for the respective region. We require sure-footedness and suitable footwear and equipment.

2.3 Accommodation

Which accommodation is included during arrival and departure is described in the respective tour announcement. En route, we generally sleep in tents, at improvised campsites or under the open sky – as the region and the route allow. We are unable to take strict gender separation into account in the sleeping arrangements.

2.4 Food

Food is based on locally available and customary foodstuffs and may differ from tour to tour. Expect to be openly adaptable regarding taste, quantity, preparation and hygienic conditions. As we usually have to carry the food ourselves, continuous refrigeration to Central European standards is not possible; in some cases, we supplement the food by fishing or similar on site. Please obtain nutritional supplements yourself and in sufficient quantity in advance. We can only take intolerances, allergies or special dietary habits into account to a limited extent during the tour – please inform us of such matters before registering, so that you can bring your own food if necessary.

Where necessary, we draw drinking water directly from rivers or other bodies of water on site and treat it. Despite treatment, a residual risk from contamination (e.g. bacteria or viruses) remains. Global Pioneers accepts no liability for any health consequences resulting from this.

2.5 Hygiene

The hygienic conditions en route may deviate considerably from Central European standards – this applies both to the storage of food and to personal hygiene. You will not find a regular shower on most tours; however, there is often the opportunity to bathe in rivers or lakes.

2.6 Medical care

We generally carry an expedition medical kit for emergencies; however, medical professionals are not present on every tour. We cannot guarantee professional care, rescue or evacuation far from civilisation. Depending on the region, we carry a satellite phone or an SOS device via which rescue services can be alerted in an emergency – provided there is sufficient reception.

Medication and material from our expedition medical kit serve exclusively for first aid and for bridging the time until medical treatment. If you take medication from it, you do so expressly at your own risk. In acute, life-threatening situations (e.g. severe allergic reaction, acute respiratory distress), our guides may, within the scope of their first-aid training and general duty to provide assistance, make use of available means to the best of their knowledge if timely medical help is not available.

You are obliged to seek medical advice before the start of the trip regarding your state of health, possible risks and suitable medication, to carry your own travel and emergency kit in sufficient quantity, and to keep it within reach during the trip. Also keep the telephone number of your general practitioner or travel physician at hand so that you can consult them if necessary (e.g. via satellite phone).

2.7 Qualifications of local partners

When selecting our cooperation partners on site – such as outfitters, drivers or companions with local knowledge – we rely on our own experience. There is no formal suitability assessment based on specific licensing standards. As we are continuously opening up new regions and routes, we also work with partners whose routes may not have been used for tourism before.

2.8 General safety information

Our trips are genuine expeditions and not fully scheduled leisure activities. If it is not clear to you from the tour description how high the physical or mental strain is to be estimated, contact us in advance – we will gladly take time for a clarifying conversation. As a general rule: any of our tours can be exceptionally demanding, both physically and mentally. Take the requirements described on the website seriously.

2.8.1 Risks arising from the tour activity

Depending on the tour, these include, among others: walks of several hours through rough terrain, canoeing on partly unregulated river sections (Yukon), journeys in locally customary vehicles under basic safety standards, the handling of tools (knives, axes, stoves, open fire) and contact with working and riding animals (e.g. camels or dromedaries in Mauritania). Equipment is partly provided by local partners and may deviate from German standards in quality and state of maintenance. Typical resulting risks include falls, sprains, cuts and puncture wounds, burns and the risk of drowning during water activities. For tours with water activities, we require that you are able to swim.

2.8.2 Risks arising from the environment and nature

Depending on the destination and the season, considerable environmental hazards may also arise: extreme temperatures, strong UV radiation, sandstorms, sudden changes in weather, unstable or slippery ground, flooding and strong currents (especially in the Yukon), as well as hazards from wild animals. A temporary failure of means of communication – for example in canyons or remote desert regions – is also possible.

2.8.3 Health risks

On all tours, there is an increased risk of injuries, wound infections, gastrointestinal complaints, allergic reactions, sunburn and exhaustion. Depending on the region, further risks may arise, such as heat exhaustion in desert regions or hypothermia in the subarctic climate of the Yukon. Inform yourself in good time about recommended vaccinations and health precautions and seek medical advice if necessary.

2.8.4 Risks arising from the country and its people

In some of our destination areas, the security situation may differ from Central European conditions. Before registering, and again before the start of the trip, inform yourself independently about entry, health and customs regulations as well as the current travel and safety advice of the German Federal Foreign Office for the respective destination country.

The risks mentioned are typical examples and not exhaustive. Their nature and extent depend on the route, the season, the group and the situation on site. If you do not agree with this risk situation, please refrain from registering.

3 Travel contract

The travel contract between you and Global Pioneers is concluded when you submit the completed expedition questionnaire to us as a binding contractual offer and we accept this offer; we confirm the conclusion of the contract to you with the travel confirmation. Details of the ordering process are governed by our AGB. We reserve the right to terminate the contract unilaterally if the agreed participation fee has not been received in full or if there are justified doubts about your suitability for the respective tour (cf. point 11). As stipulated in our AGB, the minimum age for participation is 18 completed years.

4 Payment

After receipt of the booking confirmation, in accordance with our AGB, a deposit of 20 percent of the tour price is due within 14 days of the invoice date, as we have to pay our partners on site in advance. The remaining tour price must be transferred to the specified business account no later than 30 days before the start of the trip, provided it is certain that the tour will take place (cf. point 10) – if the tour is cancelled beforehand due to failure to reach the minimum number of participants, the remaining payment does not apply and payments already made will be refunded. As our groups are very small and places are correspondingly limited, we apply these deadlines consistently. If it becomes apparent that you cannot meet a deadline, please contact us immediately – otherwise, in case of doubt, we will have to give the place to other applicants and terminate the contract.

5 Scope of the trip and services

Which services are organised and provided by Global Pioneers is described in the respective tour announcement on our website. Please read it carefully before registering, as it defines what you can expect on the respective expedition.

6 Changes to services on site

In remote regions, things rarely go exactly according to plan – weather, authorities, routes and natural events do not follow our schedule. The following provisions are intended to give us the necessary flexibility to ensure your safety while still enabling the best possible experience for you, instead of having to cancel a tour altogether in case of doubt.

Uncertainties regarding geography, weather and local conditions are an integral part of our expeditions – this applies especially to new routes and destinations that Global Pioneers is only just opening up, for example in the current development phase of our Tierra del Fuego/Patagonia expedition. Force majeure, natural events, loss of equipment, conflicts with the local population, official orders and sudden illness of participants or team members may make it necessary to adjust accommodation, food, the route or the schedule at short notice. In extreme cases, the actual goal of the tour may not be reached or the trip may be ended prematurely.

Such adjustments are – unlike with classic package tours – a normal part of a genuine expedition and do not constitute a travel defect. They do not entitle you to reclaim the participation fee in whole or in part. If you still have doubts after our pre-contractual communication, please refrain from registering.

6.1 The route

If a path is blocked or access to an area is not possible, the route may change accordingly. This may mean that planned places cannot be reached.

6.2 Shifting of travel days

Unforeseen circumstances or route changes may cause individual daily schedules to shift or the planned end date of the trip to change. As a participant, you should therefore plan at least three full buffer days for arrival and departure so that you do not run into difficulties on your return journey.

6.3 Equipment carried

At customs, it may happen that certain equipment (e.g. satellite phones, drones or certain medications) may not be imported into every destination country. Loss of luggage may also mean that not all of the intended equipment is available at the starting point in time.

6.4 Unavailability of guides

Should a guide or team leader be injured or otherwise unavailable at short notice, we reserve the option of carrying out the tour as planned, provided we can organise a competent replacement.

7 Cooperation of the participant and personal responsibility

You are expected to help with the daily routine during the tour – for example with preparing food, treating water, setting up and taking down camp, or collecting firewood. This also applies when other participants need support. In addition to the information we provide, we expect careful, self-responsible preparation: researching the safety and entry regulations of the destination country (see the German Federal Foreign Office), preparing for rules of conduct in dangerous situations, and sufficient physical and mental fitness. We recommend seeking medical advice and carrying personal medication as well as your doctor's telephone number. Before the start of the trip, we also expect you to actively keep yourself informed about updates in our shared group communication.

Respectful conduct and a willingness to cooperate in the tasks mentioned are prerequisites for your participation. This also includes following the instructions of our guides at all times and in full – they know the respective region and situation best. The pace set by the guides is also binding for the entire group.

8 Withdrawal by the participant

You may withdraw from the travel contract at any time before the start of the expedition; the decisive factor is the receipt of your declaration of withdrawal by us. We recommend declaring the withdrawal on a durable medium (e.g. by email). As we pay our partners on site in advance, we charge reasonable compensation. The amount, the graduated scale and your right to prove that the damage was lower are governed exclusively by clause 6.2 of our AGB. Instead of withdrawing, you may, under the conditions of AGB clause 6.4, rebook once free of charge to another date.

Plan your arrival early, also with a view to possible luggage delays or necessary acclimatisation. Due to the tight schedule, the group cannot wait for you if you do not arrive at the starting point in time.

9 Termination due to force majeure

If force majeure (e.g. natural disasters or armed conflicts in the destination area) makes it impossible to carry out the tour, Global Pioneers will refund the amount already paid in accordance with our AGB (clause 6.3). If the tour is cancelled before the start of the trip due to unavoidable, extraordinary circumstances, the further consequences are likewise governed by our AGB (clause 9.3 et seq.). You bear any additional costs for third-party services already booked, such as flights, yourself; we therefore recommend taking out trip interruption insurance. If force majeure occurs during the ongoing tour, particular weight is given to the assessment of Global Pioneers and the local guides on site as to how the trip can be safely continued or ended.

10 Cancellation due to failure to reach the minimum number of participants

Global Pioneers may withdraw from the travel contract up to 30 days before the start of the trip if the minimum number of participants stated for the respective tour in the tour announcement and travel confirmation is not reached. The specific minimum number of participants depends on the respective expedition and will be communicated to you before conclusion of the contract.

If it becomes apparent earlier that the minimum number of participants will not be reached, we will inform you without undue delay. In this case, the remaining payment does not apply, and payments already made will be refunded in full.

11 Before and during the trip

If, despite an express request, you do not fulfil your duty to cooperate (see point 7), if you are insufficiently prepared, if you repeatedly fail to follow the guides' instructions without objective reason, or if you repeatedly behave disrespectfully towards other participants, you are acting in breach of the contract. In such cases, Global Pioneers may terminate the contract, exclude you from the group and retain the full tour price. In this case, you bear the costs of any evacuation or early return journey yourself (cf. point 12).

The same applies if it already becomes negatively apparent during the preparation that the prerequisites for participation are not met – in this case, too, Global Pioneers may withdraw from the contract in order not to endanger the wellbeing of the rest of the group. The participation fee paid will then be refunded in accordance with the cancellation scale in clause 6.2 of our AGB; there is no entitlement to further damages.

12 Evacuations, rescue operations and other special costs

12.1 Principle

In genuine emergencies, your health and safety come first. However, rescue operations can be very costly, and as a small operator, Global Pioneers cannot assume these costs. You bear all costs for rescue and evacuation measures (e.g. helicopter, boat or off-road vehicle operations) as well as for associated medical treatment, transport and hospital stays yourself. Global Pioneers owes neither the organisation nor the assumption of the costs of such measures; organisational support is provided within the bounds of what is reasonable, without any obligation to provide advance financing.

12.2 Insurance and payment processing

As stipulated in our AGB (clause 8.2), you must have international health insurance with a repatriation guarantee that covers the costs of medical care, rescue and repatriation. If you decide against this, you are obliged to indemnify Global Pioneers against corresponding claims for damages. In addition, we recommend taking out travel cancellation, baggage and trip interruption insurance. Helicopter operations and comparable rescue measures can cause high costs; the companies carrying them out often require a valid credit card or another immediate payment commitment before the operation begins. As insurers generally only reimburse afterwards against the original invoice, you are responsible for keeping a reliable means of payment available and, if necessary, making arrangements in advance with relatives who can help out at short notice in an emergency.

12.3 Advance payments by Global Pioneers

Global Pioneers is neither obliged nor, as a rule, able to advance costs for evacuations or medical treatment. If this nevertheless happens in exceptional cases in your interest, an independent repayment obligation arises as a result: amounts advanced must be reimbursed to us in full without undue delay, at the latest within 14 calendar days of the respective operation. Where possible, we will obtain your express consent before making such an advance payment; if this is not possible due to your state of health, we may arrange the necessary measures without prior consent. In that case, too, you bear the costs in full.

12.4 Satellite-based emergency devices

On some tours, we carry satellite-based emergency devices with an SOS function. An alarm triggered via such a device connects you to an external emergency response centre, which decides on the nature and extent of the rescue measures on its own responsibility. Neither the device manufacturer nor Global Pioneers thereby assumes any obligation to bear costs; you bear all costs yourself. Additional evacuation memberships (e.g. with specialised providers) are your own responsibility; Global Pioneers is not a contractual partner of such providers and is not liable for their scope of services.

Information provided by Global Pioneers on insurance or payment arrangements does not constitute insurance, financial or legal advice. You yourself are responsible for adequate insurance cover and suitable means of payment.

12.5 Other special costs advanced

If you incur additional special costs (e.g. additional overnight stays, replacement equipment, fees) and Global Pioneers advances these, you are obliged to reimburse them in full. The same principles as in point 12.3 apply.

13 Limitation of liability

Each of our expeditions is carefully planned and prepared. Nevertheless, the liability of Global Pioneers for damages that are not bodily injuries is limited to three times the tour price – provided the damage was caused neither intentionally nor through gross negligence, or Global Pioneers is responsible solely due to the fault of a service provider (e.g. a guide or driver).

14 Transfer of the contract

As regulated in our AGB (clause 7.1), you may declare on a durable medium (e.g. by email), no later than seven days before the start of the trip, that another person will take over your place in the travel contract. Global Pioneers may object to this if the person entering the contract does not meet the special travel requirements or if statutory provisions stand in the way. You and the person entering the contract are then jointly and severally liable for the tour price and for reasonable additional costs actually incurred.

15 Voucher conditions

If Global Pioneers has issued a voucher to you, the following applies: The voucher cannot be purchased and is issued free of charge at our discretion. It is valid for two years from the date of issue, can be redeemed once and cannot be extended. It may be transferred to another person, but commercial resale is not permitted. As participation in certain expeditions requires a minimum level of personal suitability, a voucher does not replace the usual selection process. The voucher cannot be combined with other vouchers, but it can be combined with a returning-participant discount. It can only be redeemed for a tour offered by Global Pioneers.

16 Content creation and brand collaborations

Our expeditions are generally aimed at private individuals. Photo, film and sound recordings for private purposes – for example for your own social media channels without paid collaboration with third parties – are expressly permitted, as long as the course of the tour is not significantly disrupted as a result.

Participation for predominantly professional, journalistic or advertising purposes – for example as a media representative, influencer or as part of paid brand collaborations – requires the prior express consent of Global Pioneers in text form. If you are planning something like this, please inform us before registering. Global Pioneers may refuse such participation or make it subject to additional conditions.

17 Limitation period

Claims under §§ 651c to f BGB (German Civil Code) for injury to life, body or health based on an intentional or negligent breach of duty by Global Pioneers or its vicarious agents (in particular guides) become time-barred after one year; the same applies to other damages arising from an intentional or grossly negligent breach of duty. All other claims under §§ 651c to f BGB likewise become time-barred within one year. The limitation period begins on the day after the contractual end of the trip. If the last day of the period falls on a Sunday, a recognised public holiday or a Saturday, it is postponed to the next working day. If you and Global Pioneers conduct negotiations regarding the claim, the limitation period is suspended until one side refuses to continue the negotiations; the limitation takes effect at the earliest three months after the end of the suspension.

18 Choice of law and place of jurisdiction

18.1 The contractual relationship between you and Global Pioneers is governed exclusively by German law.

18.2 If, in the case of legal actions against Global Pioneers abroad, German law is not applied as to the merits of the claim, German law applies exclusively to the legal consequences – in particular the nature, scope and amount of your claims.

18.3 Legal action against Global Pioneers may only be brought at its place of business in Dresden (Bischofsweg 28, 01099 Dresden).

18.4 For legal actions brought by Global Pioneers against you, your place of residence is decisive.

18.5 For legal actions against participants who are merchants, legal persons or persons domiciled abroad, or whose place of residence is unknown at the time the action is filed, the place of business of Global Pioneers in Dresden is agreed as the place of jurisdiction.

18.6 The above provisions do not apply to the extent that mandatory provisions of international agreements or non-derogable provisions of an EU member state to which the participant belongs are more favourable to the participant than these travel terms.

Our expeditions

• Mauritania – Cross the Sahara on the legendary Iron Ore Train
• Canada – Explore one of the most remote regions in the world
• Kurdistan – Join us and climb the highest mountain in Iraqi Kurdistan (Currently paused)
• Costa Rica – Fight your way through the jungle with us from the Atlantic to the Pacific

Last updated: 25 August 2026