HEALTH & SAFETY INFORMATION
We strive to ensure you have a safe and rewarding experience.
Outdoor recreation, by its very nature, carries with it certain inherent risks that cannot be eliminated regardless of the care and steps WOM has taken to avoid injuries. The participant acknowledges that the same elements that contribute to the unique character of these activities can cause loss or damage to the participant’s equipment, accidental injury, illness, or in extreme cases, permanent trauma, disability, or death. The following describes some, but not all, of those risks:
- Courses and outings may occur in remote places, many miles from medical facilities. Communication and transportation can be difficult and sometimes evacuation and medical care may be significantly delayed.
- Equipment may fail or malfunction, despite reasonable maintenance and use. Participant risks loss of control of kayak or other non-motorized vessel; collision with other participants, equipment, natural or man-made obstacles whether obvious or not.
- Travel is by vehicle, foot, kayak and other means, over unpredictable environments, including: rugged terrain, boulder fields, downed timber, rivers, rapids, river crossings, snow and ice, steep sloped, loose stones, and slippery rocks. Participant risks include, scrapes bruises, cuts, broken bones, concussion, submersion in water, falling, drowning, and others usually associated with such travel, including environmental risks. There are only examples of such risks.
- Environmental risks and hazards include rapidly moving, deep or cold water; insects, snakes or predators, including large animals; falling and rolling rock; lightning, flash floods and unpredictable forces of nature, including weather which man change to extreme conditions without notice and result in unpleasant conditions. There are only some of the examples of such hazards.
- Activities are conducted outdoors day and night. Physical activities include paddling, sustained climbing, hiking and repetitive bodily motions.
- Decisions are made by the trip guides based on a variety of perception and evaluations which by their nature are imprecise and subject to reasonable errors in judgement. Misjudgments may pertain to, among other things, participant capabilities, environment, terrain, water and weather conditions, natural hazards, routes and medical conditions.
The participant understands the description above of these risks is not complete and that other unknown or unanticipated risks may result in property loss, injury or death. Participants assume responsibility for the inherent risks both identified and not specifically identified. Participants acknowledge that engaging in this activity may require a degree of skill, fitness level and knowledge different from other activities, and that WOM staff have been available to more fully explain this nature, risks, and physical demands associated with this activity.
