Terms & conditions

Argish LLC accepts bookings for tourism, expedition organisation, fixer and interpretation services in Russia. Argish LLC will organise travel in hard-to-access parts of Russia for its clients. The following conditions apply:

  1. Expedition contract

The contract is between Argish LLC and its client (hereinafter referred to as ‘you’). Argish LLC will organise trips to hard-to-access parts of Russia for you, as per the itinerary sent to you by email by Argish LLC.

  1. Booking and payment

A non-refundable deposit of 35% must be paid in order to reserve the dates of your trip. Argish LLC’s guides are in high demand and work on a first come, first served basis. Until you have paid the deposit, the amount of which will be indicated on an invoice send to you by Argish LLC, you cannot consider that your dates have been reserved.

The balance of payment must be received by Argish LLC no later than two months before the trip start date indicated on the itinerary. If Argish LLC receives the balance of payment later than this date, it makes no guarantee to be able to purchase the necessary tickets, employ the necessary people and do the necessary organisational work in time to run a successful trip.

Prices are quoted in rubles but payments can be in rubles or in dollars, euros or pounds at the exchange rate of the time.

Payments should be by bank transfer to Argish LLC’s company account. Account details will be included on the invoice.

  1. Travel to the start point of the trip

Unless otherwise stated travel to the start point of the trip, as indicated on your itinerary, is your responsibility. Unless otherwise stated, your fixer / interpreter will meet you at the start point and will accompany you from there onwards.

  1. Changes and cancellation by you

You will receive no refund of your deposit if you cancel your trip after reserving dates. If you decide you want to change the dates of your trip, Argish LLC will make every effort possible to accommodate your wishes at no extra charge. However, if no other dates are available by the time you decide to change your trip dates, your deposit will not be refunded.

If you cancel after paying the balance of the main expedition price but before the start date of the expedition, the following refunds will be issued:

61+ days before start date 0% of deposit payment
46 – 60 days before start date: 50% of balance of payment
31 – 45 days before start date 40% of balance of payment
21 – 30 days before start date 30% of balance of payment
16 – 20 days before start date 20% of balance of payment
0 – 15 days before start date 0% of balance of payment

Start date is the day that you fly in to the start point.

If you cancel or shorten your trip after it has started, no refund will be paid. Cancelling or shortening can mean returning to Moscow, the start point or any other earlier point on your itinerary earlier than planned for any reason at all, or making other alterations to the itinerary that have not been explicitly agreed to by Edward Adrian-Vallance, the director of Argish LLC.

If you decide to extend your trip before or during the trip, or make any other alterations to the itinerary other than cancelling or shortening it, this can be done only with the express permission of Edward Adrian-Vallance. If he is sending you on your trip with another interpreter, that interpreter does not have the right or authority to make changes or extensions to the itinerary. If you alter or extend your trip in any way or for any reason without the explicit permission of Edward Adrian-Vallance, ALL further arrangements and costs will be your own responsibility, including transport in the area, transport back to Moscow, accommodation, etc. Altering or extending the trip without the explicit permission of Edward Adrian-Vallance releases your interpreter, all other employees of Argish LLC and Argish LLC itself from responsibility to complete your trip and get you back to Moscow.

  1. Changes and cancellation by Argish LLC

Changes and flexibility:

Argish LLC makes every effort to provide the services advertised. However, due to the nature of exploratory adventure / expeditions and travel in remote regions of Russia, they and your accompanying interpreter and the trip’s local guides reserve the right to make changes to the expedition itinerary and activities, if required by circumstances beyond their control or because of the necessity for flexibility. These changes could include: accommodation and transport, trip length, trip location, activities involved in the trip, drivers and interpreters used, and so on. You understand and acknowledge that your Argish LLC and your interpreter are under no contractual obligation to strictly follow exactly the stated itinerary and activities. You understand particularly in winter, uncontrollable circumstances may delay you or cause you to lose days from your planned itinerary. These circumstances would usually be bad weather that makes travel impossible for a short period or other force majeure situations.

Cancellation:

If your guide / fixer / interpreter is forced to change or cancel a trip after it has started because of events and situations outside his control – “force majeure” – no compensation will be paid. Force majeure includes, but is not limited to, war or threat of war, terrorist activity, strike, natural disaster, fire, adverse weather conditions, epidemics and health risks. In case of cancellation of the planned trip due to force majeure, your fixer and the local guides will make every effort to provide clients with a similar alternative itinerary but do not guarantee it.

  1. Responsibilities of Argish LLC

Assuming all goes as planned and there are no extreme bad weather situations, no force majeure situations, no injury, illness or death among travellers or those working on the organisation and completion of the trip, Argish LLC will:

  1. Organise all accommodation and transport as described on the itinerary sent by email by Argish LLC to you.
  2. Provide an interpreter who speaks the language that you agreed on, and who will meet you at the place and time that you agreed on. The interpreter will accompany you until the place and time that you agreed on, apart from in circumstances outside their control, Argish LLC’s control or the control of the other employees of Argish LLC, including but not limited to illness, injury, death, force majeure situations, etc. If the interpreter cannot complete the trip due to any of these circumstances outside their control, as suitable as possible replacement interpreter will be found as soon as possible at no extra charge.
  3. Organise any necessary permits and invitations for your trip.
  4. Organise all other activities as described on the itinerary.
  5. Give advice in good faith about any aspect of the trip. This advice, however, is in no way legally binding, and guests understand and agree that conditions in remote parts of Russia can be unpredictable and depend on factors beyond the control of Argish LLC and its employees. Argish LLC and its employees cannot be held accountable for these factors.
  1. Travel Insurance

It is a mandatory requirement for you to have travel insurance for the duration of your stay in Russia that provides adequate insurance cover and protection in respect of medical expenses, injury, death, emergency air evacuation, emergency repatriation, cancellation etc. It is a mandatory requirement for you to ensure that the insurance does not exclude the type of activity included or likely to be encountered on the trip and for you to ensure that the insurance is valid in the area where the trip will take place. You must carry your policy with you throughout the trip.

  1. Special requests

Argish LLC will try to accommodate special requests where possible. They must be received in writing as part of the booking form. 

  1. Preparing for the trip

Equipment and belongings: 

A list of equipment and clothing required for the expedition will be provided and forms part of the booking confirmation. Argish LLC and your guide reserve the right to ask you to leave the trip if you are considered not to be equipped appropriately. No refund will be provided in this situation. You are responsible for your equipment and other personal belongings. Neither Argish LLC nor your guide nor any other employees of Argish LLC can be held responsible for any damage or loss.

Passports:

You are responsible for obtaining and being in possession of a passport that is valid for the duration of the trip and six months afterwards and sending a scanned copy to Argish LLC not less than four months before the trip start date.

Visas: You are responsible for obtaining and being in possession of a valid Russian visa, if required for your nationality.

Vaccinations:

You are responsible for arranging any vaccinations and possessing vaccination certificates as required.

You are responsible for bringing an adequate medical kit with you.

Information about the above and other related matters to do with preparation for the tour can be given in good faith but without responsibility on the part of Argish LLC or its employees.

  1. Participating in trip activities and the trip itself

Fitness and health:

Most of our trips require a reasonable level of fitness & health. By booking a trip through Argish LLC, you agree that your level of fitness is enough to be able to take part in the activities likely to be included in the trip. Argish LLC and its employees are not responsible for sickness, injury or death caused by the fact that a client was not fit enough to visit the places or take part in the activities proposed on the itinerary.

Punctuality:

You are responsible for arriving in good time at the start point of the trip as stated in your booking confirmation. If you miss the subsequent departure from the start point you will not be entitled to a refund or alternative trip, although Argish LLC and your guide will make every effort to find you alternative transport.

Local culture, customs and general good behaviour:

You agree to respect and comply with the culture, customs and laws of the local people. You agree to behave well, act politely and respect the fact that you are a guest. If you fail to do this, your hosts and your interpreter may give you a verbal warning. If you continue to behave badly, you may receive a formal warning in writing. If the problem behaviour continues after this, Argish LLC and your guide reserve the right to cancel or shorten your trip. In this case, no compensation will be paid and all further travel expenses will be your own. Behaviour deemed worthy or warnings and trip cancellation includes, but is not limited to, aggression, violence, extreme rudeness, drunkenness, criminal behaviour, repeatedly doing what your guide or hosts ask you not to do, endangering the lives, health, safety, wellbeing or possessions of others.

Authority on the trip:

By booking with Argish LLC you agree that the instructions and decisions of your guide will be final on all matters that relate to the safety and wellbeing of clients and you agree to abide by the authority of your guides.

  1. Safety and Risks

Argish LLC accepts your booking on the understanding that you acknowledge and appreciate the nature of expedition / adventure travel in winter in Arctic Siberia, and that it may involve a significant amount of personal risk. You hereby assume all such risk and do hereby release Argish LLC and its employees from all claims and causes of action arising from any damages or injuries, sickness or death resulting from these inherent risks. Neither Argish LLC nor your guide are responsible for clients’ health, safety, possessions or lives.

Whilst your guide will undertake all reasonable efforts to assess risks and to ensure the clients’ safety, it is agreed that you participate at your own risk.

Argish LLC and its employees accept no responsibility whatsoever for any loss, damages, death or injury resulting from your trip to Russia.

12. Copyright

All information provided by Argish LLC is protected by copyright and may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without his permission. Argish LLC may use, unless you notify us otherwise, any images of you from the expedition for marketing purposes without charge.

  1. Data Protection 

You agree that Argish LLC can pass on your details to third parties when required to do so in relation to matters regarding the tour.