Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to the Privacy Policy for Apex Trails ("Apex Trails," "we," "us," or "our"). We specialize in organizing guided mountain hiking expeditions. This policy outlines our commitment to protecting the privacy of our clients, prospective clients, and visitors to our website (the "Site"). It explains the types of personal information we collect to safely plan your adventure, how that information is used and secured, and your rights concerning your personal data. Embarking on a mountain journey is a significant undertaking, and we are dedicated to handling your information with the utmost care, transparency, and respect.

2. Information We Collect

Our data collection is focused on what is necessary to ensure a safe, successful, and enjoyable expedition for you.

• Information You Provide Directly: When you fill out a contact form, request a brochure, or book a tour, you provide personal information such as your name, email address, and phone number. To finalize a booking, we must collect further essential details, including your date of birth, hiking experience level, dietary restrictions, relevant medical information, and emergency contact details.
• Information We Collect Automatically (Usage Data): When you browse our Site, we may automatically collect non-personal technical information about your device and browsing activity, including your IP address, browser type, and pages visited. This is aggregated to help us improve our website experience and tour offerings.
• Cookies: We use essential cookies for site functionality. With your consent, we may use analytics cookies to understand user behavior (e.g., which tours are viewed most often). You can manage cookie preferences via your browser settings.

3. How We Use Your Information

The information we collect is used exclusively for the purpose of planning and executing your expedition:

• To Plan and Execute Your Expedition: This is the primary use of your data. We use your personal and medical information to assess tour suitability, manage risks, arrange appropriate meals, and ensure our guides are fully prepared to support you.
• To Communicate With You: We use your contact information to send pre-trip briefings, gear lists, training recommendations, and important updates about your tour.
• To Improve Our Services: Aggregated, anonymous data helps us understand hiker demographics and interests, allowing us to enhance our website and create better tours.
• For Legal and Financial Compliance: We are required to maintain records of our client agreements, liability waivers, and transactions for insurance, accounting, and legal purposes.

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell or rent your personal information. Your data is shared only when essential to the expedition's logistics and your safety:

• With Your Guides: Your lead guide(s) will have access to your relevant personal information (including medical and dietary data) to ensure your safety and well-being on the trail. This information is treated with strict confidentiality.
• With Third-Party Partners: To arrange your trip, we may need to share necessary details (e.g., your name for a reservation) with local transport providers, lodging partners (hotels, mountain huts), or permit-issuing government bodies (e.g., National Parks).
• For Legal Reasons: We may disclose your information if required by law or in the event of a medical emergency where it is necessary to share information with medical professionals.

5. Data Security

Protecting your information is a top priority. We implement strong technical and organizational security measures. Our Site uses SSL/TLS encryption to protect data submitted through our forms. Access to sensitive client data within our company is restricted to key operational staff and the specific guides assigned to your trip.

6. Your Data Protection Rights

You have rights regarding your personal information, including:

• The right to access: You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• The right to rectification: You can ask us to correct any information you believe is inaccurate.
• The right to erasure: You can request that we delete your personal data, under certain conditions (e.g., after our legal obligation to retain records for safety and insurance purposes has passed).

To exercise these rights, please contact us. We will respond in accordance with applicable data protection laws.

7. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date.

8. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are here to help.