Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How to book an event?
Our weekend events are posted one week to a month in advance. If you see any of the event that you like to attend then carefully read the details in the description and click "attend".
This will send a notification to us and we will forward you the booking payment details the same day.
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2. How to make the payment for a trip and when should I pay?
Once you receive payment details from us in your meetup inbox/email, you can proceed with the payment to confirm your spot. Our popular weekends usually sell out well ahead of the deadline at which point any unpaid RSVP’s will be removed from the event.
All payment options are sent in the first message/email after you RSVP to an event.
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3. Why is there a booking deadline? and Why can't I pay on the event day?
All our paid events come with a booking deadline. This deadline is set in order for us to arrange number of guides according to the final number of participants. Our guides then internally discuss and prepare the plan considering the strength of the final team.
For the above said reason, we do not accept payments made after the deadline has passed.
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4. What happens if my guest or I can’t attend an event?
We offer a refund/credit only until 48-hours before the event start time mentioned on the event page. Regardless of the reason for cancellation.
We DO NOT offer any refund/credit for cancellations within 48 hours from the event start time. Regardless of the reason for cancellation.
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5. I want to attend an event that appears full?
If the event is full, but still open we recommend that you RSVP and join the Wait-list / Want a Spot.
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6. I want to attend an event that says "Join Wait-list", how does this work?
If you select "Wait-list” or “Want a Spot" you are not automatically confirmed for the event. You must reach out to the organizer or wait for the organizers message. Once someone from the confirmed attendees list drops out and a spot becomes available, you will receive payment instructions from us. Follow the booking process as usual and you will be shifted to the confirmed attendees list.
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7. How do I know which hiking level is suitable for me?
To help you understand our hiking difficulty levels, we have created a guideline for you. But please note that only YOU know your abilities on a given day. We have advanced level hikers that couldn't complete a beginner level hike due to being unwell, tired, lack of sleep or mental stress on some occasions. So please take our hike difficulty level guidelines as a general tip only.

Follow the link to our AFT Hike Difficulty Level page here;
https://aftgeargarage.com/pages/aft-hike-difficulty-level
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8. I don’t have transport; how can I get to the destination?
All our weekend trips have a common meeting point location. As long as you can get yourself ON TIME to the meeting point, you will have a ride.
We also share a carpooling sheet with all paid attendees a day before the event, where you can check who is offering a ride. In our 500+ hiking events, it has never occurred that a paid participant had to turn back due to no ride availability.
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9. Is any gear or food provided by AFT for weekend events?
This detail will always be mentioned in the event description. A typical day hike will include;
A pack of trail mix (mix of 8 to 10 type dry fruits & nuts)
An energy bar/chocolate/biscuit
A hydration drink (Pocari Sweat or Coconut drink)
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10. Who leads the hike and activities?
Your safety and the group's safety is always paramount!
We have a number of highly trained hike leaders who gained extensive experience in the Hajar Mountains of UAE & Oman as well as on international grounds. We also have new and experienced hike leaders who have undertaken a range of navigation and leadership courses.
Our hike leaders will only ever lead hikes in conditions that are within their ability and experience. All our guides and assistant guides have undertaken First Aid Training from UAE Government recognized institutes.

On some occasions AFT offers a number of other activities such as Kayaking, Canyoning, Yoga, Caving, Rappelling. In all instances we only hire instructors and organizations that are professionals in these areas.
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11. For an international event(outside UAE and Oman), what happens if I cannot get to the start due to cancellation of the transport, such as an airline?
If AFT needs to cancel an event due to safety, access or any other reason, then it will be up to AFT to provide you with a refund for the cost of the trip.
Should the airline or other means of transportation result in you being unable to attend the event and AFT can still provide the services we have offered then AFT will not be liable to provide a refund. In such cases as, AFT will do its utmost to accommodate guests arriving pre and post the event. Where possible refunds will be provided, subject to our suppliers’ terms.
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12. Why do AFT charge so much for day hikes?
AFT Outdoor Adventures is a locally licensed organization.
Our organizational costs include;
Annual trade license fee to government
Office lease
Phone & internet bills
Guide and instructors’ skill improvement.
Annual Satellite subscription
Emergency First Aid and Rescue equipment

Taking the above cost into account, we try and keep the participation fee within a reasonable limit.

We wouldn't want to increase the number of attendees per event to lower the participation fee, which is a usual practice among many unlicensed meetup groups.
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13. Refunds
Please see the terms for refunds that are specific to each individual event. These can be found on the event page and normally state that refunds will only be offered if AFT cancel or reschedule an event.