CHARTER OF FUNCTIONING
The Ethics and the Philosophy
ETEENPÄIN Trekking Agency is different from the other trekking agencies. It is founded on Christian vision, values, and goals. The words included in our commitment help one to understand our foundation. The agency fully assumes this orientation and wishes to communicate in honesty with any visitor and future participant.
So, at the registration time, the trekker in conscience knows that he is going to participate in an outdoor activity but associated with a Christian program. The agency has set up itineraries of trekking and during this the participant is invited to attend special programs of Christian spirituality: discovering and reflecting on a Bible text, games, stories, humanitarian, and social actions…
The ETEENPAIN Trekking agency loves freedom. So, each trekker is free to attend or not to attend to those programs. The agency respects the beliefs of everyone. In return, we hope for the same respect from the participant. ETEENPÄIN Trekking team members are Christians and Seventh-day Adventists. ETEENPÄIN Trekking runs its project in a positive way and independantly from this denomination. Our programs are to lead the trekker to a sportive adventure in wilderness related to a Christian experience of discovering and reflection. He is free to get interested with our activities, to agree, or to not agree at all. Our programs are prepared and adapted to any public. They are not reserved to believers or to any category of people.
Finally, the agency intends to support some values such as the respect of people, the respect of public and private material, the respect of the environment, the respect of the physical rhythm of fellow trekkers, and solidarity.
The Physical and Sportive Orientation
In this area, the ETEENPÄIN Trekking agency is also different. We choose to suggest a more simple and genuine way of trekking. So, we do not want to get involved in running after the most sophisticated equipment, the most dangerous or hiked trails, the extreme feelings, or still the greatest comforts. We choose to lead a sportive adventure leaving some space for the following experiences: the enjoyment of time, places, and situations, a total immersion in nature, amazement, observation, friendship, health, likes of the simple pleasures in life, relaxing and resting, and for the ones who wish it, the experiences coming from the Christian programs mentioned above.
So, the itineraries of trekking are in complete autonomy. The agency does not plan a system of carrying bags and materials and food.
Lodging is in the existing structures on the trails (shelters, cabins, chalets) and the tents provided, if wished, by the agency during the time of trekking.
The agency wants to organize reasonable days of hiking, including the time and distance, and we are always ready to adapt to the weakest hiker. However, the agency expects from the participant to choose an itinerary that fits with his own physical abilities and his own way of practice in trekking. A detailed technical slip for each itinerary is available on the website or/and by sending by mail if requested. It helps with the choice. This slip is established from a test made before on the site by the leaders of the agency. The slip mentions the total distance, the average of distance and time for each day of trekking, the shape of the trail and the difficult places to go through, the possible weather, the type of lodging at each stop, and suggestions for how to “Prepare your rucksack”.
At the departure of the trekking, the agency makes arrangements for a free-market of food. This freedom allows each trekker to choose the type and quantity of the food he wants to eat during the trekking. If wished, a cooking set is provided for the time of trekking.
Safety is very important for the agency. This is why the agency doesn’t propose extreme trips, which may lead people to take unnecessary risks. Above all, the agency wants to transmit the practice of trekking as a pleasure and an adventure. However the climate in some areas of the wilderness may suggest one to be a little cautious. The agency commits to propose to you only trails that have been completely tested several times. The guides are experimented trekkers who continue their training during the year (first aid, hiking technics…) The agency decided to make an innovation; each participant gets a first aid kit for the time of trekking. No one under the age of 18 years old may participate in one of our trekkings if he is not accompanied or under the responsibility of an adult.
The Financial Orientation
ETEENPÄIN Trekking has noticed that trekking is becoming an expensive activity. So, the agency wants to go back and propose a hiking adventure attainable to everyone. The purpose of suggesting a more simple and genuine way of trekking has an impact on the fees. Also, the agency accepts donations from anyone and also from our partners who want to support our project. The agency will never ask or force the participants to give money plus what they have paid for the normal fee. As much as it is possible, without putting down the finances of the agency, the fees include the benefit of those donations.
The agency has a rule. People must only pay the costs generated from the technical organization of the trekking. The participant will never pay the costs generated from the organization of the Christian programs associated to the sportive adventure.
The fees of the trekkings of ETEENPÄIN Trekking include:
- The food and the meals for the time of stay.
- The pickup of the participants at the airport, or train station, or at the parking place at the arrival.
- The night or the nights before the departure of the trekking
- The night or the nights proceeding the end of the trekking
- The transportation of the participant to the airport, or to the train station, or the parking place for the departure.
- The registrations fees
- The transportation to and from the place of trekking.
The fees of the trekkings of ETEENPÄIN Trekking do not include:
- The trip of the participant by plane or train, except people who requested to buy the option Trip + Trekking.
- The meals out of the stay, the arrival and departure days.
- The equipment rental: tent, rucksack, cook stove, cooking set, walk sitck.
- Travelling insurance
- The souvenirs and other products bought
The equipment rental must be specified as registering. The fees are: 25Euros for a tent, 20Euros for a rucksack, 5Euros for a cooking set, 5Euros for a cook stove, 3Euros for a walk stick.
The rates of the agency are determined according three options:
- Option Friendship, which is the basic rate requested to any particpant.
- Option Supporter, which is the basic rate plus 50Euros to support the agency work.
- Option Trip + Trekking, which is one of the two previous options plus the cost of the trip by plane or train requested as registering.
The price is reduced for the students (must justify their status with their student card), the unemployed people (must justify their status with their paper from the employment office) and the families with children.
The registrations are closed 21 days before the participant is effectively taken in charge. A deposit of 1/3 of the total price is required at the time of registration. The remaining 2/3 must be paid out the most 21 days later and before the participant is effectively taken in charge. The payment transaction can be made securely by an international bank transfer. Checks are not accepted. No payment transaction may be made by a person under 18 years old.
The deposit is lost for any cancellation proceeded in the 21 days before the departure of the trekking except in case of family funerals and accidents. The cancellation must be written by email or mail. Phone or text message cancellations will not be accepted.
All the trekkings are guaranteed to start with at least 3 participants.
