Safety and guidelines

Altitude and AMS

Acute mountain sickness can start well below the highest pass. Headache, nausea, poor sleep, and unusual fatigue are signals to stop climbing, not to push for the photo.

Itineraries include acclimatization nights on purpose. Skipping them to 'save a day' is not offered. Descend is the treatment we plan for, and a support vehicle is there so a sick traveler is not left to ride or drive down alone.

A fitness note on the booking form is a self-declaration. It does not replace advice from your own doctor, especially if you have heart, lung, or blood-pressure conditions.

Inner Line and Protected Area permits

Several Himalayan corridors need an Inner Line Permit, a Protected Area Permit, or both, and the rules depend on nationality, route, and the current local order.

Ice Age Expeditions collects the documents ops asks for and applies through the channel that route uses. We do not publish a permanent permit checklist here, because a stale rule is worse than a short one.

If a permit window closes, the departure does not silently proceed. Ops will close it and contact the party.

Weather and road closure

Snow, washouts, and administrative closures can shut a pass after you have paid a deposit. The published itinerary is the plan, not a guarantee that every col will be open.

We would rather reroute or cancel than drive or ride a group into a closed valley. Cancellation terms on the departure are the ones that apply, and they are shown before you send a request.

Support vehicles and guides

Motorbike expeditions travel with a support vehicle unless a specific departure says otherwise. SUV journeys are guided convoys, not a lone self-drive rental.

Lead guides set the day's pace for altitude and daylight. Mechanical support is for keeping the group moving, not for rebuilding a neglected bike at 5,000 m.