FAQ
Frequently asked questions
The questions people ask us most before they sign up.
If your question isn’t here, email info@awexpeditions.org or call 833-252-5293, Monday to Thursday, 9 am to 2 pm Mountain Time. You’ll reach the people who plan and lead the trips.
Not sure which trip fits you? How we climb explains our four levels and where people usually start.
How do you say AWExpeditions?
Like the word awe, then expeditions. Most people just call us AWE.
Are AWE trips only for women?
Our scheduled trips are for women. If a departure is ever open to men, the trip page will say so. On a private trip, you decide who comes.
I'm not an athlete. Will I be able to keep up?
Probably, if you're in good cardio shape and willing to train for the trip. We don't race. We move at a steady pace and build in time to acclimatize, because that's what gets people up high and keeps the days enjoyable. Each trip page lists what you need to have done before you come.
I'm very fit. Will the pace bore me?
We keep a conservative pace, but the days are still long and the loads are heavy. Most fit people find plenty to work with. If there's spare time in the schedule, there's usually an extra hike or a skills session to fill it.
Who leads the trips?
Most trips have two leadership roles. An AWE expedition leader is your main contact from sign-up to the flight home and looks after the team. A local lead guide, permitted and certified for that mountain, runs the route and the technical teaching. We hire women guides wherever we can. In places where there are very few certified women guides, like Peru, your lead guide may be a man working with an AWE woman expedition leader.
How big are the groups?
Small. The trips we run cap at eight or nine participants, and some run with as few as three. Each trip page lists its group size and guide numbers.
What gear do I need?
Usually standard personal mountaineering or backpacking gear: boots, warm layers, a good sleeping bag. Tents and group gear are provided. You get a detailed gear list after you sign up, and we're happy to help you decide what to buy and what to rent. On several trips, boots and heavy down can be rented locally.
How do I sign up, and how do payments work?
Most trips book online with a $500 deposit. Some, like Lenin Peak and Pico de Orizaba, start with an application, and the deposit is due once you're accepted. The balance is due in two payments, 90 and 60 days before departure.
What if I have to cancel?
The $500 deposit isn't refundable, but if you cancel more than 60 days out it can move to another AWE trip within 24 months of your original departure. Cancel 90 or more days out and you get back everything above the deposit. From 61 to 89 days out you get back 25% of what you paid above the deposit, and inside 60 days there's no refund. The full policy is on our Terms and Conditions page.
I booked through 57hours. Which cancellation policy applies?
The one on the 57hours website. Their policy replaces ours for bookings made there.
Do I need insurance?
Yes. Some trips, including Lenin Peak and Nepal, require rescue insurance, and we strongly recommend travel insurance for every trip. Search, rescue, evacuation and medical costs are the participant's responsibility, so check that your policy covers the altitude and activities on your trip.
Can you run a private trip for my group?
Yes. We build private trips for friends, clubs and company teams, on one of our mountains or one we don't list. See our custom trips page or write to us.
Do you run Kilimanjaro or the Salkantay trek?
We send climbers to WHOA Travel for those. They're a women-run company that leads all-women trips on Kilimanjaro and out of Cusco, and you book with them directly.
Why am I not getting your emails?
Check your spam or junk folder, mark one of our emails as not spam, and add info@awexpeditions.org to your contacts. If they still don't arrive, your email provider's support team can usually tell you what's filtering them.