Safety and ethics

Wildlife code of conduct

We do not bait. No food is put out to draw animals to a hide or a trail. Baiting changes an animal's behaviour permanently, teaches it to associate people with food, and is a large part of why some bears end up being killed as "problem" animals. It also makes for a dishonest photograph.

The consequence is that sightings are less certain than they are with operators who do bait. We think that is the right trade, and we would rather tell you before you book than after.

Distance and quiet. We keep the distance the animal chooses, not the one your lens would prefer. If an animal shows signs of stress we withdraw, even if that ends the session.

No playback, no lures. We do not use recorded calls to draw birds in during the breeding season.

Locations stay private. We do not publish hide locations or den sites, and we ask you not to geotag photographs from them.

Mountain safety

Every mountain day states its distance, its ascent and its grade, and those numbers come from surveyed route data rather than from a guess. Please take them seriously — an easy day and a demanding day are genuinely different undertakings.

Your guide carries a first aid kit, a means of communication and the number for Salvamont, the Romanian mountain rescue service. They make the decision to turn back, and that decision is not negotiable.

Weather and cancellations

We cancel a mountain day when conditions make it dangerous. In practice that means electrical storms, high wind on exposed ridges, or visibility too poor for safe navigation.

If we cancel, you choose another date or take a full refund. If you cancel, it is free up to 48 hours before. Inside 48 hours, talk to us — we are reasonable about genuine problems.

Bears on the trail

Brown bears live throughout this region and you may meet one on any wooded walk, not only on a wildlife day. Your guide will brief you properly before you set off. The short version: stay with the group, do not run, do not get between a female and her cubs, and do nothing that puts food into the equation.

Risk, insurance and the waiver

Mountain walking carries real risk that no amount of guiding removes. You will be asked to sign a waiver acknowledging that before a moderate or demanding day.

We carry operator liability insurance. It does not cover your personal medical costs or repatriation, so please travel insured — and check that your policy covers hillwalking, because a surprising number exclude it.

Accessibility, honestly

Some of our days are genuinely accessible and some are not, and we would rather be direct than optimistic. The city walks can be adapted for limited mobility, though Brașov's old town is cobbled and has slopes. Village visits are mostly flat but involve uneven ground. Mountain days and hide sessions require walking over rough terrain and cannot be adapted.

Tell us what you need on the request form and we will tell you plainly what will work.