ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF RISKS, ASSUMPTION OF RISKS, AND RELEASE AGREEMENT FOR AMC VOLUNTEER-LED ACTIVITIES
PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE DOCUMENT (hereafter 'Document') CAREFULLY BEFORE SIGNING. All participants must sign this Document. For participants under 18 yrs. of age (hereafter sometimes ‘minor’ or ‘child’), parent/s or legal guardian/s (hereafter collectively ‘parent/s’) must also sign. In consideration of the services of the Appalachian Mountain Club, Inc., a charitable, not-for-profit corporation, organized and existing under the laws of Massachusetts, and its chapters, including all officers, directors, employees, representatives, agents, independent contractors, volunteers (including leaders and co-leaders), members and all other persons or entities associated with it (collectively referred to in this Document as 'AMC'), I (participant and parent/s of a minor participant) acknowledge and agree as follows:
AMC volunteer-led educational and/or adventure activities may include, but are not limited to hiking, backpacking, camping, biking, skiing, maintenance of trails and facilities, mountaineering, rock and ice climbing, canoeing, kayaking, sailing, use of AMC huts or other facilities and transportation or travel to and from activities (referred to in this Document as 'activities' or 'these activities'). The leaders of these activities are volunteers. They are not paid professional guides or leaders. In all activities, all participants share in the responsibility for their own safety and the safety of the group.
Participants (and parents of minors) take responsibility for having appropriate skills, physical conditioning, equipment and supplies for these activities.
These activities include inherent and other risks, hazards and dangers (referred to in this Document as ‘risks’) that can cause or lead to injury, property damage, illness, mental or emotional trauma, paralysis, disability or death to participant or others. Some, but not all of these risks include:
hazardous and unpredictable ground, water or weather conditions; misjudgments made by leaders, co-leaders, participants or others; travel in remote areas that can cause potential delays or difficulties with transportation, evacuation and medical care; equipment that can fail or malfunction; infectious disease, including but not limited to COVID-19; the potential that the participant or others (e.g. co-participant, driver, medical and rescue personnel) may act carelessly or recklessly. I understand that AMC cannot assure participant's safety or eliminate any of these risks. Participant is voluntarily
participating with knowledge of the risks. Therefore, participant (and parent/s of minors) assume and accept full responsibility for the inherent and other risks (both known and unknown) of these activities, and for any injury, damage, death or other loss suffered by participant, resulting from those risks, and/or resulting from participant’s negligence or other misconduct.
I (adult participant, and/or Parent/s for themselves and for and on behalf of their participating minor child) agree to release and not to sue AMC (as AMC is defined above) in regard to any and all claims, liabilities, suits, or expenses (including reasonable costs and attorneys’ fees) (hereafter collectively ‘claim’ or 'claim/s'), including claim/s resulting from AMC’s negligence (but not its gross negligence or intentional or reckless misconduct), for any injury, damage, death or other loss to me or my child, in any way connected with my or my child’s enrollment or participation in these activities, or my use of AMC equipment, facilities or premises. I understand I agree here to waive all claim/s I or my child may have against AMC, and agree that neither I, my child, or anyone acting on my or my child’s behalf, will make a claim against AMC.
I (participant and parent/s of a minor participant) agree that the substantive laws of Massachusetts govern this Document and all other aspects of my relationship with AMC, and that any mediation, suit, or other proceeding must be filed or entered into only in Massachusetts. This Document is intended
to be interpreted and enforced to the fullest extent allowed by law. Any portion of this Document deemed unlawful or unenforceable shall not affect the remaining provisions, and those remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.
PARTICIPANT AND PARENT/S OF A MINOR PARTICIPANT AGREE: I HAVE CAREFULLY READ, UNDERSTAND AND VOLUNTARILY SIGN THIS DOCUMENT AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT SHALL BE EFFECTIVE AND BINDING UPON ME, MY MINOR CHILDREN AND OTHER FAMILY
MEMBERS, AND MY HEIRS, EXECUTORS, REPRESENTATIVES AND ESTATE. Parent/s must sign below, both in their capacity as a participant, and as Parent/s of any minor child identified below.
