1. Accident insurance
To participate in a climbing weekend organized by USAC, you must have personal climbing accident insurance. Without climbing accident insurance, you cannot join the climbing trip! Temporary climbing accident insurance can also be requested from the HSHG. This costs €8.
2. Payment
There are two ways to pay for a USAC climbing trip:
1. Afterwards, by direct debit for climbing trips. If you have any questions about direct debits, please email fiscus@usac.alpenclub.nl.
2. No direct debit: Transfer the amount due to the USAC account within one week after the climbing trip: NL63 TRIO 0320 600 394 in the name of Utrechtse Studenten Alpen Club.
3. Participation fees
The table below shows the participation costs for a regular USAC climbing trip (2-day weekend) in euros. As you can see, lower prices apply to kader as an incentive. The standard price includes food, drinks, and transportation costs. This does not include any accommodation costs. Kader-io pays the regular participant price.
The regular prices do not apply to course weekends (OV-SP, OV-MP, Trad). For kader (SKB and SKI), only the accommodation costs are charged. Kader-io pays half of the participant price.
For introductory weekends, kader and kader-io pay the regular price. The participant price is determined afterwards and is slightly higher than for regular weekends.
Costs for longer climbing trips are determined afterwards and will be slightly higher. For kader, a percentage of the participant price is charged.
| Normal | Course weekend | Introweekend | Long weekend | |
| SKI | €15,00 | €0 | €15,00 | 65% |
| SKB | €20,00 | €0 | €20,00 | 75% |
| Kader-io | €27,50 | €27,50 | €20,00 | 100% |
| Participants | €40,00 | €55,00 | n.t.b. | n.t.b |
4. Sign-up
You can register and view your participation in a USAC climbing trip via the USAC website: https://usac.alpenclub.nl/weekenden/ (logged in).
The HSHG will communicate the registration and lottery options on the promotional mailing list. You will only be officially registered after you have completed your information. There is often more interest in a climbing weekend than there are available spots. Therefore, registering does not necessarily guarantee participation. The HSHG will communicate the lottery results in due course.
After the weekend schedule is announced, participants will receive an information email about a specific climbing weekend no later than one week in advance.
5. Cancel
Sign up and get selected = you’re in, so keep your calendar handy when you register for a climbing activity. If you cancel in time, at least 10 days in advance (if you leave on Saturday, then no later than Wednesday at 7:00 a.m.), you will not have to pay the participation fee. If you cancel later, you must arrange for a replacement of the same or higher level of climbing license or pay the participation fee. It has happened that a weekend has been canceled due to excessive cancellations. This is very unfortunate, especially given that there is limited space, so keep your registered weekends free or let us know well in advance if you will be absent!
6. Climbing pass Belgium
Via www.nkbv.nl, you can purchase a climbing pass for €15 (€20 for those aged 25 and over). This pass grants you access to Belgian climbing areas and is required to participate in USAC climbing trips to Belgium. In addition, the climbing annual pass allows you to climb in Belgium during the week. The climbing annual pass can also be requested as a temporary version from the HSHG and costs €7.50. With three weekends in a year, the climbing annual pass is therefore more economical!
7. Receipts and expense claims
All receipts obtained during a climbing trip by paying with USAC funds from the UZAK (USAC HSHG Wallet) or by advancing payment must be scanned/photographed and emailed to the HSHG (hshg@usac.alpenclub.nl). Make sure your name is on the receipt, the date is visible, and state what the expenses were for. No receipt after one week means no reimbursement!
For claims for use of your own vehicle on a weekend, see heading: 11. Own transport.
8. Driving license
To drive a vehicle on a climbing trip, you must have held a valid Dutch driver’s license for at least one year! The vans can be challenging to drive, and we want to reduce the risk of damage.
9. Traffic fines
If, for whatever reason, a traffic fine is received, the driver will have to reimburse the costs. In consultation with the other passengers in the van or the other participants and organizers of the weekend, the driver may share the costs. This is a kind gesture, and we do not want to discourage drivers. That said, you are still responsible for your own violations. The same applies to parking fines.
10. Damage to car/van
If damage is caused to the van, the driver must pay €75 of the insurance excess. The rest of the damage will be shared by all participants and staff of the climbing trip in question, unless the board decides otherwise. The excess is a maximum of €325 per claim. In the event of multiple claims, 50% of the additional claims will be covered by the HSHG, unless the board decides otherwise.
11. Own transport
Bringing a car for general use for the climbing trip makes weekends cheaper for the USAC and is often necessary to make a climbing weekend possible. For this, the reasonably used fuel will be reimbursed and an additional €0.09 per reasonably driven kilometer will be reimbursed. Submit the starting and ending mileage and fuel receipts for this. The number of kilometers driven will be compared to that of the rental bus and Google Maps. If necessary, a screenshot of the route driven will also be accepted. Submit this claim digitally to the HSHG (hshg@usac.alpenclub.nl) within a week, otherwise no reimbursement will be made!
11.1 Damage to own transport
If damage is caused to a car that has been brought along, an appropriate solution will be sought for each incident. The direct responsibility of the driver, an external party, or long-term wear and tear will be taken into account. The rest of the damage will be shared by all participants of the climbing trip in question, unless the board decides otherwise.
12. Equipment
If any USAC equipment is lost during the climbing trip, everyone is liable for this and the replacement costs will be charged to all participants of the climbing trip in question. Your own equipment is your own responsibility and will therefore not be shared among the participants of the climbing trip, unless the HSHG decides otherwise. So take good care of your equipment and be careful who you lend it to. This applies to both participants and staff. Keep the MatCom happy and be kind to the equipment!
13. Pick up and return van
The HSHG assigns these tasks randomly, based on who has a driver’s license and time available. Whoever picks up the van also picks up the groceries and equipment. This is always stated in the info mail for the weekend in question.
14. Weekend photo album
By uploading photos/videos to the climbing weekend photo album, you agree to the following rules:
1) The photos/videos have been uploaded with the permission of their creator.
2) The photos/videos only show recognizable persons who have given their explicit consent.
3) The photos/videos may be published freely and without prior consultation with the creator in a medium of choice for internal promotion of USAC!
4) The photos/videos may be published without mentioning the name of the creator.
5) The link to the photo album may not be redistributed.
15. Groceries
The HSHG selects a number of participants to do the groceries for the climbing trip; see the weekend email prior to the climbing trip. Groceries are always vegetarian; other dietary requirements and allergies are mentioned in the weekend email.
16. Cake
Thank you for the kader!
17. The weekendbook
Finally: write in the weekend book! Comments, noteworthy material wear, good recipes, or fun anecdotes—anything goes.
Abbreviations used:
NK = Naklimmer (IT, IV)
IT = Indoor Toproper
IV = Indoor Voorklimmer (indoor lead climber)
OV-SP = Outdoor Voorklim Singlepitch (outdoor lead Singlepitch)
OV-MP = Outdoor Voorklim Multipitch (outdoor lead Multipitch)
SKB = Sportklimbegeleider (Sport climbing supervisor)
SKI = Sportkliminstructeur (Sport climbing instructor)
