Last updated: June 2026 · Governing jurisdiction: Haldwani, Uttarakhand, India
By registering for, booking, or participating in any expedition, event, convoy, or activity organised by FreeWheel Expeditions ("FreeWheel", "we", "us", "our") — a proprietorship registered under GST and the applicable Shop and Establishment Act, operating from Haldwani, Uttarakhand — you ("Participant", "you") unconditionally agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions in their entirety.
These Terms apply to all interactions with FreeWheel including but not limited to: website use, booking, payment, expedition participation, community membership, and merchandise purchase. If you do not agree to any part of these Terms, you must not register or participate.
These Terms are in addition to, and not in substitution of, any physical participation form or waiver you sign prior to an expedition. In the event of a conflict, the signed physical form shall prevail.
FreeWheel organises self-drive overlanding expeditions through some of India's and the Himalayan region's most extreme, remote, and high-altitude terrain — including but not limited to Leh-Ladakh, Spiti Valley, Adi Kailash, Om Parvat, and Mustang (Nepal). These are adventure activities by nature and carry risks that cannot be eliminated.
You expressly acknowledge that the following risks exist and are inherent to these expeditions:
IMPORTANT: FreeWheel operates convoy-based self-drive expeditions. You drive your own vehicle. FreeWheel's role is that of an expedition organiser and route leader — not a transport provider, medical service, rescue service, or insurer. FreeWheel does not guarantee your safety or the safety of your vehicle, passengers, or property.
To participate in any FreeWheel expedition, you must:
FreeWheel reserves the right to refuse participation to any person who, in our reasonable assessment, does not meet the above criteria or poses a risk to themselves or other participants.
By participating in any FreeWheel expedition, you freely, voluntarily, and knowingly assume all risks — whether known or unknown, foreseen or unforeseen — associated with participation, including all risks described in Section 2 and any other risks that may arise during the course of the expedition.
You acknowledge that:
This assumption of risk applies to you, your vehicle, your passengers (if any), and your personal property throughout the duration of the expedition including transit to and from the meeting point.
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable Indian law, FreeWheel Expeditions and its proprietor, employees, guides, and associates shall not be liable for any loss, injury, illness, death, property damage, or consequential loss suffered by you or your vehicle passengers arising from:
Where liability cannot be fully excluded under Indian law, FreeWheel's total liability to you for any claim shall be limited to the amount actually paid by you to FreeWheel for the specific expedition in question.
FreeWheel does not accept liability for injury or death. These expeditions traverse extreme terrain in remote locations far from medical facilities. You participate with full knowledge and acceptance of this fact.
FreeWheel does not provide, arrange, or include any form of insurance for participants, passengers, vehicles, or personal property. This includes but is not limited to: travel insurance, medical insurance, accident insurance, vehicle insurance, evacuation insurance, and life insurance.
You are strongly advised and encouraged to obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance that specifically covers:
By booking with FreeWheel, you acknowledge that you have been informed of the absence of insurance cover, that you have had the opportunity to obtain your own insurance, and that FreeWheel bears no financial responsibility for any costs arising from medical treatment, evacuation, repatriation, or loss that would otherwise have been covered by insurance.
You warrant that at the time of the expedition you are in good physical health and are not suffering from any medical condition — including but not limited to cardiac conditions, respiratory conditions, uncontrolled hypertension, epilepsy, diabetes, or any condition known to be aggravated by altitude or physical exertion — that would make participation inadvisable.
You agree to:
FreeWheel reserves the right to remove any participant from an expedition at any time if, in the expedition leader's assessment, the participant's health poses a risk to themselves or the group. In such cases, no refund is payable and any costs of evacuation or return are borne by the participant.
A booking is confirmed only upon receipt of payment (full or partial deposit) by FreeWheel and confirmation from FreeWheel in writing or via WhatsApp. Submission of a booking form does not constitute a confirmed booking.
Payment may be made via UPI, bank transfer, or such other methods as FreeWheel makes available. Payments are made in Indian Rupees (INR). For Nepal expeditions, pricing denominated per vehicle follows the rates specified at the time of booking.
Where a partial payment (deposit) option is offered, the remaining balance must be paid no later than 30 days before the expedition departure date. Failure to pay the balance by this date may result in cancellation of your booking without refund of the deposit.
Prices are subject to change. Any change in price will be communicated before booking is confirmed and will not apply to confirmed bookings.
All cancellation requests must be made in writing to hello@freewheelexpeditions.in or via WhatsApp to +91 78178 38060. Cancellations are effective only upon written acknowledgement by FreeWheel.
FreeWheel strongly recommends that participants obtain trip cancellation insurance to cover the non-refundable portion of their booking in the event of unforeseen circumstances.
Partial cancellations (e.g., reducing the number of participants in your vehicle) are treated as a cancellation of the affected portion and the same policy applies.
FreeWheel reserves the right to cancel, postpone, modify, or alter any expedition, route, itinerary, or date at any time and for any reason, including but not limited to: insufficient participant numbers, safety concerns, adverse weather, road closures, permit issues, natural disasters, government restrictions, or force majeure events.
In the event FreeWheel cancels an expedition for any reason other than force majeure:
In the event of a force majeure cancellation (see Section 14), FreeWheel's liability is limited to offering a credit or rescheduled expedition. No cash refund is guaranteed in force majeure situations.
FreeWheel is not liable for any consequential costs you incur as a result of a cancellation or modification, including travel, accommodation, leave, or equipment costs.
All participants are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that is safe, respectful, and conducive to the enjoyment of the expedition by all. You agree to:
FreeWheel reserves the right to remove any participant from the expedition at any time for breach of conduct. Removed participants bear all costs of their own return and no refund is payable.
As a self-drive expedition, you are responsible for ensuring your vehicle is fit for purpose. You agree that your vehicle:
FreeWheel is not responsible for vehicle breakdowns, damage, or recovery costs. Costs of vehicle recovery, towing, or repair during expeditions are entirely the responsibility of the vehicle owner.
You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless FreeWheel Expeditions, its proprietor, employees, guides, agents, and associates from and against any and all claims, demands, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from or related to:
FreeWheel shall not be in breach of these Terms and shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performance of obligations arising from causes beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to: acts of God, natural disasters (avalanche, flood, earthquake, extreme weather), war, civil unrest, government actions, road closures by authority order, health emergencies or epidemics, failure of third-party suppliers, or any other event beyond FreeWheel's reasonable control.
In such circumstances, FreeWheel will make reasonable efforts to reschedule or offer credit for affected expeditions but does not guarantee cash refunds.
These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of India. Any dispute arising from or in connection with these Terms, your booking, or your participation in any FreeWheel expedition shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts at Haldwani, Uttarakhand.
Before initiating legal proceedings, both parties agree to attempt resolution through good-faith negotiation for a period of 30 days from the date the dispute is first raised in writing.
FreeWheel reserves the right to amend these Terms and Conditions at any time. Updated Terms will be published on this website. Continued participation in FreeWheel expeditions following any amendment constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.
For any questions regarding these Terms and Conditions: