Last Updated: April 2, 2021
Across the country and the world, we’re all called upon to make daily decisions about many things in this new reality. We know that choosing to travel right now is a very personal decision based on many factors and we want to reassure you that your safety and the safety of our staff, participants, and the wider community where we travel is our top priority, especially during this time. Whether you’re venturing out or staying home, we know that life is not risk-free, which is why only you can decide what’s right for you. Any activity outside your home or zone of quarantine now has a risk of contracting COVID-19. It is of the utmost importance to us that participants feel comfortable and safe during our events.
With many states and regions changing guidelines and regulations, we are evaluating each of our trips on a case by case basis moving forward. Many of the new robust practices and precautions we are implementing are designed to increase safety, while still preserving the quality and community that we’re all used to at Climate Ride.
We are monitoring the ever-changing situation nationally and globally, and the impact to travel around the world. We’re committed to keeping you updated and informed. To that end, we’ve put the following protocols and procedures in place on our scheduled trips to make our participants feel as safe and comfortable as possible and to help you decide what’s right for you.
These are the extra precautions we’re taking to help you decide when you’re ready to travel again.
Camps, Retreats, and Hotels
When we design our trips, we choose camps, retreat centers, and hotels that are known for their high levels of cleanliness and quality. We are working with each and every place we stay or visit to ensure that they are adhering to enhanced safety procedures for cleaning and social distancing.
Equipment & Shuttles
We’re committed to cleaning and sanitizing all of our gear and equipment every day. From water jugs and tables to common surface areas in our vans and support vehicles, you can be assured that our staff will be frequently cleaning, scrubbing, and disinfecting every piece of equipment on our events.
Meals and Food Preparation
We have developed new protocols for our support staff based on CDC and WHO guidelines for food preparation and service. Anyone handling food or snacks on our events will receive additional training and adhere to strict policies like wearing gloves, frequent hand washing, and wearing face coverings. We have also eliminated self-service buffets and all meals will be personally served and touchless. We will be placing extra hand-washing stations along the way and will require everyone to wash their hands before and after meals.
Smaller Groups We are evaluating our larger events with more than 50 participants to see what’s possible for the future based on local restrictions, but in the meantime look for announcements of new smaller, domestic trips in the summer and fall. For the rest of 2020, we expect our average event size will be 10-20 participants in an effort to maximize safety and distance, while still creating a dynamic community on the road or trail.
Van Shuttles and Maintaining Distance
Depending on the specific trip, a van shuttle might be required before or during your Climate Ride experience. We are taking steps to redesign our trips to minimize time spent in shuttles, as well as limiting the number of people per support vehicle. Masks will be required and handwashing or sanitizing will be provided before you shuttle. We are encouraging participants to train enough to ride, hike, or run every mile, but we realize that sometimes shuttles are a necessary part of our trips. We are also working to ensure that you have space to spread out and the flexibility to do what you want each day. We will also stagger ride and hike/run starts to ensure safe distances between participants on the road or trail.
On Your Own Options
In an effort to reduce contact, we will have new possibilities to fit your level of comfort. Group activities will change, the evening events altered, or special stops along the way will be as optional as ever for the rest of this year, with no pressure to attend and with every precaution in place should you choose to participate. We will be encouraging the use of our GPS routes while having printed directions available should you choose to use them. We’ll also have digital versions of our morning briefings so you’ll know all the days’ highlights should you choose not to attend. As usual, on most of our trips, you’ll ride, hike or run at your own pace, leaving you free to spend as much or as little time with other participants as you’d like.
Pre-Trip Before all scheduled departures, we are committed to working alongside local and state governments of all jurisdictions where we operate to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We are relying on these entities to guide our decisions about trips now and into 2021. We will always keep you updated on any pertinent information related to your trip by email so you’re always in the loop.
***All participants will be required to submit a pre-departure questionnaire with specific COVID-19 questions. We are requiring that all participants arrive healthy and everyone including staff will have their temperatures taken prior to departure and possibly each morning. We ask for your understanding that if a participant has a temperature reading of at least 100.4 degrees (per CDC guidelines), we won’t allow that participant to join the trip.
Support Staff Preparedness
Our headquarters is staffed for emergencies and we’ll be there to provide support for you and our local guides as needed. Our staff and guides are always prepared for emergencies on the road with First Aid and CPR training, but now we’re adding a new layer of training for any health issues that come up during an event. Our team will vigorously monitor the health of all participants. We are confident that our team will be proactive with communications and well-prepared to handle difficult logistics should they arise. Should a participant become sick with COVID-like symptoms during an event, we will have procedures in place to isolate them, contact local medical authorities and follow their advice. Our staff and leaders will be trained to recognize the symptoms of COVID-19 and follow CDC guidelines. Route support leaders will maintain social distancing when attending to the needs of participants.
Masks/Face Coverings and Other Precautions
We’re asking everyone to bring their preferred face coverings for safety. While we won’t be requiring coverings while riding, hiking, or running, we ask that everyone wear one while traveling in a support vehicle. If you forget to bring a face covering, our staff will have limited quantities available on hand. We are monitoring local restrictions and this policy could change depending on where a trip is scheduled. We’ll make every effort to have a generous supply of wipes and hand sanitizers on hand, but we ask that you bring your own as well. All surfaces will be wiped down on a regular basis. During the days’ activities, we will be working with our local water and lunch stop locations to be as safe as possible. At some locations, we will be placing extra freshly-sanitized port-o-potties if local restroom facilities are limited. If your event has an evening program, we’ll maintain social distancing, while still creating a sense of community and gathering. On our camping trips, we will ensure a safe distance is maintained between tents. On trips where Climate Ride works with our local outfitters and event producers, you can expect our outfitters to meet or exceed the above standards.
We know it might be a challenging decision to travel right now and join our upcoming events. Fundamentally, it is a personal choice. We’re following local and national guidelines to run our trips safely and hope the above changes provide the information you need to make a decision. Regardless, we’ve provided flexible options so that you can transfer to a future event. We look forward to seeing out in the wide-open spaces that our beautiful country offers. We hope you all stay safe wherever you are, and we hope you’ll have the opportunity to join our Climate Ride community soon.