Skip to content
Fangorn Trails

Before you book

What the grades actually mean, the questions we are asked most, and the money terms in full. No surprises on either side.

What the grades mean

Pick honestly. Altitude, not distance, is what turns people back.

moderate

Distance
5–9 miles a day
Climbing
up to around 2,000 ft of climbing in a day

On trail throughout — packed dirt and granite slabs, a handful of stream crossings, camps between 9,800 ft and 11,200 ft. No exposure, no scrambling.

Regular hikers, comfortable carrying a day pack for four to six hours on trail. The distance itself is unremarkable — altitude is the real variable, and it catches fit and unfit guests alike.

strenuous

Distance
23.3 miles round trip in one long day
Climbing
roughly 3,900 ft across the day, most of it above 12,000 ft

Loose sand and talus above New Army Pass, then a boot-packed use trail near the Langley summit at 14,032 ft. Non-technical — no rope, no climbing gear — but long, exposed to weather, and unforgiving of a late start.

Strong, already-acclimatised hikers only, ideally with a full day already spent above 11,000 ft before attempting it. Fitness gets you up the mountain; it will not protect you from altitude, which is the actual reason people turn back on Langley.

Questions we are asked

Deposit and cancellation

Deposit and balance
A deposit of 25% of the trip cost reserves your place. The remaining balance is due 60 days before departure. Bookings made within 60 days of departure are paid in full at the time of booking.
Cancelling your trip
More than 60 days before departure, you receive a full refund of everything paid, less a $150 administrative fee. Between 30 and 59 days out, the 25% deposit is forfeited and the rest is refunded. Between 15 and 29 days out, we refund half the total trip cost. Inside 15 days, or if you do not show up, nothing is refundable, though what you paid beyond the deposit is held as credit towards a trip within the next 12 months.
If we cancel
Wildfire smoke, an unsafe snowpack, a dangerous tide or river crossing, or a permit revoked by the managing agency can all force us to cancel or cut short a trip. When the decision is ours, you get a full refund of the trip cost or a transfer to another date, whichever you would rather have. We do not refund flights, lodging, or other travel booked separately from the trip — that risk is what trip insurance is for.
Trip insurance
We strongly recommend a policy covering trip cancellation, interruption, and medical evacuation. Our own cancellation terms tighten sharply inside 30 days, and we cannot refund travel booked outside the trip cost if your plans change. Above 10,000 ft, and along most of the King Range, cell coverage is patchy to non-existent, and an evacuation, if one is ever needed, happens on foot or by helicopter.
Guide gratuity
Gratuity is customary in the guiding industry, typically 10–15% of the total trip cost, given in cash at the end of the trip. It is entirely optional and not included in the price you paid.