Terms of Service

1. Introduction and acceptance

Do It Self Guided is a free self-guided travel and trekking guide website operated by Leo Laucher-Linares, a sole trader based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The website is located at doitselfguided.com.

By visiting or using this website, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, please do not use the site.

These terms apply to all visitors and users of doitselfguided.com, including anyone who reads the guides, signs up to the newsletter, submits a contact form, or interacts with any feature on the site.

For any questions about these terms, reach me at leo@doitselfguided.com.

2. About the content

All guides on this site are based on personal experience and independent research. I write from first-hand travel and try to be as accurate and up to date as possible.

That said, travel conditions change constantly. Prices, transport schedules, visa rules, trail conditions, permit requirements, accommodation availability, and border regulations all shift without notice. What was accurate when I wrote a guide may no longer be accurate when you read it.

The content on this site is provided for informational purposes only. It is not professional travel advice, medical advice, legal advice, or financial advice. I am not a licensed guide, certified mountain leader, medical professional, or registered travel agent.

Before you travel, always verify information independently using official government sources, local tourism boards, and up-to-date travel advisories. Do not rely solely on any guide on this site to make decisions that affect your safety, health, finances, or legal status.

3. Assumption of risk

Activities described on this site, including multi-day trekking routes, high-altitude hikes, remote wilderness travel, and independent travel in developing countries, involve serious inherent risks. These risks include but are not limited to: physical injury, illness, altitude sickness, hypothermia, dehydration, getting lost, wildlife encounters, extreme weather, and death.

By using this site and undertaking any activity described here, you acknowledge and agree that:

• You undertake any activity entirely at your own risk
• You are solely responsible for assessing your own fitness, experience, skill level, and capability before attempting any route or activity
• You are responsible for carrying appropriate equipment, sufficient food and water, navigation tools, and emergency communication devices
• You are responsible for obtaining suitable travel and activity insurance that covers the specific activities you plan to do, including emergency evacuation cover where relevant
• You are responsible for informing someone of your itinerary and expected return time
• You are responsible for checking current trail conditions, weather forecasts, and any permit or access requirements before setting out

I make no representation that any route, activity, destination, or piece of information on this site is safe or suitable for any particular person. Conditions on the ground change. My experience on a given route does not mean you will have the same experience.

Nothing in these terms limits any statutory rights you may have under applicable law that cannot be excluded by contract.

4. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Leo Laucher-Linares and Do It Self Guided are not liable for any loss or damage arising from your use of this site or reliance on its content.

This includes, without limitation: physical injury, death, illness, altitude sickness, or any other health consequence; financial loss, missed connections, cancelled bookings, or unexpected costs; denied entry at borders or failure to obtain visas or permits; loss, theft, or damage to equipment or belongings; or any other direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, or special loss or damage of any kind.

Where applicable law does not allow the exclusion of certain liability (for example, under Australian Consumer Law, EU consumer protection rules, or UK consumer rights legislation), liability is limited to the maximum extent permitted by that law. Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or any other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded.

The information on this site is provided “as is” without any warranty of accuracy, completeness, or fitness for a particular purpose.

5. Affiliate links and advertising

Some links on this site are affiliate links. If you click one and make a purchase or booking, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Affiliate partners may include accommodation platforms, gear retailers, transport booking services, and travel insurance providers, among others.

This site also displays advertising, which may include Google AdSense. Advertising revenue helps cover the costs of running the site.

Commercial relationships do not influence editorial content. Every recommendation on this site is based on personal experience and genuine opinion. I only recommend things I would suggest to a friend.

Full disclosure is provided on the Affiliate Disclosure page. Pages that contain affiliate links are marked accordingly.

6. Intellectual property

All content on this site, including written guides, photography, illustrations, maps, route diagrams, design, and code, is owned by Leo Laucher-Linares unless otherwise credited. All rights are reserved.

You may share short excerpts from this site provided you give clear attribution to Do It Self Guided and include a direct link back to the original page. Sharing a paragraph with a credit and a link is fine.

The following are not permitted without prior written permission:

• Reproducing full guides or large portions of content on other websites, publications, or platforms
• Using content for commercial purposes
• Using content to train AI models, large language models, or any machine learning system
• Scraping or automated extraction of content for any purpose

To request permission for any other use, contact me at leo@doitselfguided.com.

If user-generated content features are added to this site in the future (comments, reviews, forum posts, or similar), by submitting content you grant Do It Self Guided a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide licence to display and use that content as part of the site. You retain ownership of anything you submit.

7. Newsletter and accounts

The newsletter is delivered via Beehiiv. Signing up means you will receive an email when a new guide is published. Nothing else. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in any newsletter email. If you have trouble unsubscribing, contact me directly and I will remove you manually.

For information on how your email address is collected, stored, and used, see the Privacy Policy.

This site does not currently have user accounts. If accounts are introduced in the future, users will be responsible for keeping their login credentials secure, providing accurate registration information, and any activity that takes place under their account.

8. Acceptable use

When using this site, you agree not to:

• Use the site for any unlawful purpose or in a way that violates any applicable law or regulation
• Scrape, crawl, or harvest content from the site using automated tools without permission
• Attempt to access any part of the site or its systems that is not intended for public access
• Introduce viruses, malware, or any other malicious code
• Impersonate any person or entity
• Post or submit content that is abusive, defamatory, harassing, or otherwise harmful (where user submission features exist)
• Use content from this site to train or develop AI systems without written permission

9. Third-party links and services

This site contains links to external websites including booking platforms, gear retailers, tourism boards, government visa portals, transport operators, and other travel resources. These links are provided as a convenience.

I have no control over the content, accuracy, or practices of third-party websites. Linking to a site does not constitute endorsement of that site’s products, services, or content. I am not liable for anything that happens as a result of your use of a third-party website.

You should review the terms of service and privacy policies of any third-party service before using it.

10. Changes to these terms

These terms may be updated from time to time. If material changes are made, I will note them here with a revised “Last updated” date at the top of this page.

Continuing to use the site after changes are published means you accept the updated terms. If you do not agree with any changes, stop using the site.

11. Governing law and jurisdiction

These terms are governed by the laws of Victoria, Australia. Any dispute arising from these terms or your use of this site is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Victoria, Australia.

If you access this site from outside Australia, you do so on your own initiative and are responsible for compliance with your local laws. Nothing in these terms limits any rights you have under mandatory consumer protection laws in your jurisdiction that cannot be overridden by contract. This includes but is not limited to rights under EU consumer law, UK consumer rights legislation, and applicable US state laws.

12. Severability

If any clause in these terms is found to be invalid, unenforceable, or illegal in a particular jurisdiction, that clause will be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, or removed if modification is not possible. The remaining clauses continue to apply in full.

13. Contact

For questions about these terms, complaints, or legal notices:

• Email: leo@doitselfguided.com

I read everything and will do my best to respond promptly.