Terms of Service

Last updated: June 2025

Welcome to Ridgemate. By downloading or using our app, you agree to these Terms of Service. Please read them carefully.

1. About Ridgemate

Ridgemate is a platform that helps hikers find partners for trail outings. We connect people who plan to hike the same trails around the same dates. We do not organize hikes, employ guides, or guarantee the safety of any activity arranged through the platform.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years old to use Ridgemate. By creating an account, you confirm that you meet this requirement. Users under 18 should have parental consent.

3. Your Account

You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account and for all activity that occurs under it. You agree to provide accurate information, including a real photo of yourself as your profile picture.

You may not create accounts for others, create multiple accounts, or use Ridgemate for commercial purposes without our permission.

4. Acceptable Use

You agree not to use Ridgemate to:

• Post false, misleading, or fraudulent information about yourself or your plans
• Harass, threaten, or harm other users
• Send unsolicited messages or spam
• Impersonate any person or entity
• Post content that is illegal, obscene, or violates others' privacy
• Use the platform to facilitate any illegal activity
• Attempt to access other users' accounts or our systems without authorization
• Scrape, crawl, or otherwise extract data from the platform

5. Safety Disclaimer

Hiking involves inherent risks including injury, illness, and death. Ridgemate is a platform to connect hikers — we are not responsible for what happens on the trail. You are solely responsible for your own safety and for assessing whether a hiking partner or activity is appropriate for you.

We strongly recommend:

• Meeting new contacts in public places before committing to a hike
• Telling someone your plans before heading out
• Checking trail conditions and weather before departing
• Trusting your instincts — it is always okay to cancel

Ridgemate does not conduct background checks on users. Exercise your own judgment when meeting strangers from any platform.

6. User Content

You retain ownership of content you post (photos, messages, trip descriptions). By posting content, you grant Ridgemate a non-exclusive license to display it within the app for the purposes of operating the service.

You are responsible for ensuring your content does not violate others' rights or these Terms.

7. Identity Verification

Ridgemate requires a selfie to verify that you are a real person. This helps maintain trust and safety in the community. Submitting a photo of someone else, a fake image, or otherwise misrepresenting your identity is a violation of these Terms and may result in immediate account termination.

8. Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account at any time for violation of these Terms, for conduct that harms the community, or for any other reason at our discretion. You may delete your account at any time via Profile → Delete Account in the app.

9. Disclaimers

Ridgemate is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind. We do not guarantee that the service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or that connections made through Ridgemate will result in safe or satisfying experiences.

10. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Ridgemate and its operators shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising from your use of the app or from meetings arranged through it, including any injury, loss, or damages incurred on the trail.

11. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. Continued use of Ridgemate after changes constitutes acceptance. We will notify you of material changes via the app or email.

12. Contact

Questions about these Terms? Contact us at hello@ridgemate.co