SOS & Emergency Feature Disclaimers

PeakScout depends entirely on cellular networks for all communications. Backcountry terrain frequently has no cellular coverage.

• No cellular coverage guarantee. Large portions of Colorado, Montana, and other states have zero cellular signal. Mountains, canyons, wilderness areas, and remote trailheads routinely have no coverage from any carrier.
• Coverage maps are approximate. Carrier coverage maps shown in-app or on third-party sites are models, not measurements. Actual coverage at specific locations and elevations may differ significantly.
• Coverage at trailhead ≠ coverage on trail. Having signal at a trailhead parking lot does not mean you will have signal anywhere along the trail route.
• Intermittent connectivity. Even in areas with marginal signal, connectivity may be intermittent, insufficient to send location data, or dropped at the moment you need it most.
• Battery and device failure. Cold temperatures, device damage, and battery depletion all affect the reliability of cellular-dependent features. PeakScout has no control over device hardware.
• Network congestion. During emergencies involving multiple parties or high-use events, cellular networks may be congested or unavailable.

• GPS accuracy varies significantly by device, terrain, and conditions. In dense forest, canyon terrain, or under heavy cloud cover, GPS accuracy may degrade to ±50 meters or more. This may be sufficient to cause search and rescue to search the wrong area.
• Location data is transmitted at the time of the SOS action. If you move after triggering an SOS, PeakScout does not continuously track your location. Responders will only receive the location at the time of the initial notification, unless you trigger additional check-ins.
• Location displayed to contacts may be delayed. Network delays, server processing, and contact notification delivery all introduce latency. Your emergency contacts may not receive your location immediately.
• Map coordinates are approximate. Trail coordinates, trailhead locations, and peak coordinates displayed on PeakScout may differ from GPS reality by varying margins. Do not use PeakScout coordinates as authoritative navigation data.

PeakScout's designated contact notification system is a best-effort communication tool. It is NOT a guaranteed emergency alert system.

• Email delivery is not guaranteed. Notification emails may be filtered as spam, delayed by email providers, or fail to deliver entirely due to provider-side issues.
• Contacts may not check email. PeakScout sends email notifications; it cannot guarantee that designated contacts will see, read, or respond to those notifications in a timely manner.
• No phone call or SMS. PeakScout does not place phone calls or send SMS messages to emergency contacts. Email is the sole notification channel. Contacts who miss email may be unaware of your situation.
• Overdue alerts depend on your return time accuracy. If you enter an incorrect expected return time, the overdue detection system will trigger at the wrong time — either too early (false alarm) or too late (delayed response).
• PeakScout does not monitor trips in real time. There is no human monitoring your trip. All overdue detection is automated and depends on the accuracy of the data you provide.
• System availability is not guaranteed. PeakScout's servers, database, and email infrastructure may experience downtime. PeakScout does not guarantee uptime or availability of the trip safety features at any specific moment.

PeakScout does not coordinate, dispatch, or interact with search and rescue (SAR) operations in any capacity.

• PeakScout is not affiliated with any SAR team, sheriff's office, fire department, emergency management agency, or emergency services organization.
• Any SAR-related information displayed on PeakScout (contact numbers, general procedures) is informational only, sourced from publicly available data, and may be outdated or inaccurate.
• To initiate a search and rescue operation: call 911 (if cellular available), activate a personal locator beacon (PLB) or satellite messenger, or contact the local county sheriff's office with jurisdiction over the area.
• SAR response times vary widely by location, weather, available volunteers, and other active incidents. PeakScout cannot predict or guarantee any SAR response time.
• SAR operations may be billed to the rescued party in some jurisdictions. PeakScout is not responsible for any costs associated with SAR operations.
• PeakScout features do not transmit data to any emergency services agency. Emergency responders will not be automatically notified if you trigger PeakScout's SOS or overdue features.

YOU ASSUME ALL RISK FOR BACKCOUNTRY TRAVEL REGARDLESS OF THE AVAILABILITY OR FUNCTION OF PEAKSCOUT'S SOS, TRIP SAFETY, OR EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION FEATURES.

The existence of these features does not reduce the inherent danger of backcountry travel, does not make any trip "safer," and does not substitute for proper preparation, equipment, training, and judgment.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, PEAKSCOUT SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY:

• Failure of any SOS, notification, or emergency feature to function as expected
• Delayed, failed, or mis-delivered emergency contact notifications
• Inaccurate location data transmitted or displayed by PeakScout
• Death, injury, or harm resulting from reliance on PeakScout emergency features
• Harm resulting from cellular network unavailability, device failure, or server downtime
• SAR costs, rescue operations, or any consequence of emergency response