Although many of our guests hike regularly, each of our trips may offer a different challenge for some folks. If you are not used to doing so much hiking, then why not try one of our basecamp trips, or for those who want a more challenging experience, there is the option of a backpacking or even mountaineering expeditions.
Although we leave this completely up to you, chat with Seth or Hamish who are able to help in the event you can’t make up your mind on which trip to do. Many of our first time hikers try a US based adventure, before venturing to some our exotic international adventures such as Nepal or Kilimanjaro. But be warned, with over 80% of our guests returning for trip number two, it is very addictive.
We are confident our guides will give you the best holiday you have ever had! These professionals are energetic individuals driven by their love of the mountains and their lifestyle (that you are supporting!) They’ll guide you on the best hiking trails by day, and in the evening they turn into drinks waiters, fantastic chefs and storytellers to boot.
Due to most of our trips being in warm destinations, the key is sun protection! We recommend long sleeved shirts to keep the sun off. In cooler climates we suggest you bring a thermal long sleeved base layer. Around camp dress is very casual but it can get cooler in the evenings. A full list of what is required for your adventure is sent out prior to your departure and is on the trip page on this website.
Due to the nature of a hiking trip, you are often in remote locations and we want to make you feel comfortable in your new environment. Our teams are qualified professionals who are trained in Wilderness First Aid and CPR. In the highly unlikely event of an accident your trip medic has the experience to deal with a huge variety of ailments and medical situations. We carry a satellite telephone on all of our trips and have the ability to evacuate you if necessary.
As many of our guides live in the outdoors for a vast proportion of the year, they conjure up gourmet dishes for you to feast on after your days hiking. Typically for breakfast you might have fruit and cereals or a cooked breakfast, lunches are generally subway style sandwiches or fresh salads and for evening meals, you’ll start with hors d’ouvres, followed by a sumptuous main meal with dessert to finish off. Don’t plan on losing weight on our trips!
We cater for all dietary preferences. Our vegetarian clients are constantly amazed at the variety and options we have for them. With other food allergies or preferences, we recommend you contact our office with specific questions, as some of our destinations will not have a vast variety of gluten, wheat or dairy free options, in which case we suggest you bring a few of your favorite foods from home.
We believe that camping should be civilised. This means, even if you are not a regular “outdoor person” you’ll find our small touches on the trips will make you feel right at home. Spend the night in our spacious tents sleeping on thick comfortable thermorest air mattresses. We’ll also have seats for you to relax on in the evening. Please note that some of adventures are lodge to lodge based trips, so no camping is required.
Our trips cater for people of all ages. Our typical groups have guests aged between 35 and 60 years old. On most of our trips the minimum age is 16 years and we have no upper age limit, providing we get a Doctors certificate if you are over 70. Our confidential medical form will enquire about any pre-existing medical conditions and dietary requirements.
Like all adventure sports hiking or mountaineering does have an inherent risk. With all our years of experience, our professional guides and the best in equipment, we do our best to minimize risk. On our more challenging expeditions to altitude, we have the specialist equipment to deal with altitude sickness and fatigue.
In order to reduce our impact on the environment we have a maximum of 16 clients per trip. We feel this also gives clients and guides the opportunity to get to know each other better. Many of our clients forge lasting friendships on our trips, meeting up on subsequent adventures. We have a mixture of nationalities such as British, American, New Zealand, Swiss, Germans, Australians and South Africans. This makes for an interesting cocktail of cross country conversations, stories and jokes around the campfire and along the trail.
People join our trips in all sorts of capacities. People on their own adventure, couples and groups of friends. By its very nature a hiking trip is very social, you will meet interesting people and make plenty of new friends along the way.
Lets not forget this is a vacation! A typical day will see you hiking for 2 hours in the morning and another 1-2 hours in the afternoon. This might be punctuated by a pleasant walk to a village, waterfall or to view an incredible piece of history. You’ll reach camp or the lodge in time to enjoy a sundowner drink, read your favorite book or chat with one of your fellow hikers about the days’ adventures.
We love to hike in countries where the weather is warm and the temperatures are pleasant. Typically you should expect temperatures of 25-35 degrees Celsius each day (77-95 Fahrenheit). A full list of what weather conditions to expect and what we suggest you bring with you will be sent to you prior to your departure from your home country.
We find most of our clients have in their possession most of the items needed for a trip. You will require a personal drinking bottle, a sunhat, a long sleeved shirt to keep the sun off during the day (or a thermal insulating base layer for our cooler destinations) and some warmer clothing for the evening. A full list of what is required will be sent to you well before you leave for your adventure.
Depending on the adventure you choose, either your clothing stays behind at your basecamp, it gets transferred to the next lodge, or you carry it! Each trip will go into detail about what your trip entails.
Taking a camera is a great idea. Clearly, taking a large SLR is another consideration, but most of our guests take photos on their phones. We’d ask that these be placed on ‘Airplane Mode’ so we can all enjoy the great outdoors as it should be. It may be worth investing in a Power Brick and or small solar charger.
Most of our trips require a night in a hotel before and after your hiking adventure. We choose comfortable and authentic accommodation close to points of interest. All of our hotels will provide breakfast the morning after your stay.
If you feel like you want a few extra days to relax pre or post trip, then let us know. We can book extra hotel nights for you and give you advise and book extra activities for you. Our teams in the office have all the knowledge you will need about the areas you are traveling to.
Our rooming arrangements both on and off the hike are on a twin share basis. Families can request rooms together and we are happy to accommodate couples. If you request a single room or tent for the trip you will have to pay an additional surcharge however if this occurs due to odd numbers on a trip you will not be required to pay anything extra.
Forget the gym membership! There are no super human fitness requirements for a hiking trip. However, the fitter you are, the more you will get from your adventure. There are plentiful opportunities for side hikes up canyons and to nearby points of interest on your trip. Alternatively if you’d prefer to sit in camp and enjoy a glass of wine or beer and read your book or listen to your favorite music, that’s perfect. It is your holiday after all.
If you have a group of friends, a scout or school group or fancy a team building event with a difference for your company, we’ll happily design your perfect trip to meet your requirements. We have extensive experience in this area so whether you’d like a combination trekking/rafting trip to Nepal or the ultimate Bachelor/Bachelorette trip in Crested Butte, we’ll tailor make your perfect trip.
If retail therapy is your thing, we’ll give you the ultimate shopping experience. From buying a woollen scarf in Peru, to buying a carved giraffe in Africa, we’ll take you to shops that benefit local crafts people. Shopping on International Adventures such as in Kathmandu is incredible. Our guides will be happy to show you around.
So you are ready to join us on your adventure of a lifetime? You can book, one of three ways all described on our Bookings Page
See you on the hiking trail!