Summit - Private Guide in Kathmandu

  Please read about our programme of Himalayan, African, and Aconcagua Climbing and Trekking

  Welcome to Our Treks and Expeditions:
  Our trips to Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya and Aconcagua leave in a few weeks. We have just returned from successful treks and expeditions to Ama Dablam, Cho-Oyu, Mustagata, Everest, and Pumori. Congratulations to all of our climbers, trekkers, leaders, sherpas, and thanks to all of the families, friends, and sponsors who assisted and provided support. The weather was good, and our leaders and sherpa climbing staff did a fine job.  During 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 we welcome individuals and small groups to join us for climbing and trekking. You will find our programmes have something for everyone, from the novice to the expert. For 16 years, we have organized and led international teams of women and men of all ages, and many of our members return with us year after year.
  Our long-term philosophy is to provide a top-quality high-altitude mountain climbing and trekking experience at the most efficient cost-level. Some have said these well organized expeditions where affordable, inexpensive, low-budget, even cheap. while traveling responsibly and sustainably through the environments and cultures we visit.  We welcome you to join our team!

  What does the price include?
  Full service expeditions include nearly every imaginable service, western leaders, sherpas, etc..
  Basic Climbs feature the lowest prices available with minimal service. We offer discounts for groups (2+), returning members, combining trips, and cash bonus for sending new members (tell your friends).

  Our Full Service expeditions and treks include: a highly qualified British, European, and/or American leader; climbing sherpas for the group; 3 hot meals per day on the mountain, on trek, and in basecamp; trek and base camp cooks; trek, mountain, and basecamp food; ALL permit fees, including the summit fee; the trek fees, liaison officers; hotels, guesthouses and restaurants in route (but not in Kathmandu nor Kashgar, a minimal expense); transport: bus,  jeep, porters, yaks, camels, internal flights for Everest-Nepal, Ama-Dablam and Pumori; use of group gear and supplies: rope, ice, snow, and rock gear; trek, base, and altitude tents; cookers, fuel, walkie-talkie radios, gamow bag, medical oxygen, first-aid kits, etcetera.  Our prices include porters and yaks on trek. You will not be required to carry a heavy rucksack while trekking.

  Privacy: In addition to our normal trekking and high-altitude tents, we now provide an individual tent (1 tent per person) in basecamp.

  Note about "Full-Service":  Our full-service expeditions and treks employ porters and yaks to carry all of your personal equipment to and from basecamp, climbing sherpas, high-altitude porters, and medical oxygen (in basecamp), and Gamow bags. You will not need to trek with a heavy pack. Porters and yaks will carry all of your personal equipment to and from basecamp. Above basecamp, our climbing Sherpas assist the team as a whole, and carry group equipment and supplies. We DO NOT ask you to carry heavy group equipment (although it is an option if you really want to), such as tents, rope, gas, etcetera. For a minimal expense, we can also provide personal sherpas, porters, and climbing oxygen, to individual members who wish to use these services. Thank you! For a minimal expense, we can also provide personal sherpas, porters, and climbing oxygen, to individual members who wish to use these services.
Thank you!

  Training Note: Upon arrival in Kathmandu, (Kashgar for Mustagh Ata), Nairobi, or Mendoza, and the basecamp, all climbing members (whether "Full-Service" or "Basic-Climb" members), are kindly requested to participate in one or two days of training in the areas of climbing techniques, rope fixing, ascending, descending, safety techniques, rappels (abseils), belaying, medical equipment and procedures, communications equipment, camping techniques and high-altitude cooking. For the expert and beginner alike, it is important to review these techniques in order to develop skills and to work together as a team.

  Communications Note. Our full-service climbing expeditions are equipped with "walkie-talkie" radios, and a satellite telephone for international voice telephone calls. Many of our full-service expeditions are equipped with email as well. The members wishing to use the telephone will contribute $4 per minute of use. When our expeditions have email capabilities, it is often possible to send and receive 2 small emails per minute. Throughout the expedition, we update websites with "dispatches" reporting the progress of our team, so your family, friends, sponsors, and colleagues.

  Why are these trips so inexpensive? We are able to reduce the costs by combining individuals and small groups to take advantage of savings through sharing leaders, sherpas, transport, high altitude equipment, basecamp, cooks, etcetera. We climb and trek simply, using basic and comfortable services.  Our equipment is tested thoroughly and well-used over many expeditions. Because we have been climbing and trekking Himalayan peaks since 1986, and have brought many groups and individuals over the years, you will benefit from a special relationship we have with the Nepal Ministry of Tourism, Mountaineering Section, the Chinese Mountaineering Association (CMA), the Tibetan Mountaineering Association (TMA, CTMA), the Xinjiang Mountaineering Association (XMA, CXMA), and the Kashgar Mountaineering Association (KMA, CKMA). Additionally, much of our equipment and supplies are furnished by in exchange for photographs, product testing, endorsements, etcetera.

  Our "Basic Climbs" run "in tandem" with our full-service climbs. No one from our company goes on your BASIC climb, although our leaders climb with you constantly on our FULL-SERVICE climbs. You "do-it-yourself", but, our leaders and staff and ropes and camps are in the area, and we encourage you to coordinate with our full service team. Basic climbs include: Round-trip return transport from Kathmandu, (Kashgar for Mustagh Ata), hotels and guesthouses and meals in route, permit, liaison officer, and access to team medical supplies, medical kits, gamow bag, and medical oxygen. Access to team fixed ropes and camps (sites, not tents), coordinated with our own "full-service" climbing team. Other necessary services and supplies (ie: extra yaks, trek services, basecamp meals, high altitude services and equipment), may be purchased and hired at minimal expense. We offer basic climb "packages" as noted in the specific page for each trip, or, we can furnish individual items such as tents, stoves, gas, food, etcetera. For example, you may wish to purchase "basecamp services" or "high altitude services" or we can provide separate basecamp tents, cooks, meals, tables and chairs, climbing sherpas, high-altitude tents, food, and cookers, oxygen, western guides, and any other items you might require.

  Our trips do not include:  Hotels and meals in Kathmandu (a small expense), international flights (we help you find an inexpensive flight), personal clothing and equipment (sleeping bag, boots, ice axe, etc.), personal climbing oxygen, visas (we help you get your visa), vaccinations (please consult with your doctor), health, travel and rescue insurance (we help you find inexpensive and comprehensive insurance, and if not available in your country, we help you to write an "authorization letter"), personal snack-energy food (power-bars, chocolate bars, best brought from your home), gratuities (tips), drinks on the road or in town, expenses of a personal nature, and personal changes to the pre-planned itinerary. Not included are unexpected expenses, such as those due to emergencies, accidents, rescues, weather, itinerary changes, political situations, crime, transport delays, etc. This is not an exhaustive list. We don't mean to scare you with the above, we are just trying to make sure you are fully informed.

  Safety statement: Climbing and trekking are dangerous. You could become injured, ill, disabled, or even die. A peak may be referred to as "easy", "moderate", "climbable", "semi-technical", "accessible", "classic", etcetera, but intensive training, preparation, skill development,  and experience are necessary before tackling one of these giants. If you are unsure about what is involved, and wish to hone and develop mountain skills, we encourage you to attend our Glacier School.