Why with us?

Small enough to care, experienced enough to get it right!
If you want a quality, well supported trip then that's what we do.

We run a small personalized company, where you are not just one of the multitude but a valued customer.

  • We believe our trips are fairly priced, given our expertise in the outdoors.
     
    We don't compete for the cheapest price – nobody wins that one. We won't be millionaires but we love what we do and so do our clients. We don't spend a lot on marketing and our overheads are low, so our trips are very well resourced in the field and competitively priced.

  • We have a very high percentage of return clients, some return every year
     
    Because they can rely on the quality and smooth running of the trip. They also come with us because of our professional guides and our high success rate in completing trips and summits all over the areas we operate. Our high success rate is due to allowing enough time for the objective, good logistics, our professional guides and staff.

  • We run a variety of trips
     
    Most of these trips focus on mountaineering, climbing, and mountain biking. On each trip there is the possibility for people to learn the climbing skills you'll need to run your own trip in the future. We guide, support, instruct and coach, without hiding the details. It is also possible to accompany some of these trips as a trekker if climbing doesn't take your fancy.

  • Something for everyone
     
    Some of the trips are aimed at people with little or no experience, while other trips require some, or even a lot of, previous experience. This way there is a progression for people to follow and we try to offer a new trip each year to give our return clients something new and interesting. So from first footsteps in the outdoors to the summit of Mt Everest we do it all, - well. We go everywhere!

  • Questions to ask about your trip leader and the guiding company
     
    - Have they already trekked the route or climbed the peak? or trekked/climbed extensively in the area? Or are they just out to burn me off and summit for themselves? Will they get lost?
     
    - Do they know how to pull me out of a crevasse if I fall in? Really?
    - Do they have training and experience with high altitude medicines?
    - Can my guide operate a PAC if I get sick?
    - Can my guide administer oxygen?
    - Does the company have a safety plan?
    - Does my guide have a qualification to guide treks, mountains or rock?
    - How many staff will be on the trip should something go wrong?
    - Does the local staff leader have a certificate in first Aid and any formal guide training?
     
    - Is the acclimatization plan realistic? has it worked before and what % of people were able to succeed? Some companies operate on a trip that is too fast for 50%+ of people and rely on burning off half the group so as to save money!
     
    - Do they look after their local staff well, blankets, warm clothes for porters, along the IPPG guidelines?
     
    - Do they provide kerosene stoves for their staff, so they don't cut the last few trees down to cook their dinner?
     
    - Do I get my own tent or do I have to share with a stranger?

At Makalu Adventure we can answer all of those questions positively. Not all companies have the expertise; we do and they don't always run the best of trips. Some organizations run cheaper trips and we don't think that's a bad thing. What we are saying is, be informed about what it is you are buying.

Not everyone needs a fully supported expedition or trek. Some people have more time and enjoy organizing things themselves so a more budget-style trip may suit them better. It is up to the individual to decide, we just want you to be informed on the product you purchase. The one thing we strongly encourage you to do, is to ensure that the safety and well being of local staff (porters, guides, cooks) is not put at risk through inadequate equipment.

As a member of any team you have a SHARED RESPONSIBILITY to ensure your LOCAL STAFF have ADEQUATE EQUIPMENT. If you saved a few dollars but some of your staff died of hypothermia you might think again next time, it will be too late for the porter though.

We realize that people these days shop around for things and try to figure out what is the best value for what they need. This outline of how our trips work should save you the trouble of comparing everything...

We offer competitively priced trips to a a small set of international destinations which we know well. Well resourced in the field but not heavily marketed these trips are a fantastic mix of expert guides, good itineraries, good logistics and a great crew of people. On climbing expeditions either fully guided or fully supported trips we offer you the client a thorough logistical support network.

Our climbing guides and Sherpas are qualified through the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA). This plus years of climbing experience from the summit of Mt Everest to hard technical routes in Himalayas gives us the experience to run a well-oiled expedition.

We believe in providing excellent medical support, food and equipment. Climbing in remote regions means being self-reliant, so we take steps which costs us more money to ensure that adequate supplies of oxygen, medicine, PAC, tents and spare equipment are there if needed. (We can also provide a 24 hour satellite phone link to a high-altitude experienced doctor and an extensive medical kit on selected trips).

In most areas we use local guides to run our trips. These are mostly for trekking and introductory climbing trips. We believe strongly in our local leaders who add a very different cultural outlook and feel to your trip than a western led trip. Trekking to Everest BC with a local Sherpa who is a trained trekking guide is, we feel, a great way to experience the area. Your interaction with a local guide is part of the whole experience. We use only guides selected for their friendliness, local expertise, language skills and training in trek or climbing guiding. Local guides also allow us the freedom to operate trips in very small groups if required. We also use western guides on expeditions, high altitude treks and remote area treks.

  • Individual Tents
     
    Just one example of how we are a cut above the rest. We offer individual tents on our trips, so you can have a place of your own to retreat to. There is nothing worse than a tent mate for 4 weeks that you don't like, a problem with going with groups. We can arrange larger tents for couples on request though! *School groups are usually in tents of two though. Rooms in town at hotels etc are usually on a share basis, single hotel rooms can be arranged at a small surcharge with a minimum of fuss.

  • Local Leaders
     
    The experience of travelling with a local person adds a different dimension to the trip. We only use a select few people for our trips. For climbing expeditions we have qualified western guides and for some remote area high altitude treks we also send a western leader, both on request.

We get many comments on how well prepared our trips are and what good food and equipment we use. We'd be very happy if you sought confirmation from our previous clients.

If you simply need some help with logistics or even advice on how to set up your own expedition then we are only too happy to help. Have a look at our trips on this site or contact us.

If you want to sleep under a cold rock and eat lentils for 6 weeks then go for a cheap operator but don't wing when they run out of food before your summit bid. Sometimes it's not cheap to spend half the money, to have to spend it twice and to still get nowhere.

Ask us about quality and success, not price. We get people up mountains.

 

About Us

See about our company and the team. Here is more inside

What Clients have said

Here is feedback from our past clients