The Mountain Company Traveller Reviews

This was my first trekking holiday and my first time in Nepal, so I was quite nervous to begin with. Also, I had never been to such high altitude. By the end of the holiday, however, I was hooked; I want to go trekking in Nepal again. I felt like I achieved something big and The Mountain Company helped me to achieved my goal of trekking in Nepal and seeing Mount Everest with my own eyes.

Everything was very well organised and ran smoothly. Mr Roland Hunter was patient in answering my questions. The staff in Nepal was superb too; I was well looked after in Kathmandu and during the trek. The ratio of guides to trekkers was excellent - I was one of the slowest trekkers in the group and there was always a guide at the back to ensure everyone was safe. While on the trek, the food and the hot drink were included. There was enough drink to ensure all the trekkers were hydrated. There was plenty of food. The accommodation was excellent too, both in Kathmandu and in the mountains. I felt that The Mountain Company really know what they are doing and have local knowledge.

A group of 11 of us trekked from Lukla to the Ama Dablam base camp in late November early December. No roads and no cars, just people and animals trekking up and down the mountain paths. It was very cold but not intolerably so and the sun shone practically the whole trip. It seems an ideal time of the year to take the trip as the weather is good and, as it is near the end of the season, there are fewer people. Of course the view are spectacular and the Nepali people are wonderful.

All the information required was provided and everything ran very smoothly and seamlessly.

I wanted to have a unique adventure in the remote himalayas, combining high mountain remote exploratory trekking with an authentic cultural experience seeing nepalese and tibetan life and meeting amazing people. The trip did not disappoint - It was a 42 day remote exploration camping trek in the north east of Nepal from Kanchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world to Makalu, the fifth highest mountain. This unique section of the "Great Himalayas Trail" took us through snow leopard country, snow covered high passes, remote villages near the tibetan border and incredible scenery as we "valley hopped" west to Makalu. The organisation, sirdar, guides, porters and cook team were outstanding and enabled us to overcome landslides, river crossings and logistics challenges which are part and parcel of these exploratory expeditions.

Roland and his team at the mountain company are outstanding. This was my second expedition (I did Dhaulagiri circuit last year). His hand picked nepalese team from Bhim, our sirdar, Sanja, Pasang our guides, Jaggerman our lead cook and all the porters were amazing - hard working really professional, super friendly (they put up with me constantly speaking poor nepalese) and overcame many obstacles including multiple jeep changes to get around landslides, resupply issues and worked incredibly hard to enable us to complete the 42 day trek. Roland's preparation guides and training recommendations were invaluable and his excellent working knowledge of these remote trekking areas was vital to complete this trek. We also had the privilege to travel with our international leader - Robert "Mads" Anderson , renowned mountaineer who made the trip super special with his great leadership, humour and stories.

We visited Bhutan in October 2024, having booked a trek through The Mountain Company.

Roland treated us as individuals, and advised the trek to choose and the dates to get the best weather and scenery

I have wanted to go to Bhutan for years and Lunana Snowman was the perfect opportunity. Doing some research the mountain company did the extended version and also offered a smaller group size. In the end there were six of us which worked perfectly as we were all similar levels and got on well with each other. We were very lucky with the weather on the passes and camps. The tents were new and being yellow were bright and light. The guides were very knowledgeable about the places and history making for a much more rewarding trip even though the scenery was breathtaking itself. They were also very good to allow for acclimatisation and set a good pace for the group. Bhutan itself was amazing how it has been protected and how they are looking to the future. I would seriously recommend visiting Bhutan and using The Mountain Company.

The operator, through their local agents, arranged all the transfers, tents, camps and meals. The choice of the main guide was excellent with his guiding ability and local knowledge. The choice of chef was incredible in what he created for us at each meal being deliberately very creative despite the remote locations. The choice of hotels for the transfers was good in terms of location, comfort and food. Each day we were given a debrief of the following day and out oxygen levels were monitored to assess our acclimatisation. The team was flexible to change the itiniary to suit the group/conditions

I undertook my trek in October/November 2024 as a solo female traveller. I chose The Mountain Company because of its longer itinerary which allowed for more acclimatization days than most companies. This trip included the addition of the High Passes taking in Cho La Pass into Gokyo Valley and Renjo La Pass and descending into the Thame Valley. The amount of comprehensive detail provided in advance about the trek, the gear required and preparation needed was brilliant. In addition the reviews from other trekkers were all excellents. Whilst being fit and with many ultra marathons behind me I had never attempted a hike like this before or trekked at such high altitude. The trek itinerary is well-thought out, well organised with plenty of time to complete each day's distance at a leisurely pace. We were encouraged to walk slowly and take rest stops when needed, in addition there was plenty of time to take photos and for sightseeing. The ratio of guides and porters to the amount of trekkers was excellent. The local guides and porters were good fun, caring, knowledgeable, organised and I always felt that I was in safe hands with them. They carried a comprehensive medical and first aid kit which was reassuring although not needed in my case and oxygen levels were monitored on a daily basis, The teahouse lodge accommodation was variable, however it was a lot better than I had anticipated. The food included in the price of the trip was good, plentiful and met my needs as a vegan. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking throughout the whole trek. I was blessed with beautiful weather and a few days of snow too. Whilst a tough trek especially going over the high passes and trekking at altitude, for me it was a trip of a lifetime and something I will never forget.

Absolutely brilliant from start to finish. I cannot recommend this company enough! From my first initial Zoom meeting to actually meeting Roland in person in Kathmandu for a briefing before my trek the organisaiton and communication has been brilliant. Phone calls, emails and my endless questions were answered promptly, efficiently and comprehensively. The organisation and planning of the trek was seamless. The local guides and the operators on the ground were first class. This is a professional, knowledgeable, well-organised tour operator with first hand expertise. I would definitely use The Mountain Company again.

We traveled to Nepal and were greated by the Mountain company staff for transfer out stopp over hotel which was great. Kathmandu was amazing as always. we then travelled on the Bhutan and were guided on the Druck path trek from Paro to Thimpu. we had a cultural trip to Punaka and then back to Thimpu. we flew back out of Buhtan from Para via Kathmandu and back to the UK

We used the Mountain company for a third time and would still recomend then to others.

Trek to Ama Dablam Base Camp in Nepal, it included time in Kathmandu, internal flights, and a guided trek staying in tea houses.

The trip booking guidance, pre-trip information, quick and helpful response to questions, and everything about the trip itself was exemplary. I felt well informed and looked after throughout, from the office, the guides, porter and driver. The communication and organisation from the Mountain Company was exceptional.

After having done the camping trek to K2 base camp 2 years ago we wanted to do another trek in Nepal that would be very different to the K2 trek. This certainly ticked that box! The variety of scenery due to trekking at higher and lower elevations in 2 different valleys with different ecosystems and cultures really made this trek special and very interesting. The mountain views change from day to day with views of the big ones Manaslu, Annapurnas and Dhaulagiri and many others. What surprised us was how much we enjoyed walking through lots of the small mountain villages and how interesting it was seeing the different village cultures and ways of life up close. In certain areas there were strong Tibetan influence and others more traditional Nepalese Hindu culture. The trek itinerary and route avoids most of the roads that are getting higher into the mountain valleys, this is the most popular trekking destination in Nepal but it didn’t feel overcrowded out on the trails. There was plenty of time to acclimatise to the altitude with having 3 nights in Manang which also gives flexibility if needed. Some of the highlight days were the Manang acclimatisation day walks to the Ice Lake and Gangapurna glacier. Other highlights were the Muktinath to Lupra day and the walk to the Dhaulagiri icefall was also a stunner. Lots of trekkers finish after going over the Thorong La pass just doing the half circuit. If you have the time I would definitely recommend doing the whole circuit for the variety of scenery and culture. The wildlife was also fun, yaks and naks higher up and monkeys in the forests lower down. The tea houses we stayed in were all a good standard as was the food on offer, local dishes, dal bhat being the best choice obviously! Apart from the very highest tea house all had electrical sockets for gadget charging in the rooms and similarly a lot had a en suite toilet sometimes with a shower/sink. Our guides and porters were excellent. The guides spoke good English and were very knowledgeable friendly capable people.

Our second trek with The Mountain Company! We would definitely use them again and would confidently recommend them to others. TMC has great local expertise and experience of trekking in the countries it operates in. The pre booking and departure information from Roland is detailed and super helpful. Very likely you will have a departure briefing and finish briefing with Roland in Kathmandu. All the people we had contact with from Roland to the Kathmandu office team, guides, porters and drivers were very friendly and professional. The local team in Kathmandu are able to respond quickly and deal with any queries or issues should they arise whilst out on the trek. It is very reassuring having that experience on hand and available via WhatsApp or phone if needed.

A trek at high altitude organised & run by professionals who made sure the 11 people were well looked after & safe every step of the way. Nothing was too much trouble.

The Mountain Company were professional, from the booking of the holiday, providing relevant information to the execution of the holiday. Their communications were good.