Dhaulagiri Circuit in Nepal Traveller Reviews

An amazing trek through a wide variety of scenery from lowland forests to snowy high altitude passes. I would definitely recommend this trek if you're up for a challenge and you like quiet trails.

From my first phone call to Roland at The Mountain Company to my return to the Uk the service and attention to detail was outstanding. Roland was always quick to reply to any questions and ensured I was on the right trek for me. I would absolutely recommend booking with The Mountian Company if you're looking to travel to the Himalayas

The trip was 21days in total including 16 days of trekking that partly circumnavigated Mt Dhaulagiri in central Nepal. The landscapes we encountered ranged from paddy fields and rainforest to alpine zone and then onto glacier and snow before returning to arid zone pine forest. We crossed two 5000m+ passes and had stunning views of snow capped mountains 6000m to 8000m+

The Mountain Company were excellent from the moment I enquired about the trip through to dropping me off at the Airport on way home. Roland has a wealth of knowledge about trekking in the high mountains and his response time to a pre-trip inquiry is incredibly fast, by far the best customer service from any adventure travel company I have used and I’ve used a few in more than 30yrs of adventure travel. The accomodation varied from hotels to resorts to tents and all were excellent. The service provided by the in country operator was second to none with excellent guides and professional kitchen staff that provided some of the best meals I’ve ever had on trek.

This was my 3rd trekking holiday with The Mountain Company, and once again it proved to be a wonderful experience. The Mount Dhaulagiri Circuit Trek is of 2 weeks duration, and certainly lived up to it's reputation of being physically demanding. We were blessed with excellent walking weather throughout, although it frequently snowed in the afternoon and evening. The terrain we encountered was scenic and rugged, starting with heavily forested foothills, then changing to bare, snow capped peaks as we gained altitude. We had some fantastic interactions with the local Nepalese people, culminating in a memorable concert which was put on in our honour, and which was attended by several hundred villagers. I highly recommend this trek to anyone seeking a remote and challenging trek, and which incorporates spectacular scenery.

I was as always very impressed with the consummate professionalism of The Mountain Company. There is no weak link in the chain, and everything flows seamlessly. * TMC website is very informative, and any queries, requests for clarification are answered in detail and in a very timely fashion by Roland Hunter. * The pricing of the treks are very reasonable. * Hotel accommodation in Kathmandu and Pokhara was first rate. * Transport to and from airports, and internal flight connections ran smoothly, as far as they could be controlled. * Roland carefully vets prospective participants to ensure treks are suitable for their skill level. * TMC allocates 3 altitude rest days on this trek, to ensure the group safely acclimatises to the increase in altitude. Other trekking companies allow 2 spare days at most. * The quality, variety and quantity of the meals provided on the trek was first rate. Despite the trek being physically arduous, I did not lose any weight. * TMC places a lot of emphasis on the quality and expertise of their trek leaders. In that respect we were extremely fortunate to be led by Cory, ably assisted by his Nepalese counterpart, Arjun, and of course the wonderful Nepalese crew. Without them there is no trek. All trekkers well being was constantly monitored to ensure they weren't experiencing difficulties. Encouragement was frequently offered, and practical assistance provided where necessary, particularly if there was a difficult section of the trail to be negotiated. The safety of both trekkers, and the Nepalese crew was always given the highest priority. The Mountain Company have a longstanding and well deserved reputation for running excellent, affordable treks, and operating in an ethical manner. They are always my first port of call when I experience a yearning to undertake a trek.

A memorable, wonderful trek. Very well organised and supported. I would unhesitatingly recommend The Mountain Company, our tour operator

Great support before, during and after the trek

We've done four treks with TMC. Through no fault of TMC, the last one was a little disappointing, since a very unusual cyclonic event meant that we could do the full trek. TMC did a very good job of adapting and rerouting.

We've now done four treks with The Mountain Company -- two short, two long. If we ever go back to the Himalayas, I'm fairly certain we'd use them again. They really seem to be head and shoulders above the competition, particularly on the less-traveled routes. Perhaps the best thing about them is their local guides. TMC seems to pay well and supported them through the pandemic. They've all been personable, knowledgeable, and skilled. The Western guides have also been very good. They're all pretty hardened, almost to a fault, which means that they were sometimes a little unaware of some of the group dynamics (so, e.g., more aggressive trekkers weren't reined in to keep the group together and moving at a safe pace), but they were (both) very skilled, experienced, and resourceful. TMC's logistics, safety measures, and knowledge of trail conditions are also excellent. The only reason I took off a point was that their medical protocols were disorganized and inconsistent, which for me detracted from the experience.

Our Dhaulagiri circuit was cancelled 36 hours into the trek due to agreed safety concerns re landslips and avalanches higher up. We retreated back to Beni, regrouped and then did Plan B. The staff communicated with us excellently all through this experience. We were kept safe and accommodated and fed well. Our extension was worthwhile and very adventurous. The guides were excellent. .

The Mountain Company led by Roland Hunter is a brilliant tour operator. The communication with travellers before, during and after the holiday was excellent. Roland gave all the time we needed despite being very busy. The guides kept us up to date and checked out if we were ok. They were very helpful with health issues. The office got back to my children when they were concerned. The kit, porters, kitchen crew also worked well. This is the best tour operator that I have experienced.

I had planned to go in October 2021, but COVID restrictions meant this was delayed. There were no issues rearranging this and Roland provided constant updates on the situation. All pre-departure information was clear with detailed help on kit lists, suggested tipping, additional possible itineraries etc. When I arrived in country, Roland met the whole team personally to discuss the trip and the local support team. All went smoothly until unfortunately the weather turned and we were faced with 5 days of torrential rain. Our group leader on the trip was excellent in keeping us updated on the situation and the implications of the worsening conditions. A decision was made to abort the main trek due to the very high chance of avalanches at higher altitude, and for the safety of the whole team. This was completely justified as we started to hear reports of deaths on the higher mountains, and saw regular rescue helicopters flying into the area. A new alternative (safe) itinerary was quickly worked out for us, traversing the lower foothills. Although disappointing, this still gave an amazing trek through the villages and fields, with the literal highpoint of a challenging but stunning trek up to a hidden lake above 4500m.

From the first enquiry to the final trip debrief, Roland's communication was excellent which made a big difference to the trip. The local support staff were incredible, managing to keep the whole group safe, motivated, moving and well fed during some extremely difficult conditions.

An aborted trip to Dhauligiri hidden valley due to prolonged heavy rain. Roland's team got us out safely and arranged a lovely trip through the Annapurna foothills. We experinced a side of Nepal we would not usually see on a high mountain adventure - local weddings, back country towns, and Gurkha homelands. We reached a highpoint of 4600m above Kophra ridge with stunning views of the Annapurna and Dhauligiri ranges.

Roland is highly knowledgeable about Nepalise trekking. He lives in Nepal during the trekking season working first hand with his local operators.

There are many rewards for doing this remote and challenging trek in a beautiful area of Nepal. It's a one-way trek so no doubling back. There are few other trekkers on the trail. You get a variety of scenery and landscapes, including a few villages lower down. If you're at base camp in climbing season then you might be lucky to meet a few climbers. The views of Dhaulagiri and other mountains towering over you at close quarters are captivating. The satisfaction of trekking over 2 challenging passes gives it the edge and makes for a memorable trek.

I was very happy with my first-ever trekking experience with The Mountain Company. From pre-departure to the trek itself I was really impressed with the professional standard and the super-friendly and caring crew. The food was particularly good and so was the excellent level of communication throughout. Safety and good service were clear priorities. I’d definitely recommend The Mountain Company to others and trek with them again.

A camping trek to Dhaulagiri base camp and beyond, ending at Jomsom. A great adventure holiday with stunning views and a superb trekking crew who went out of their way to keep us safe, incredibly well fed, always seeking to help and a never ending supply of smiles and hard work. A massive thanks to Chandra, Dorjee, Bal, Joms, Arjun and Robin together with their brilliant support crew.

The Mountain Company (TMC) led by Roland Hunter provide a personal service, aimed at providing a fantastic and safe experience for both trekkers and support crew in the wild environment of the Himalaya. Always available to chat pre trip, Roland endeavours to meet every trekker in Kathmandu before and after the trek and seeks a review of your experience post event which he does take seriously. I have already booked another trek this year with TMC!