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The Mountain Company Traveller Reviews
Reviews of The Mountain Company
Mount Dhaulagiri Circuit 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 ...
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.
Rating for tour operator: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.
Dhaulagiri Circuit trek Nepal
A memorable, wonderful trek. Very well organised and supported. I would unhesitatingly recommend The Mountain Company, our tour operator
A memorable, wonderful trek. Very well organised and supported. I would unhesitatingly recommend The Mountain Company, our tour operator
Rating for tour operator:Great support before, during and after the trek
Manaslu Circuit
We had an absolutely brilliant experience trekking the Manaslu Circuit, Nepal. Awesome scenery amongst relatively remote mountain communities with enough challenge to make the trip even more rewarding but at the same time we were very well organised and prepared for the experience.
We had an absolutely brilliant experience trekking the Manaslu Circuit, Nepal. Awesome scenery amongst relatively remote mountain communities with enough challenge to make the trip even more rewarding but at the same time we were very well organised and prepared for the experience.
Rating for tour operator:The Mountain Company takes great care to provide detailed advance information prior to the trip and provided first class support during the trek. Any queries are responded to and advice given very promptly and on a personal basis. I believe we were one of the best organised groups on the trek at the time. Timely support with an accurate forecast was a key difference in our successful crossing of the high pass. Overall, I was very impressed with the whole experience thanks in large part to the skills of The Mountain Company team in general and to Roland Hunter in particular
Himalayan magic on the Manaslu circuit and Tsum Valley
A first class service from The Mountain Company ensured that my first time in Nepal was a enjoyable and truly memorable experience. From the beauty and solitude of the TSUM vallley a hidden valley in the Manaslu national park and the awe inspiring mountains on the circuit. Such a breadth of landscapes and amazing people. I loved the bustle of Kathmandu and the contrast with the mountains was a perfect combination for me.
A first class service from The Mountain Company ensured that my first time in Nepal was a enjoyable and truly memorable experience. From the beauty and solitude of the TSUM vallley a hidden valley in the Manaslu national park and the awe inspiring mountains on the circuit. Such a breadth of landscapes and amazing people. I loved the bustle of Kathmandu and the contrast with the mountains was a perfect combination for me.
Rating for tour operator:A first class service from The Mountain Company ensured that my first time in Nepal was a enjoyable and truly memorable experience. The logistics team, guides and porters could not have been more responsive and helpful
Superb support
Five days into my Trek around Manaslu I tested positive for covid. I was in a tiny, remote mountain village with no signal on my phone. My trekking guides supported me to contact both my insurers and Roland, Mountain Co CEO. Roland gave me support and reassurance as my insurers dallied over my request for helicopter evacuation. Indeed, Roland chased them for me numerous times before the heli arrived 30 hours after my first request. Holiday insurance ...
Five days into my Trek around Manaslu I tested positive for covid. I was in a tiny, remote mountain village with no signal on my phone. My trekking guides supported me to contact both my insurers and Roland, Mountain Co CEO. Roland gave me support and reassurance as my insurers dallied over my request for helicopter evacuation. Indeed, Roland chased them for me numerous times before the heli arrived 30 hours after my first request. Holiday insurance has a job to do and eventually, it did what I'd paid for, but without Roland, who went the extra mile, Id probably still be in a remote mountain village drinking ginger tea1
Rating for tour operator:From first contact to my next booking (yes, I'm going back to Manaslu with The Mountain Company - unfinished business) Roland couldn't have been more informed and supportive. But I'd expect that really...... nevertheless it wasn't always the case with other companies I approached for this trip. When disaster strikes you really find out if a company can back up its promises. The Mountain Company most certainly did and Roland followed up, visiting me in hospital and providing some non-essential treats that were most welcome, demonstrating a personal touch to go with the high standard of professionalism I found in every interaction I had with the Mountain Co.
Top notch trek to Annapurna Base Camp
We trekked to Annapurna Base Camp via Ghorepani and Poon Hill. Spectacular views and lucky with the weather. The teahouses we stayed in were very good and so was the food. Also the itinerary was well planned so that the days were not too long and we had time to acclimatise.
We trekked to Annapurna Base Camp via Ghorepani and Poon Hill. Spectacular views and lucky with the weather. The teahouses we stayed in were very good and so was the food. Also the itinerary was well planned so that the days were not too long and we had time to acclimatise.
Rating for tour operator:I highly recommend The Mountain Company if you want a great trekking experience. Having used them for multiple treks they are consistently excellent with their pre and post trek communications as well as their professional guiding and support throughout the trek.
Beautiful eight-day trek in an as yet lesser-known area of Nepal - with fabulous mountain views (on a clear day)
The trek offered a combination of challenge (we reached a summit of 4,300m), glorious landscape filled with rhododendrons, and wonderful visits to monasteries. The trip was tailored to our group of three, allowing for our moderate level of fitness and, most importantly, giving us time to adjust to altitude. The start of the trail was a day's drive from Kathmandu - yet although this is a fairly accessible route, we saw few other tourists either ...
The trek offered a combination of challenge (we reached a summit of 4,300m), glorious landscape filled with rhododendrons, and wonderful visits to monasteries. The trip was tailored to our group of three, allowing for our moderate level of fitness and, most importantly, giving us time to adjust to altitude. The start of the trail was a day's drive from Kathmandu - yet although this is a fairly accessible route, we saw few other tourists either on the trail or at the seven teahouses we stayed in. We drank copious amounts of mint tea and ate wholesome meals of dhal bhat (rice and lentils with veg) at the teahouses - some accommodation more comfortable than others. We had two porters along with two guides who took patient care of us and gave us charming insight into the region.
Rating for tour operator:Even choosing which trek to take in Nepal can be daunting. We were very impressed by the care taken by The Mountain Company over preparing us for the trip. We had many email exchanges with Roland Hunter, who was very thorough and meticulous in assessing our needs and putting together an itinerary. We also enjoyed an extremely helpful Zoom session with him The result was that we had exactly the right gear for the trek (some of which we hired in Kathmandu thanks to Roland) and the holiday very much met all expectations. Having a tailor-made trip was a great boon, giving us flexibility to change a day's route and walking distance - and enabling us to take in a local festival.
Head in the clouds
There and back trip to Makalu Base Camp
There and back trip to Makalu Base Camp
Rating for tour operator:An amazing experience finely curated by TMC. A raft of operators offer similar packages but it was Roland (and TMC’s) expert knowledge and experience that builds confidence of risk management, operational ability and client support. I wouldn’t hesitate to use them again!
Excellent, with one qualification
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 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.
Rating for tour operator: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.
Thanks, Steve, we appreciate receiving your feedback and we are delighted the trip went well for you. However, I note your point about our medical protocols and just to clarify we follow British Standard 8848. As you know one of the reasons we send an international leader with our remote trekking groups plus a very comprehensive medical kit, Gamow bag (high altitude chamber) and satellite phones is for enhanced medical safety. Just to be clear, the point you are referring to relates to our request for a medical letter from your doctor before accepting you onto this trek. As I hope you understand this was for your safety based on our assessment. In practice, in the past, everyone else has been pleased for their peace of mind to get a medical sign-off from their doctor before trekking in a remote region at high altitude. I wish you well and thanks again for the detailed feedback on the trip.
Fantastic Nepal Himalayas Trek
Well organised lodge trip to Ama Dablam base camp. The guide was very capable and knowledgable and great company. We felt in safe hands at all times and he was very attentive, ensuring we were well looked after.
Well organised lodge trip to Ama Dablam base camp. The guide was very capable and knowledgable and great company. We felt in safe hands at all times and he was very attentive, ensuring we were well looked after.
Rating for tour operator:Very clear pre-trip comms and very responsive to questions about the trip and adjustments to the plan. They have a good team and very respectful and collaborative relationships within the team. We always felt in safe hands.