Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

It was inspirational just being close to all those wonderful Himalayan peaks. Walking on the lateral moraine alongside the icing of the Khumbu glacier to base camp was amazing. The weather on the trek could not have been better, so the views were excellent.One advantage of the bad weather was that there were few trekkers ahead of us, so not only did we have the lodges mostly to ourselves, but it was the same at base camp and the top of Kala Pattar. Such freedom.Constant reminders of the Everest Expeditions, such as the work done by Sir Edmund Hillary in the Khumbu Region and knowing that we were trekking on the same paths to Base Camp taken by mountaineers determined to reach the summit of Everest. 

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was young, energetic, enthusiastic and he did his best for all of us. 

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just bear in mind that if your trek relies on a flight to Lukla, bad weather can mess things up, so be prepared for a changed itinerary. Take your credit card in case you do have to contribute towards a helicopter flight.Don't worry about being a solo traveller and the only female. You can probably put up with more discomforts than men!Take a pack of cards.

Most Inspirational Moment

Sarajevo broke my heart.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Simply the best.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go and enjoy!

Most Inspirational Moment

This was not one of those trips with inspirational moments but there were numerous highlights. The trip is greater than the sum of its parts and it has made us want to return to a number of the places we visited.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Rob and Sifiso were a great team, just the right balance of enthusiasm, knowledge, experience. Their meals were greatly appreciated, too!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Please see narrative.

Most Inspirational Moment

Riding through the valley on the second day...also I think the second last day, riding on small paths in a rift was great.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Good knowledge about the tour, good organiser, clear instructions.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be sure that you know what it is about. You probably won't enjoy it if you've never been offroad before.

Most Inspirational Moment

Each day seemed to offer something special , Even the short 1.5 hr is trip  from Marrakech was exciting as the White, Snow covered Atlas mountains could easily be be seen on the horizon as we drove through Marrakech down the fantastic  Avenue Mohammed VI roadway despite the group enjoying the warmth of the Winter Sun. The adventure and highlights needless to say racked up when we arrived in the Mountains, where we were met with lots of smiling faces and copious amounts of Sweet Mint Tea. This was also our first insight to the wonderful Mountain food  that would keep us fuelled for the next few days ( and a few days more!). Indeed every activity seemed to be punctuated by fresh food and tea!.The first morning we trekked up from the Gite to the Refuge and enjoyed lunch  before we had our first “crampon” walk up to a  wonderful ridge (some groups seem to do this on the last day but I think  our option was best – it filled the afternoon and made the last day more enjoyable) . The Next day the plan was to  Summit Jebel Toubkal 4167m /Toubkal West 4030m .. just in case the weather closed in .. which it didn’t ! ….. This was paced by our wonderful guide just perfect … and it seemed , like every other day he had ordered the whole mountain to ourselves ! We had wondered what the next day would bring, and felt rather odd that the key summit had already been conquered but in reality the trek to Timesguida Ouanoukrim 4089m  and Ras Ouanoukrim 4083m was even more interesting and varied – involving a small amount of safe ( but exciting for those that hadn’t done any ) scrambling in crampons followed by a wonderful decent down a steep gully in deep snow.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our Group Leader , The Mountain Guide and our Chef ( who provides  all the food at both the Gite and Refuge) were a great team and made us all very welcome. They had the experience and expertise to spot a loose crampon at 100m and when to stop and drink some more tea!  They were wonderful characters who  were a credit to a wonderful Country –The country, its lifestyle  and its people were so much better than I had ever expected.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The trip isnt that hard - if you can do Snowdon ( not via the train ) Nevis etc then you should cope with the trip - Altidude isnt much of an issue as you dont stay high for very long ( albeit you might huff and puff a bit more at the top than you would otherwise do)Take Wet Wipes !! - You would have to be very brave to Shower at the refuge!  They are also useful close to the nose when visiting the basic toilet area.Take a book /ipod etc and a warm sleeping bag  ( though our room actually got quite warm at night with 8 people  warming it up !! ) which reminds me - EAR PLUGS !! I didnt hire any kit but those that did - the quality was good ( indeed NEW I think)  Dont miss the opprtunity of the local  Hammam after the trek - A highlight and much fun!   We took a long route back to Marrachech - I would suggest you insist the same - wonderful views and peaceful!   

Most Inspirational Moment

 Each day seemed to offer something special , Even the short 1.5 hr is trip  from Marrakech was exciting as the White, Snow covered Atlas mountains could easily be be seen on the horizon as we drove through Marrakech down the fantastic  Avenue Mohammed VI roadway despite the group enjoying the warmth of the Winter Sun. The adventure and highlights needless to say racked up when we arrived in the Mountains, where we were met with lots of smiling faces and copious amounts of Sweet Mint Tea. This was also our first insight to the wonderful Mountain food  that would keep us fuelled for the next few days ( and a few days more!). Indeed every activity seemed to be punctuated by fresh food and tea!.The first morning we trekked up from the Gite to the Refuge and enjoyed lunch  before we had our first “crampon” walk up to a  wonderful ridge (some groups seem to do this on the last day but I think  our option was best – it filled the afternoon and made the last day more enjoyable) . The Next day the plan was to  Summit Jebel Toubkal 4167m /Toubkal West 4030m .. just in case the weather closed in .. which it didn’t ! ….. This was paced by our wonderful guide just perfect … and it seemed , like every other day he had ordered the whole mountain to ourselves ! We had wondered what the next day would bring, and felt rather odd that the key summit had already been conquered but in reality the trek to Timesguida Ouanoukrim 4089m  and Ras Ouanoukrim 4083m was even more interesting and varied – involving a small amount of safe ( but exciting for those that hadn’t done any ) scrambling in crampons followed by a wonderful decent down a steep gully in deep snow.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our Group Leader , The Mountain Guide and our Chef ( who provides  all the food at both the Gite and Refuge) were a great team and made us all very welcome. They had the experience and expertise to spot a loose crampon at 100m and when to stop and drink some more tea!  They were wonderful characters who  were a credit to a wonderful Country –The country, its lifestyle  and its people were so much better than I had ever expected.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The trip isnt that hard - if you can do Snowdon ( not via the train ) Nevis etc then you should cope with the trip - Altidude isnt much of an issue as you dont stay high for very long ( albeit you might huff and puff a bit more at the top than you would otherwise do)Take Wet Wipes !! - You would have to be very brave to Shower at the refuge!  They are also useful close to the nose when visiting the basic toilet area.Take a book /ipod etc and a warm sleeping bag  ( though our room actually got quite warm at night with 8 people  warming it up !! ) which reminds me - EAR PLUGS !! I didnt hire any kit but those that did - the quality was good ( indeed NEW I think)  Dont miss the opprtunity of the local  Hammam after the trek - A highlight and much fun!   We took a long route back to Marrachech - I would suggest you insist the same - wonderful views and peaceful!   

Most Inspirational Moment

After the first days walk where we sat down, alfresco, at the small bar in town and drank some refreshing beers and watched the world go by.  A very relaxing moment. The other inspirational moment was the fantastic trip to Pompeii.  The place just took my breath away.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Suzy was a very organised and conciderate guide.  

Advice for Potential Travellers

You will need a good pair of hiking boots as some walks are hilly and rocky.

Most Inspirational Moment

A great hill-walking trip with several notable features, the first of which to be mentioned must be the scenery.  We were lucky with the weather.  Rain on the first and last days but sun in between, which made for great views.  The optional horizontal cable car journey which traverses the Alps near Mont Blanc is a must and a great way for a walker to get a sense of the technical areas of the mountain range.  

Thoughts on Group Leader

Second point is that we had a first class leader, a lady called Mel, who was very experienced in the Alps and highly knowledgable as to flora and fauna.  Mel kept a very reasonable pace which kept everyone on board during the steeper climbs.  She was also good fun.  Mel made the trip memorable in her own right.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Because this is a camping trip and the campsites are in the valleys, there was an uphill and downhill climb each day, which explains the 'challenging' label.  The terraine itself is quiet straight forward.  However, the campsites varied in quality and some forebearance is required.  Most were good and acceptable to a non-camper like me, one was rough but located in a beautiful valley, and one had terrible bathroom facilities.  Oddly, that last campsite was in Switzerland, one of the wealthiest countries in the world.   My main complaint was the absense of recliner chairs at the end of a long day!

Most Inspirational Moment

The highlights for me were magical Machu Picchu, Amantani on Lake Tititica, the history of the Incas, the colourful markets and, of course, experiencing the high sand dunes - have never screamed so much! 

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group of 18 was extremely friendly and I can't speak highly enough of our wonderful guide Juan - such a great ambassador for Peru!  Thank you Exodus for giving me a great trip!

Most Inspirational Moment

Waking up on the last morning of the Inca trail to find that llamas and alpacas had invaded the camp. 

Thoughts on Group Leader

This was our first package tour so have no comparators, but Rene Calancha did a great job - way above our expectations. He was a mine of information about each area we visited and was always willing to help whatever the issue, and even "rescued" me when my fear of heights got the better of me! 

Advice for Potential Travellers

Three things: prepare your stomach for all eventualities - begin a course of pro-biotics before leaving;book a couple of extra days in Lima at the beginning or end of the trip; andif you're doing the Inca Trail, or similar, "train" for the long  ascents and steep descents before leaving so that you can devote your energy to dealing with the challenges of altitude.