Everest Base Camp Trek (Nepal)
Hi Duncan and Katie!
We’re back home from our honeymoon and are still buzzing from it. What a trip! We had the most incredible experience and loved every minute. Gyanu was just brilliant and we were gutted having to say goodbye to him at the end. He really made the trip for us. Everything went really well – much better than we ever expected. The trip was a lot harder than we imagined – physically and mentally – but we loved the challenge of it and got through it in one piece (though I had a near-miss with frost bite, tore muscles in my ribs from coughing and poor Sam had terrible headaches and loss of appetite for a good part of the trek – but heck, just par for the course really!! Hehe..). The scenery was mind-blowing-ly beautiful (as you well know!) and we took 1200 photos and many, many more memories.. we really did fall in love with Nepal. What a country, and what people!
We can’t thank you enough for your support, encouragement and recommendations for our trip – it definitely was the trip of a lifetime and made for one incredibly memorable honeymoon.
We’re already dreaming of heading back for the Annapurna ranges, so if our dream looks like becoming reality we’ll definitely be back in touch!
Thanks again and best of luck with all your journeys.
Lesley & Sam
EBC, December 2008
Himalayan Climbing Course "I am writing today to say a big thank you to all involved in making the 2010 Himalayan 5 peaks such a wonderful experience.
I have been back in Australia for nearly a fortnight and I think I can finally express how I feel about my experience.
On the trek, we had a problem after a few days. We couldn't think of any different words to describe how we felt at the time. There is only so many times you can describe the scenery of the Khumbu region as awesome, unreal, excellent, amazing etc before you start repeating yourself. Maybe a group thesaurus for next years trip would assist.
In regards to your local staff, I would describe them as fantastic. It was such a relief when I arrived at Kathmandu airport to a sea of expectant faces, to locate the Chessell Adventures logo. This trip was my second ever overseas and I wasn't sure what to expect. Your local staff gave great service and assisted with all my requests for assistance or information. I felt comfortable and safe throughout the whole trip, not to mention well fed by Gyanu.
A special mention goes to Sonam and Densa. To have two such experienced climbers as our guides was a great bonus. Sonam is the consummate professional, caring and considerate to all our needs. We saw some other guides had a lot to learn from Sonam. We spoke to clients of other "well known" international trekking companies and their guides left a bit to be desired. Not just in terms of service, but safety also.
When researching my "trip of a lifetime" to Nepal, I gave great consideration to the acclimatisation schedule of all companies. This was one of my main considerations and I am glad that I went with Chessell Adventures. The itinerary was perfect for our group, including the "rest day" acclimatisation walks. I believe this is the main factor for everyone in our group attaining all 5 summits.
Once again, thank you to all involved in such a successful trip."
Adam (Australia)
Himalayan 5 Peaks 2010
Mera Peak Trek & Climb"Just wanted to say thank you to you guys for organising a brilliant trip!! All four girlies made it to the top which was great!!!
Also wanted to give you feedback on the team on the ground out there....Sonam, Passang, Gyanu and Densa.....and all the team of boys. They are a great bunch of boys, nothing is too much effort for them....they basically made a great trip into a fantastic one!!! They all put total effort and smiles into everything they did, were amazingly helpful fun and positive .....I didn't get a chance to do a feedback form as after having to get helicopters out of Lukla...ran out of time before the international flights!....but wanted to give you the real positive feedback they all deserve!! Ive done a few trips like this now, and they are definitely the best group i've been with, and would definitely recommend you guys to anyone!!!"
Kate (United Kingdom)
"Having just returned from the Mera Peak trip I wanted to want to let you know how impressed I was by the excellent team led by Sonam Bhote and including, Densa and Pasang and all the porters and Gyanu and his cooking team.
Working together, these guys formed an incredibly effective unit. Absolutely nothing was left to chance and the attention to detail astounded all of us repeatedly. Whats more they always had smile and a friendly word, which really kept the vibe upbeat the whole trip.
I must make special mention of our trip leader, Sonam. He is clearly an outstanding individual, a consummate professional and a huge asset to DCXP.
I cant praise the Mera Peak team enough, well done."
Andrew (Australia)
"Got home Monday from the Mera Peak trip and had to say it was awesome!
The amount of work the Arun guys did was incredible. They were pros from start to finish that went over and above every time and are simply some of the nicest, most genuine people I've ever met. Sonam, Gyanu and the other staff gave me a 35th birthday in Tagnag I'll never forget! I only hope they know how much we appreciated the choppers to get out of Lukla (the brawls at the helipad as we were taking off didn't look too appealing...)
I'm going to be beaming about this trip for a long time and the dodgy weather in Lukla just made it more of a story. Himalayan summit number 1 is done thanks to DCXP. "
Craig (Australia)
Mera Peak 2010