Safety
Safety is our number one priority. While traveling in the mountains, we may encounter hazards posed by weather, terrain, altitude and other natural factors. While many of these hazards are beyond our control, our professional guide staff strives to minimize exposure to them through proper route planning, camp selection, and acclimatization practices. We make every effort to provide our clients with individual attention and the finest instruction and leadership.
On all of our itineraries – from our international expeditions, treks and adventures to our climbs and courses in the Pacific Northwest – our guides draw on a wealth of experience and training. They are certified to respond to backcountry medical emergencies and trained in avalanche safety, altitude awareness and professional food preparation standards. They are cognizant of cultural considerations in each of our host countries.
Client Care
At Mountain Gurus, we strive to give each one of our guests personalized attention and an enjoyable overall travel experience. We take pride in helping our clients achieve their personal climbing and trekking goals, and we firmly believe that successful journeys start long before our guests leave their homes. As you prepare for your adventure, our experienced staff will be available to answer all of your questions about training, equipment, travel logistics and other topics.
Our polices are designed not only to protect our business, but also to protect our guests, who commit their time and resources to joining our trips. Many of our clients are repeat customers who travel with us year after year. The mountains bring us together. We develop friendships by sharing experiences in some of the most beautiful places on the planet. We work to foster a community of climbers seeking adventure and achieving their goals together in the outdoors.
Environment
Mountain Gurus is committed to minimizing the environmental impacts of our travel. As we return year after year to the planet’s most remarkable wilderness areas, we strive to ensure that each of our guests enjoys a pristine mountain experience.
We consider ourselves stewards of these fragile environments. For many of our guides, that sentiment comes naturally because they work in their home terrain. On all of our expeditions, we adhere strictly to Leave No Trace principles. We aspire to serve as role models for other visitors, respectfully encouraging them to follow the same conservation ethics. At high-use destination like Everest Base Camp, all of our waste is barreled and disposed of properly. We believe that sustainable business practices are rooted in environmental stewardship.
Local Culture
At Mountain Gurus, we know that our success depends on our ability to forge strong relationships around the world in the many and diverse communities where we travel. We consider ourselves guests in each of our host countries, and we take care to respect local traditions and customs. We partner with only the highest quality local outfitters who share our commitment to safety, client care and environmental stewardship while upholding fair wages and working conditions for our staff. Many of our guides live locally in the areas where they work. We strive to hire IFMGA trained guides in member countries such as Nepal, Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador.
Many of our trips rely on porter support. We think it is critical to promote employment guidelines to ensure that our porters and others are treated fairly. We are a partner agency with the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP) in Tanzania, an initiative to improve porters’ living conditions and access to education while teaching visitors about socially responsible travel. In 2015, in the aftermath of Nepal’s devastating Gorkha Earthquake, we founded a non-profit organization called The Himalayan Outreach Project THOP). Originally established to help Nepali communities recover from the earthquake, THOP continues to support rebuilding efforts while also helping children return to school through small scholarships. THOP is supported in part by proceeds from our trips, including our annual Mount Rainier Climb for Nepal charity expedition.
We know that you have many mountain guide services to choose from. When you make your choice, we hope you will consider your guides’ commitment to the communities where they work.
