Whether you’ve booked a trip with us or have been following our activity and are planning a trek for the future, it’s likely that you’ve become familiar with a few of our friendly Yeti’s faces. We always try and remain as personal as we can and we pride ourselves in being very hands-on and engaged in our awesome EverTrekker community. However, running our trips around the world does expand beyond the team of Yetis based in the UK, and the amazing in-house teams that we work within each country are what we think makes our trips really special!

This does raise a question from time to time...

“Why do we use local guides in preference to leading the treks ourselves?”

It’s a good question. Wondering about who you’ll meet when you get off the plane is completely normal, and although some may think that seeing a familiar face can be comforting on a trip, we think that you’d be missing out by not having the support of a local guide.  All of our EverTrek trips are expertly guided and having the right guide can make or break your trip, especially as our trips are not exactly an all inclusive trip to Disneyland (as awesome as that is). When you take on any adventure travel experience, there is going to be an element of danger and you want to know that you're going to be well looked after when the going gets tough.

That's why travelling with a great guide is important, not just a good guide but a GREAT guide! Especially at high altitude. Guides are responsible for your safety, and a great guide will be able to maximise your enjoyment, let you experience every aspect of the trip and keep you safe, all without you even realising it. That's why EverTrek are proud to only use local guides and porters, as it's our strong belief that they do this better than anyone. 

Why?

Knowledge

Whether you’re trekking in the Himalayas, enjoying a safari, summiting a high mountain or walking around a local market - your guide is going to make or break your trip. By using local guides instead of hiring western guides, you get access to a wealth of knowledge and expertise that you cannot pick up by reading a book or even visiting a country a few times. A local guide will be able to show you how they live, how other cultures live and fully integrate you into the world you are exploring.

Support the Local Economy

We are proud of every guide, porter and support staff in the team that make these trips a reality. Without their help the vast majority of people would never be able to visit these amazing far-off regions of the world and achieve the trip of their dreams. Using their local expertise guarantees that the majority of your money goes straight to the people and places that deserve it, building employment opportunities, aiding the local economy and making a fantastic impact on their quality of life. 

Check out this short film on why we feel this is important 

Finally, here are some common questions that we're asked about these wonderful people:

Will my Guide speak English?
Your Guide will have a good to decent handle on English, however you must be understanding that it is not their first language. We can guarantee for 99% of our EverTrekkers, the Guides English will be miles better than your Nepalese/Tanzanian etc.!  ? We always recommend learning a few key words of the culture you're in - please & thank yous go a long way in building relationships!

Who do I contact if I need help before or on my trip?
All enquiries before your trek will be handled by the UK Yetis. Shortly before you depart for your trip you will receive an email with important trip information and part of this will contain emergency contact details for the in-country teams. You can contact them during your travel to alert them of any flight changes that will affect your airport transfers, and should you need them for anything important on the trek itself. Of course the UK yetis are always available and can be contacted through the normal means of email or phone.

Will the Guides always be with me? 
You will never be left to fend for yourselves on the mountains. A common fear is being able to keep up with your mountain-goat like guides, but rest assured they'll be recommending for you to trek slow for acclimatization, and will always have their eye on you. There tends to be someone at the back and the front to make sure your group stays together and on track.

How much should I tip the Guides & Porters?
A general guide to the average tips, is to think 10% of your trek cost. It is a personal preference of your Head Guide as to how they would prefer this to be divvied up - some are happy for you to hand them the total tips from your group and they will divide the moneys, others may prefer for your group to be responsible for dividing the money. If you decide to, or are advised to divide the tips, a general rule of thumb is to take the total and divide it 70% to 30%. You can pay tips in the local currency or US dollars.

So, that's why when you book with EverTrek you likely won't see Andy or Dave or any other western leader on your trip, trust me, it's for the best! Yes seeing a familiar face may be immediately comforting, but what you are missing out on is not worth the trade, and as I said during my Feb 2020 Kili trip, “the guides and staff who are waiting for you are not strangers, just friends you haven't met yet”.

Remember, we’re here to help with any query that pops into your mind - you can contact us by email - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., message us on social media, get in touch through our website or just give us a call.