There really aren’t adequate words in the English language to accurately describe this trip. Somewhere in the middle of the trip I realized how fortunate I was to have booked with Hobnail Trekking and to have Puru as the most amazing guide (based on stories other trekkers were sharing about their companies/guides). Puru greeted us everyday with a smile and unshakeable optimism. Our porter, Sukbir, was equally amazing and we were blessed to have them as our dynamic duo. The Nepalese people are truly special and some of the kindest, humble, generous and hard working people I have ever had the privilege of meeting. The Himalayan mountains are breathtaking and hiking under the towering peaks of Thamserku, Kantega, Kusum Kanguru, Ama Dablam, Lhotse, Nuptse, and Everest is humbling and centering. Though exhausted much of the time- I never felt more at rest. Gokyo Lakes was stunning- beautiful bright blue still waters underneath a cloudless blue sky. I met some amazing families who ran tea houses, had summited Everest, and trekkers from all over the world. We saw 16th century monasteries and hiked through what felt like rain forests. Base camp was a bustling blur of photo ops and celebration. I had the most amazing time- and I owe much of that to Hobnail and Puru for making it such a personal and memorable experience.

Everything on this trip was first class. Our guide, porter, city hosts, driver and everyone else were on top of all our needs and delivered impeccable service. The only negative was that I learned that in this computer age I had almost forgotten how to write in a journal. I’ll have fun trying to decipher my chicken scratching. Despite having a cold and sore throat, our porter, Sukbir pressed on each day. Diamox was very helpful getting us acclimated to the lack of oxygen. We felt our trip to Base Camp was saved due to our guide, Puru deciding that we could go a day early and cut a future long day in half. As it turned out, had we not made this modification we would have been hiking in snow/rain and probably wouldn’t have seen Everest. The day we reach Base Camp we had sun and a clear sky. When we needed to make a travel adjustment, Puru worked with his fellow associates and made things happen. We kept saying that Puru “….knows a guy who knows a guy!” Anytime we needed help or advice, Puru had our back. He literally put himself in between us and the yaks! Goyko was beautiful. The lake was like a mirror reflecting the sky and the mountains. I guess we’ll always be known as the inventors of the “Tengboche Two-Step”. Our final night’s dinner was fantastic and ended with Puru and Tshering singing a little Elvis. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone fit and open for the challenge. I can now say, bucket list item #1 completed!

Super Great Awesome Time from start to finish! Great guides, cook, porters, and crew. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone wanting to climb Kilimanjaro.

This was an amazing experience!! Hobnail Trekking made all the difference in every aspect. From pre-planning to returning home, they had it covered. I have recommended them to everyone I speak with about my trip experience. After speaking with other trekkers using other companies along the way, there is no doubt in my mind that Hobnail Trekking was the best company I could have chosen. If you're considering Hobnail for your Everest Trek, don't think twice; GO DO IT!!!!!

With good preparation especially practicing gaining 3000 feet in elevation, this is a moderate trek with some easy and some strenuous sections. Accommodations are very nice; private bathrooms for each bedroom, clean sheets, large rooms. Only at Doberdol do you need a sheet. And only there do you not have a private bathroom. But there are still hot showers.  The food is fresh and there is plenty of it. The water is completely safe to drink along the trek both from springs and in the hotels. There were a number of other trekkers along the route, but it never felt crowded. The hotel in Plav was the only one with road noise. Momir is a very good guide and wonderful host. He is easy to talk to and we very much enjoyed our week with him. This is an ideal trek for someone who wants challenging hiking during the day with wonderful views and scenery, but also it is very comfortable for overnight accommodations.  Of course, like with any trek, it helps to have a good attitude, not expect everything to be like it is here, and be able to be happy with all the good things and let anything else just go.  Loved the trek, thought the guides were great, and Hobnail was very responsive and nice about everything. Honestly, I can't say enough good things about this trek and Hobnail.