63 of Nepal's 77 districts. Ten years. Mostly by motorbike.

Every itinerary is built acclimatisation-first: rest days before the high points, no rushed ascents, and a turn-around rule the guide can call without argument. If someone becomes unwell we descend; evacuation, including a helicopter where needed, runs through the traveller's own insurer, which is why the insurance question below comes before anything else.

A policy that explicitly covers trekking at the altitudes on your route and mountain rescue, including helicopter evacuation. I ask for the policy details before departure and keep a copy with the guide, so that if a rescue is ever needed nobody is searching for paperwork.

Yes. Since April 2023 Nepal requires a guide plus a TIMS card in 14 trekking regions. Every trek I plan goes out with a local guide who is named to you before you book, and TIMS is issued through the official portal. Restricted areas such as Upper Mustang, Dolpo and Limi also need a permit from the Department of Immigration; I tell you the structure and who issues it, and never quote a figure I cannot verify.

Everything is agreed in writing before any money moves: the deposit method, when it is due, what it covers and what the receipt will say. Remote Karnali has no ATMs and patchy card acceptance, so I also tell you what to carry in cash and why. Nothing is paid to anyone on the trail that was not written down beforehand.

WhatsApp before the trip, with everything that matters repeated in writing. On the trek I tell you in advance where mobile coverage drops out, because coverage drops out for long stretches in Humla, Dolpo and Mugu; a satellite phone can be carried on request, and the guide has a check-in routine with me for the days without signal.

Mountain flights to Simikot, Juphal, Talcha and Jomsom are often delayed or cancelled by weather, so every itinerary carries buffer days and a stated rebooking policy that you see before booking. When the road or the weather closes a route, I say so plainly and offer the honest alternative rather than pushing on.

Clients ride in a hired vehicle with a driver, never pillion on a motorbike, and never on night buses. Where the road is as rough as the Karnali Highway or the Bheri Corridor I say how long the day really takes, and the schedule is built around daylight driving only.