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★ ★ ★ ★

Magnificent views!

Classic Tour du Mont Blanc

Another well organised tour by KE! The views did not disappoint as we traverse through France, Italy and Switzerland - you notice the changing landscapes as we cross the borders. The accommodation and food were excellent, particularly the home cooked meals at the Yeti Lodge where we had the pleasure of staying for 3 nights at Argentiere. Although there were 2 nights where we had to stay in dorms, the rooms were clean and equipped with all the facilities. Our guide Damien did an amazing job havin g to manage 12 people with varied fitness levels. This is a physically challenging hike with significant ascents and descents, so be prepared! I gave the walk a four star because I feel KE could've done better at the screening process, it was a bit disappointing having to walk a rather slow pace due to the varied fitness level in the group.

By Jenny from HURSTVILLE | 21 September 2022

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

An awesome way to explore the High Tatras

High Tatras Trekking - The Carpathian Mountains

Everything is well organised. The huts are more luxurious than I'd have expected. Bring good quality full waterproofs - there's always a chance of getting soaked!

By Ben from Woking | 21 September 2022

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Relentless, arduous and undulating but incredibly rewarding

K2 and Concordia

For something like 30 years I have dreamed about seeing K2 with my own eyes. Having read many of the epic mountaineering stories about K2 and the other peaks surrounding Concordia and the wider Karakoram, this region has always had a magnetic draw. Make no mistake though, just getting to Concordia for that final view up the Godwin Austin glacier to K2 feels like an expedition in its own right. There is a good reason for K2 being famed as one of the most remote 8000ers to reach! The luck of our l eader Bart was on our side. His 3rd trip of the season and no cancelled flights to Skardu. I was fortunate to bag a window seat on the right hand side of the plane and had awe inspiring views of Nanga Parbat. The pilot on the outbound flight gave us a running commentary for the whole flight and described every major peak and feature we could see. The landing at Skardu itself was amazing. After a night in Skardu and some time to see the town, we made our way by Jeep to Askole. This is proper off-road driving. The Balti drivers are highly skilled and if you do your best to relax, this is an exhilarating 6 hours of driving through some dramatic country. Day 5 is when the serious walking starts and you need to be prepared for some long hot days. Most of us improvised buffs to cover our entire heads and necks and some even brought umbrellas. Shade is rare and you will need to take on plenty of fluid. When you finally mount the snout of the Boltaro this is when the ground underfoot changes drastically. The only possibly training for this would be to spend 6 to 7 hours a day walking across the overburden piles of a welsh slate mine. You are effectively walking over undulating dunes of shattered rock, sitting over ice, for hour after hour. This is also when the Balti guides (like our wonderful Kareem) come into their own. The route is never that clear but somehow after hours of zig zagging through this nightly tumbling glacier you reach your next camp. Often with a wonderful lunch prepared half way by the excellent porters. It is an arduous journey to Concordia and you need to be lucky with the weather. We met few other groups on our trek, which by the way really adds to the experience of it being a remote journey, but those that we did weren't always so lucky with the weather. For our first 10 days we had stunning views and blue skies. The other advantage of going later in the season (September) was that we literally had most of the camp sites to ourselves.There are stories of them being quite crowded in July and August. The downside, if there was any, is that by this late in the season, the climbing expeditions from K2 and Broad Peak have packed up and gone home - which brings us to the 'rest day' at Concordia. This is where you have an option on the trek to either spend this day resting at Concordia to enjoy the truly magnificent situation OR trek to K2 and Broad Peak base camps. So here's the facts - if you take the latter option, it will be hard! You have about 12 hours of light if you set off at first light. You will spend at least 2 hours getting through the glacier at Concordia to pick up the route alongside the Godwin Austin. Here the ground underfoot probably becomes the most difficult of the trek. And once you finally get to the base camps, what is actually there? As I said before if you're late in the season they will be vacant and no more than rocks and stones and maybe a signpost to mark the camp. So ask yourself whether you want to do 12 hours hard walking to get just that bit closer to K2 and Broad Peak? Some felt it was worth it as when else can you 'bag' and 8000er base camp? So the 'rest day' is a bit of a misnomer. Once you're at Concordia most will feel the pull to the base camps so there isn't really an option to rest. And remember, the next few days you will be descending the Boltaro in half the time you ascended it so be prepared for some long tough days. KE have some options here to make the trips to the base camps more viable - they could extend the time at Concordia by 1 or 2 days, making the overall trip length 20 or 21 days. And a word on the trip grading. Having done Grade 8 trips elsewhere, the overall trip in my view should be graded as a 9 and if the base camp option is taken then it should be a 10 overall. This is a true adventure trek and cannot be compared to the base camp treks of Everest and Annapurna. It is highly rewarding and I had the bonus of usefully losing about 8 kilos in weight (not through illness but effort!). Finally, your luck will have truly held if you get Bart Jordans as you trip leader - what a guy, the consummate professional (and he can sing!!).

By Andrew from Peterborough | 21 September 2022

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Dana to Petra exceeded expectations.

Jordan's Dana to Petra Trek

The Dana to Petra trek is, rightfully, a well-regarded classic and one of the foremost trails of the Middle East region. The KE grading of the trek; (a fairly easy 5), is accurate as there is no significant altitude involved here and no day where the distance covered exceeds 8 - 10 miles, or where large elevation gains of more than 800 - 1000 Meters were made. The group support, especially the hot food prepared in the evenings, was universally excellent and actually the best that I have ever enc ountered - really tasty, authentic to the regional cuisine and very plentiful. Murad, the lead guide, was outstanding. He was highly knowledgable about the history of the region and the many archeological sites along the way as well as professional, faultlessly generous and very, very funny. The facilities provided; tents, loo tent and mess tent etc, were overall of a decent standard - although, the zips on the tents could be problematical due to the dusty environment. But this was however only a minor complaint and an easy fix. The trek itself greatly exceeded all expectations with truly awe-inspiring scenery and views. The various canyons that we encountered along the course of the trek were spectacularly beautiful, with Petra itself rightly deserving of its place as one of the new ' Seven Wonders of the World'. Amazing !!! I would really recommend anyone taking this trip to pack warm clothing for the surprisingly cold evenings in the desert, preferably a good mid-weight down jacket and plenty of layers. Some of our group did not and really regretted it every day when the sun went down. 5/5

By David from Bolton | 21 September 2022

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Stunning scenery, fabulous walking and vegan and vegetarian friendly!

Trekking the Ridges & Summits of Bulgaria

Some trips exceed expectations, and this one most certainly did! My first trip with KE and I can thoroughly recommend it. It was a full-on packed agenda for the week, strenuous walking with lots of scrambling, traversing across boulder fields and the fantastic marble ridge! The scenery was absolutely stunning, it really is a beautiful country. Our guide, Rossen, was great and made sure I was well catered for with tofu, vegan cheese, vegan bars and chocolate for the packed lunches. He even made u s a wild mushroom risotto for dinner using wild mushrooms foraged from the woods. The 2 day trip with an overnight stop in the mountain hut is well worth it, it's lovely to see the sun setting and have a few beers by the lake (bring beer money). A most fabulous trip with lots of great memories, highly recommend it.

By Julia from Chesterfield | 20 September 2022

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Stunning scenery

Classic Tour du Mont Blanc

This is an amazing 10 days trip walking through France, Italy and Switzerland, around Mount Blanc. The scenery is breathtaking but you do need to be fit, as you have some very hard days with plenty of ascent and descent, I was part of a great group, but a few of the group found it harder than they had expected. Our guide Damien was very knowledgeable and patient with a good sense of humour. The food and hotels where all good but you may have a few nights sharing in mixed sex dormitories, dependi ng on hotel availability, however, we did know this before we began. Some tips……take walking poles and learn to walk with them beforehand if you have not used them before and plenty of snacks. However, we were able to buy provisions for lunch most days and the hotels did offer packed lunches, the bakery in Argentiere has to be visited !! We were really lucky with the weather and had 10 dry, warm days which really helped as a couple of the days were really long with some hard ascent, involving ladders. I highly recommend this holiday and I had a great 10 days but be prepared and make sure your fit enough. Now deciding what trip,to,book next !!!!!

By Rosemary from Banbury | 20 September 2022

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Challenging 10 day Journey!

Classic Tour du Mont Blanc

Excellent journey around Mont Blanc. It was interesting to watch how the scenery changed as we made our way around. I thought that the itinerary worked very well with the best views at the end of trip.. The hotels were generally good and mainly on the route which meant little transport at the beginning or end of day. We spent the first and last 3 nights at the Yeti Lodge in Argentiere which I thought worked really well. The dinners there were really good with loads of vegetables. The other meals were a mix of hotel and a few nights out which was also good. Our guide Damien was also very good. Had done the loop several times this season and was excellent company. We were extremely fortunate with the weather, no rain for 10 days (Sept). Some chilly mornings but generally good walking weather. The "Is this holiday for you?" section says 'The average distance covered each day is around 17 kilometres and there is a fair amount of ascent and descent. However, the pace of the walking is steady and regular hill walkers will find this trek to be well within their capabilities'. This is all true but keep in mind the holiday averages about 1,000m of ascent a day so the 10 days are challenging so be ready. The paths were generally good but some are rockier than others.

By William from Banbury | 19 September 2022

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

A great experience travelling through the Baltic Countries

Baltic Trails Adventure

After a few false starts courtesy of Covid this was our first trip travelling with KE and we were extremely satisfied both with the content and delivery of the holiday. It always helps if the weather is kind and we generally enjoyed consistently warm days with clear blue skies which was a bonus in early September Secondly our guide Valdis, also leading his first KE journey was an absolute gem. He was fun, knowledgable about all the countries, their politics and history as well as highly competen t on the nature trails, city walking tours and individual sites. We were just a small number and he quickly became an integral part of the group adding additional activities during free times and recommending good places to eat often coming along with us. We couldn't have asked for a better introduction to the Baltic countries We felt the balance on our tour was exactly as expected and hoped for, with a good mix of city culture, nature trails, coast and visits to other sites of interest. The amount of walking was fine considering the trip covered quite a distance and thus time was limited for major hikes. The 12km bog / forest trail in Estonia was a particular highlight but if you want a proper hiking holiday look elsewhere Overall we can find little to fault with our experience and enjoyed travelling through the Baltic countries courtesy of KE. Highly recommended

By Barry from Southampton | 18 September 2022

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

A fantastic opportunity to experience the ridges and summits of Bulgaria

Trekking the Ridges & Summits of Bulgaria

An excellent trip which worked smoothly from start to finish. From airport pick-up to drop-off everything worked like clockwork - thanks to Ivo our guide who had superb knowledge both of local history and the particular mountain environments that we were visiting. Great variety of walks, remote lakes, fungus filled forests, airy ridges and high peaks combined to make this a memorable week. The ascent of the Marble Ridge using via ferrata kit was the high point of a most enjoyable week.

By Gillian from YORK | 15 September 2022

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

A classic walk - in just one week

Best of Mont Blanc to the Matterhorn

Think of the Swiss Alps and images such as high peaks, glaciers and chocolate-box wooden chalets with bountiful floral displays all come to mind. Add to this the evocative ringing of bells as the local cows peacefully graze green pastures, and you will gain some idea of the sights and sounds of this trip. Yes, there are some steep, zig-zag paths, and even the odd section of boulder-hopping as you head towards the next col. It may only seem a slight notch in the ridge as you start to gain height at the beginning of the day, but that’s all part of the challenge of walking in the Alps. With paths leading through forests, alongside milky-blue glacial lakes and amongst carpets of wild flowers, the changing scenery maintains interest throughout this trip. And yes, we even found a patch of edelweiss! Our guide Tom was a mine of information as we journeyed along. His extensive knowledge and experience of the route really enhanced our trip, and it was interesting (and thought-provoking) to hear how much glacial retreat had occurred in just the past few years … Charming hotels, a mountain hut and great food all added to the experience. Being able to walk with a minimal backpack from Argentiere to Zermatt in just one week (with some assistance from a few cable cars and taxis) was a real treat. A well-planned, compact trip with so many great memories. Top tips? As suggested in the trip notes, it’s well worth bringing walking poles. However, if you’re not used to these, do try them out on a longish walk beforehand, as I find I need to wear light gloves to reduce rubbing on my hands. Bring extra snacks to supplement packed lunches. And get as fit as you can before the trip … there are some long ascents along the way!

By Heather from AVIEMORE | 14 September 2022

Chamonix to Zermatt 2022

Mont Blanc to the Matterhorn

By Jonathan from Fraserburgh | 14 September 2022

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Stunning Julian Alps and excellent V4M

Across the Julian Alps to Triglav

Incredible scenery, wonderful food (and Slovenian wine). Two excellent guides for a group of twelve, and very good back up from local operator. Sadly the majority of the group were more interested in peak bagging than people with a real love of mountains. None of them spotted for each other, unless friends pre trip. My tips are to include industrial strength waterproofs, try the thermal spas/nude saunas for achy muscles and not to expect a group ethic (except from the guides).

By Eleanor from Woking | 10 September 2022

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Trek among spectacular peaks and overnight in remote mountain hamlets

The Ecrins Circuit - GR54

Make no mistake, this trek is physically demanding; however, the rewards are therefore all the greater. From the views of cascades falling from hanging glaciers, to the sense of achievement in reaching that seemingly insurmountable col, each day delivers memorable experiences. The trek also provides an insight into the traditional rural life among high alpine pastures, with their flocks of sheep guarded by imposing Patou dogs and deep valleys with their picturesque hamlets. Guided by Marylène, an outstanding professional, each individual's needs were considered and overall the group benefitted from her cheerful manner, local knowledge and impeccable planning. Comfortable walking boots or approach shoes and lightweight but dependable rucksack and clothing were essential, while trekking poles helped with steep descents. We enjoyed delicious and filling meals in simple but comfortable refuges and gites, supplemented by memorable picnic lunches of locally supplied food surrounded by panoramic mountain views. Overall, this was a superb trek that inspired future visits to this stunning region of France.

By Adam from Mamer | 10 September 2022

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Amazing holiday in the wilds of sweden

Swedish Wilderness Family Adventure Holiday

Fantastic hosts, breath taking scenery, foraging, fishing, canoeing and superb food and company. Our family of five (M,D + 7,10,12 y/o) had an amazing week up in Swedish lapland. The children loved the activities and being with the Huskies. Thanks to Charlotte and Matts our hosts and Barbara our wilderness guide for the week. Take our advice - push your return flights back a week (KE Adventure booked flight to suit us) and stay another week even further north near Abisko national park.

By Michael from Wirral | 06 September 2022

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

A genuine five star adventure in a very beautiful part of the world

Mentok Kangri

The key to this trip was acclimatisation; three nights in the (excellent) hotel in Leh (at 3,500 m - views of Stok Kangri from the bed), followed by a ten day approach to base camp, fitted the bill. The approach trek was always interesting, even when raining. Tent excellent (a single tent definitely worth the extra). Food excellent - and importantly, plenty of it - everything from curries to pizza to an amazing facsimile of a Scotch egg. Always fantastic flat breads. Even a celebratory cake. Pan cakes and eggs for a typical breakfast. And/or porridge. We even (thanks to Rigzin, our guide) had, on occasion, real espresso coffee...(half a litre of espresso and a boiled egg were just the thing for a successful summit). After four days at base camp - blessed with perfect weather - and two 6000 metre summits in the bag, we descend down to Karzok, on the shores of the Tso Moriri, and a final night's camping. We are a day ahead of schedule and Rigzin goes the extra mile to bring forward our transport to Leh by a day (no easy thing, involving him having to get a phone signal - half way up another mountain). After an exciting eight hour drive following the Indus, mostly spent overtaking the Indian army's entire Northern Command's mechanized infantry, we reach Leh. The extra day here giving time to enjoy Yama Coffee House, postcard writing etc, and to pack for the flight to Delhi. A massive thanks to Rigzin Tsewang - in short, he made sure that each member of the group got absolutely the best possible experience from the trip.

By Peter from Stevenage | 03 September 2022

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Fantastic trek in the Italian Alps

Italian Summit Climber

We were very lucky with the weather and had a fantastic week trekking in Monte Rosa area. The guide was fantastic and knowledgeable and safety was paramount at all times. We managed to do 5 of the 7 summits. The huts were good and the food was excellent. "Sleeping "in Margerita hut is an experience it will be difficult to forget! You definitely feel the altitude! Ibuprofen and paracetamol helps a lot! and drinking plenty of fluids at that altitude! Early starts for the glacier days make sense. C ompleting the last summit Zumsteinspitze in the dark when the sun was rising was just magical! The trekking days are not too long in hours but you definitely need to be fit as you feel the altitude. I would suggest for KE not to include the peak Como Nero in the plan as that peak is difficult to achieve when the guide ratio is 1:4. Rappelling down by the guide is needed and no guide will be keen to leave the clients at the bottom in a long wait for all of the clients to achieve it at 4000 mtrs. Apart from that the trip was well organised and we had a wonderful time. Be aware you need to buy water and lunches up in the huts, and if you also fancy a coffee or a beer and cake with it it will be around 20-30 euros per lunch per day! Turin airport is much closer than Milan airport and from there you can take a train ( some of them are direct) to Pont Saint Martin where you can get a bus up the valley to Staffal. From Turin Airport get the shuttle bus to Turin centre ( Porta SuSa station for 8 euros and then the train to Pont Saint Martin for around 7 euros) Alternative, check renting a car for the trip, as it looks like is not that expensive and much more comfortable! one of the group members did that and worked well for him!

By Irene from Aviemore | 03 September 2022

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

A wonderful week (mostly) above the clouds

Traverse of the Picos de Europa

A wonderful area, very dramatic and beautiful. Our guide Rosana was excellent - knowledgeable, extremely professional and fantastic company. We were lucky to spend several days above the clouds, which only added to the sense of peace and isolation you feel in the high Picos. Highly recommended.

By Keith from London | 01 September 2022

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Anything But Accursed... Simply Amazing

Walking in the Balkan Borderlands

I have travelled with KE on several trips before - all wonderful, and have also had a couple booked I was really looking forward to, but which were cancelled for reasons well beyond KE's control. I think it takes three things to really make a trip for me: rich history and landscape, with beauty and physical challenge; good company; and a great guide, who can enable (and explain) things you just couldn't access that easily on your own. This time we had all three in spades. As an historian, seeing KFOR still guarding ancient monasteries, and staying with those who'd witnessed the war up close and personal in the Rugova mountains was... well, I don't really know the word... Moving? Privileged? Definitely an honour. In the remoter parts of Kosovo and Albania particularly, we met such welcoming people, all so clearly proud to share the delights of their countries with us. Then there was the company of my fellow walkers: I could hardly put one foot in front of the other some days I was laughing so hard. Like-minded people, up for discussion of all sorts, and equally alive to the alpine flowers, butterflies, shepherd dogs, and the joy of pivo at the end of a long, hot day's hiking. The group looked out for each other and the chat was constant, by equal measures hilarious, uplifting and stimulating. Finally, our guide, Niti. After about 24 hours I realised that his 'gentleman' act (only two of us were women), carrying my bag door to door for every move, was because he'd actually read the trip notes, where I'd briefly mentioned a back problem from last October. I don't know why I was so surprised that he'd read the detail in the notes, but beyond this Niti was also very discrete as to why and how he was looking out for me; so much so that the others had no idea whither the princess treatment - their attempts to become equally favoured evolving into another beautiful ongoing joke, given their sheer futility. There was a point descending into Albania where the sight of a monster truck transport (an Austrian Steyr-Puch Pinzgauer, I think) made me fear my back was in all probability toast. However, I was quietly offered the option of being ushered upfront, to continue my regal progress in upholstered heaven... Indeed, Niti looked after all of us, keeping a group of varying abilities together rather like an indefatigable collie, no doubt hiking twice if not three times the distance in the process. He even carried our daysacks himself, if needed. He also knew all our hosts and directors of museums, churches, archeological digs, national parks, cheese makers and blueberry pickers - whoever could enrich the trip, we seemed to meet them. On top of this, Niti has a fantastic sense of humour 24/7, which is everything when the peaks and sun are high. The Accursed Mountains are simply amongst some of the most beautiful places I've seen, and I couldn't have wished to witness it with a better crew or guide. I still miss them - it was so packed with vistas and experiences it felt like a month rather than a week. Thank you KE, The Republics of Yorkshire and Lancashire, and Arianit Mula.

By Joanna from Cheltenham | 31 August 2022

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

An exciting wildlife experience in fantastic scenery

Wild Costa Rica and Panama

The trip certainly exceeded expectations. It is a full itinerary but the travel orgainsation was well managed it went like clockwork, which really added to the enjoyment. We saw so much wildlife on the tours through the national parks either on foot or by boat. On the water in the boats we saw crocodiles (relatively small thank goodness), monkeys, all manner of birds (Osprey, hawks, vultures, herons, toucans, to name just a small selection), as well as hump back whales and dolphins, which swan u nder the boat. There were a couple of snorkeling trips, which again provided a good chance to see a huge variety of species including rays and a nurse shark. The land based walks took us through both jungle and rain forest with such fantastic plants and trees, plus a few thing that you would need to keep your hands away from! There is a range of accommodation which is just right for the trip - small hotels / lodges / bungalows - with everything you needed. Our guide Gabriel was an absolute star. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of the animals, birds and plants and oozed enthusiasm for them all. He was able to spot things high up in the trees that we would have all missed. As such he was able to pick out so many creatures and provide a good explanation about each of them. For the meals out, he always had a good recommendation and took us to some great local restaurants serving local foods. Overall it was a very interesting tour with the contrast between the wildlife and then the Panama Canal and Panama City at the end. We certainly enjoyed the zip lines through the rain forest and the photos taken by the zip line staff certainly showed a range of expressions on people's faces!