Wandel- en klimreizen in Alpen en Himalaya
Based on authentic user experiences
Dennis Zomerhuis
6737 reviews
N/A
7 months ago
Island Peak trip with a gold star sherpa
Before I dive into a thorough review first some background information together with a friend I booked the Island Peak trip where we chose our own dates and decided not to be part of the group trekking to Everest Base Camp Let me start off with a recommendation I would advise everyone to book at least one if not a few days extra on top of the original itinerary due to potential weather issues at Lukla airport It seems global warming is also shifting the hiking season in the Himalayas since the weather mid-October was unusually foggy at the airport both in the week we were supposed to fly to Lukla as well as the day of our return to Kathmandu in the first week of November Both times the weather was bad and hundreds of passengers were stuck at airports some for days on end Luckily for us the Momo Trekking team jumped into action both times looking into alternatives and presenting us with the facts on the situation In our case the choice was quite simple either risk getting stuck at an alternative airport for days and miss our chance at summiting Island Peak or drive 17 hours due to the flood-damaged roads in several stages to Thamdanda from where we would be able to start our hike and potentially still be able to catch up to our original schedule The drive was exceptionally taxing and initially we made it clear that it would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience but when faced with the exact same scenario at Lukla on our return trip and now with a real possibility of missing our international flight the choice was made even faster this time Please note however that this time as well our sherpa guide had tried everything but people were starting to outbid the few remaining helicopter seats and the price per person had reached USD 1000 which was not worth it Another road trip of 17 hours but this time the road had improved in places making the ride not as tiring Both times the logistics of the ad hoc transportation and accommodation was arranged impeccably by the Momo Trekking team Something we definitely would not have been able to do ourselves Unfortunately due to personal health problems food poisoning in Kathmandu when we wandered on our own we were unable to proceed with the Island Peak course Nevertheless our sherpa guide offered us an alternative after climbing Kala Patthar and trekking to EBC we could go over Cho La pass and cross the Ngozumpa glacier to visit Gokyo Lake and take an alternative route back to Lukla enabling us to see more of the Himalayas Throughout the journey the places recommended for lunch or overnight stay were great Though after a long day trekking barely reaching the village upon sunset sometimes after as we were slow you really hoping the very first lodge to be yours but the team had arranged for accommodation further back in the village for a reason it would be quieter and cozier Personally I was surprised by the infrastructure as even as high as Gorak Shep 5 140 m you could use wi-fi Granted this luxury in the mountains doesn t come cheap Lastly and I cannot underline this enough the quality and enjoyment of our trip was elevated to exceptional heights due to our extraordinary sherpa guide Sonam Jangbu Sherpa without whom we would have missed out on so many things It was an absolute joy to listen to his local knowledge and experiences and I will miss his daily breakdown and planning sessions at the end of the day where he would ask us about our highs and our lows Jangbu would make things crystal-clear for us what the next day would bring Without his local connections I think our trip would have been very different A gold star sherpa guide in my opinion A shout-out also to our fourth team member Dhan Kumar Rai the porter who tirelessly carried our heavy duffel bags and additional gear Though his ability to communicate in English was limited he was always keen to try to listen and answer our questions If he wasn t walking far ahead Nepali porters are very fast he would always keep an eye out to make sure we were safe on the trail Despite the setbacks it turned out to be a very fulfilling trip with lots of experiences all thanks to our sherpa guide our porter and the Momo Trekking team My recommendation to the Momo Trekking team would be to focus further on international clientele living in the Netherlands or beyond
Yulia Zagretdinova
6737 reviews
N/A
7 months ago
Kala Patthar via EBC trek Cho La Pass Gokyo lake with the best guide
My friend and I took a trip with Momo Trekking in Oct - Nov 2024 From the moment we set foot in Kathmandu we were in the good hands of our trekking guide Jangbu Sonam Sherpa who met us at the airport and took us to the hotel The team communicated very quickly and efficiently between the Netherlands Nepal teams and our guide which was essential as all flights to Lukla were canceled due to weather conditions and we had to act fast Our guide clearly explained our options and together we quickly decided on the best course of action in this case a long off-road jeep drive and walking In the end we had to do this twice both to the mountains and back as the weather hadn t improved on our return Big shoutout to Jangbu who went above and beyond to secure jeeps for us which wasn t easy given the demand and the number of trekkers in the same situation as us The logistics of the entire trek were very well-organized and our guide was quick to adjust to the changes we made on the go such as choosing to go through Cho La Pass to Gokyo instead of Island Peak I was very satisfied with the accommodations booked for us during the trek and the food was great too Every evening Jangbu organized a briefing where we discussed what happened during the day and shared our highlights and low points He also reviewed the plan for the next day in detail showing on the map the route we d take where we d stop for lunch how many kilometers we d walk and what altitude we d gain This helped me personally feel more prepared for the day ahead We also learned a lot about the culture and people along the way thanks to Jangbu He didn t just want us to trek from A to B he wanted us to see We visited non-touristic villages like Khumjung the Hillary School s museum small but very informative and the Sagarmatha Next museum which was really cool Visiting a dog shelter in Namche was definitely one of the trip s highlights I d totally recommend everyone to visit and donate We spoke with tea house owners about their struggles and grew close to our small group of four It really felt like a team During the trek I never felt unsafe as either our trekking guide or our porter kept an eye on me the whole way We were always warned where to step stand or walk in case of mule yak processions coming toward or behind us We were also informed about the etiquette rules on the trail As a team we tried to be environmentally responsible For example we didn t buy water bottles except where Jangbu advised in Gorakshep We learned about the Bring Me Back trash initiative and wanted to participate but when we reached the checkpoint there were no trash bags left as other tourists had already taken them all so the initiative really works This trip wouldn t have been so successful without the brilliant team we had I don t know how we got so lucky to have Jangbu Sonam Sherpa as our guide and Dhan Kumar Rai as our porter They did everything possible to make this trip as smooth as possible despite the weather and health challenges we faced Their professionalism and care were exceptional and we felt very well cared for