About us - frequently asked questions

Who are you dealing with?

(And yes, this section is finally going thru a long overdue update!)

Who/what is Project Himalaya?

Basically Project Himalaya is Jamie McGuinness, Joel Schone and Kim Bannister. We organize and/or run things ourselves where appropriate and with good local companies for more logistically challenging trips. Project Himalaya is an internet-based business, we live much of the year in Nepal-India and each spends around 6 months a year in the mountains.

Our business model is lean and clean; we are beyond paperless - we are officeless, only a laptop each. The trip leader is responsible for the trip as a whole, including the web pages, email, organizing and leading. This means virtually all of your money goes directly on our ground operation and the staff. Jamie handles the marketing, web design and maintenance and Tibet fixed departure operations.

Jamie started leading his own treks in the mid 1990's and started the website in 1997, Joel started advertizing trips from 1999 and Kim in 2002, so we have long history. Truly trekking is our passion and lifestyle.

Are we a company?

No. The New Zealand Inland Revenue service kindly suggested that if Jamie is based out of NZ and satisfied certain criteria then we won't have to pay any NZ tax. We have done this. The only problem is, as a foreigner, in practice it isn't possible to set up a trekking company in Nepal or India.

How are clients protected legally?

Basically you are relying on our honesty - and you can. Many of our clients are generated by word of mouth and repeat business.

Booking from NZ you are protected in that I am a New Zealand citizen and even if we operate overseas it is possible to sue someone for breach of contract etc, and judges use fairness as a yardstick.  New Zealand has strong reciprocal rights with Australia.

In Nepal the rights of tourists and foreigners is dubious at best. However all organized treks must be organized thru a Nepali trekking agency and here you have a small degree of protection. In India, I am not sure.

Can I contact some previous clients?

Sure. We have a list of clients who have given their permission for us to handout their contact details occasionally. Email us with your appropriate contact details, your area of interest (climbing/trekking/which region...) and this will help us to recommend the most appropriate people to contact.

What are our REAL specialties?

The treks and trek-climbs that we have run many times previously are:

+ Zanskar and Ladakh treks, trek-climbs and exploration

+ teahouse trekking in the Everest region

+ Kangchenjunga region treks, trek-climbs and exploration

+ Manaslu Circuit

+ Nar Phu

+ Sikkim and Nanda Devi

+ real exploratory treks and exploratory 6000m peak climbs

+ Tibet trips, especially Kailash and Lhasa-Everest BC-Kathmandu overland

+ 8000m expeditions in Tibet

Why book with us?

+ We are some of the most knowledgeable trekking guides in Nepal-India and try harder than almost anyone to make sure you have the best experience

+ NO other outfits run exploratory trips like we do, these are real pioneering efforts

+ no other company runs Ladakh and Zanskar as well as we do

+ We will be totally honest with you

+ we enjoy what we are doing!

Glorious 2001 memories, Lobsang, Tenpa. Sherap and Punchok still work with us, Kim now guides,
Lucas is still in touch and we wish John was

jdesign -- all rights reserved --  2008