Most tour designs attempt to cram in as many highlights as possible. They’re driven by the marketing team, who want to put the biggest number of highlights on the smallest ticket price. The result is itineraries that are squeezing in too much quantity, and squeezing out all the quality.

This is why we choose to “go slow”. We design the tour that *we* think is best, not what a marketing team thinks they can sell best. From cultural experiences to favourite hotels, we pick the best bits that make the journey most worthwhile.

Sure it means we appeal to a much smaller part of the market, but we only have a handful of departures each year anyway. If you want a quality experience with other people who care about the Himalayas, then we’d love for you to join us.

We do short walks

Most of the walks on our itineraries are between 1-3 hours, or 3-6kms. Some days we might do two walks instead of one, some days we’re sitting with monks in a gompa, and some days we’re riding in jeeps watching the scenery go by. Every day is different. But when we do go for a walk we’re taking our time to enjoy it, without being in a rush to finish it.

There are often options to extend a walk or go further for those who want more, and we always have extra guides on hand so we can make the daily plan a little more flexible for everyone. Gradients are mostly gentle on the routes we choose, and often the reward for completing a section is a delicious hot meal or a fresh pot of tea and biscuits.

The tour designs are focused on gentle and slow. It’s a holiday not a training session. Some sections are steep but short. For example, there’s a monastery in the Annapurna’s we visit that requires a 3kms walk across the valley, then 20 mins of slowly ascending a step track about 100m high. But we take it slow. We stop to catch our breath, and catch the view. We get there eventually, and it feels magnificent. Slowly slowly.

You can opt out

None of the walks are essential. When travelling between towns we have enough vehicle space for luggage and passengers alike. You can ride in the vehicle for a section, or stretch your legs instead. Some walks we plan so you can do the easy bit first, then jump on the bus and skip the harder section! Everything is optional.

If you want to have a day to yourself wandering around an ancient Himalayan village, instead of visiting a hilltop temple, then you should do exactly that. It’s your holiday. Sometimes the very best kind of “go slow” is sitting down with a view instead of walking through it. It’s all relative.

It’s all about slow

We plan the itinerary so you’re not rushing from town to town, hotel to hotel. Multiple nights in one place let’s you ease into the joy of that destination. We plan the walks so that you can take your time and not worry about being left behind. Even if you complete every single walk we plan for that trip, the key to enjoying them is being free to walk at a pace that suits you.

We’ve experience first hand ourselves what it’s like to recover from plantar fasciitis, and how easy it can be to slip and sprain an ankle. So many injuries are made worse by simply being in a rush. Even more so when you live in the city and most of your walking is done on concrete.

That’s why we design these trips so you can push yourself only as fast as you really need to. By taking it slow you give yourself a chance to enjoy some magnificent scenery, some great company and loads of delicious food. By taking it slow you get a chance to be your best.

– Ewen