KE Adventure

KE clients come in all shapes, sizes and ages and from all walks of life! Taking a popular trek such as Nepal's Everest Panorama as an example, we would not be surprised to find an age range from 20 to 80, with a reasonable mix of male and female travellers. Around half of our clients in a typical group will be solo travellers, with the others being couples or groups of friends.

No you can't. Our minimum age on a regular KE trip (not a Family Adventure or a Private Group) is 16 at the time of travel and anyone under the age of 18 at the time of travel must be accompanied by an adult.

If you would like to travel with your family, we'd suggest you look at the fantastic range of specific Family Adventures that we offer.  Alternatively we would be happy to advise on a suitable private trip itinerary for you.

In theory, yes you can. There is no upper age limit on any of our trips, although we do require those over the age of 70 to send a letter along with their booking to confirm that they fully understand the implications of the trip and that they are fit enough to participate fully.

Where possible we include everything except the cost of international flights within the Land Only trip price and many of our holidays are fully inclusive.

All of our holidays include the following services, as described on our website and detailed in our trip dossiers: internal flights (where appropriate), land transport, accommodation, meals (as specified), leaders and support staff. International flights are also included if you have chosen to book a Land Only Package plus Flights.

WHAT THE PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE

Cost of visas, vaccinations, tips for porters, guides and other staff, bar bills, hotel refreshments, laundry, telephone calls, souvenirs, meals other than those specified in the relevant trip dossier, entrance charges to some historical sites, certain national park and peak fees - as highlighted in this brochure, travel insurance, personal clothing and equipment, foreign airport taxes, excess baggage charges.

All transport during the trip is included, whether private or public, including internal flights, road transport and transfers as per the itinerary. (Please note that airport transfers at the beginning and end of a trip may not be included in the Land Only price, and in some cases domestic flights are charged separately - see trip dossier for details).

In some countries (for example in India) the price of domestic return flights can vary in price depending on the airline used and on the time of booking. Generally, the sooner we can book these flights, the lower the ticket cost. To allow us to pay for these flights as soon as the trip is guaranteed, we will take an additional payment from you at the time of booking. When we pay for them, we will add the cost of these flights to your trip invoice. Any savings will be credited to your trip balance. 

The standard of accommodation we use can vary from excellent 4-Star hotels to basic high mountain refuges. We always try to choose comfortable accommodation with local character, although in some areas this may not meet Western standards and in gites or mountain huts only dormitory accommodation may be available. This is all part of the experience of an adventure holiday and a flexible approach is required. Where hotel accommodation is provided, this is based on twin occupancy. If you book on your own (and half of our clients do) we will arrange for you to share with a person of the same gender. When camping, for the majority of our trips we supply spacious 2-man tents with sewn-in groundsheets. A mess tent, cook's tent, toilet tent, plates, cutlery etc. are all provided. On climbing trips that require high camps, up to 3 people may on occasion be required to share a lightweight mountain tent.

You will only be charged a single supplement if you specifically request a single room. Where operationally possible we are happy to provide a quote for single hotel rooms. Single tents can usually be arranged more readily, but please check the specific trip dossier for information on availability and costs. Please note that on climbing trips single tents will not be available at high camps.

Wherever practical, all meals are provided within the trip price. However, there is no set rule and in most South American countries, for example, you will need to pay for lunches and dinners when staying in major towns. Each trip description in this brochure gives an indication of the meals you may need to buy and more information can be found in the trip dossiers.

All KE groups are accompanied by a professional leader or a local guide selected on the basis of his or her experience and leadership skills. There will also be a local crew of drivers, cooks, porters and other appropriate staff.  We only appoint leaders who have consistently demonstrated that they can meet the high standards expected by us and by our clients. Some climbing trips will have 2 or more leaders, depending on group size.

We offer both single hotel rooms and single tents for a supplementary cost (depending on availability) for most of our trips. Details of availability and prices can be found on the dates and prices page of each trip on this website. Alternatively, call the KE office for more information.

Whilst we routinely cater for vegetarians, we cannot provide special diets. We suggest that you contact our office to discuss your dietary requirements; it is possible to accommodate certain dietary requirements in some places, but there are many trips where this is not possible at all. Note that we cannot provide separate menus and cannot accept any liability for any problems arising from special dietary requirements or intolerances.

Ever since we ran our first trip in 1984, we have been committed to operating in a responsible manner. We recognise the fragility of the world's wilderness environments and minimise our environmental impact by keeping our groups small and operating according to a ‘Mountain Code', that is provided to all groups, trek leaders, agents and staff. We make sure that our local staff are well treated and well paid, we respect indigenous cultures, take care to protect the environment of the places we visit and take every opportunity to make a positive contribution wherever we travel.

The KE Mountain Code

PROTECT the environment - its flora, fauna and landscapes RESPECT local cultures - traditions, religions and built heritage BENEFIT local communities - both economically and socially CONSERVE natural resources - from office to destination MINIMISE pollution - through noise, waste disposal and congestion

It is also important to us that our clients are not the only beneficiaries of the travel experience, but that we share a two-way relationship with the areas that we visit. Our association with the Juniper Trust is a big part of this - allowing us to make a positive contribution in many parts of the world.

The development of the world wide web over the last 10 years has made booking flights online a very simple process.  This could be a trans-Pacific flight for a US passenger travelling to South-East Asia, or a short-haul flight to any one of a number of European destinations for a passenger from the UK.

For some destinations, low cost carriers offer the best deals for flight prices. Some of these airlines do not work directly with tour operators so we think it makes better sense for our clients to book a Land Only package with KE and then book flights directly with the airline - that way you get the best deal on price!

For other destinations, KE are able to offer competitive quotes for flights and we will be happy to talk to you about your preferred departure airport, airline, routing and budget to find the best flight deal for you. Buying your tickets through KE as part of a Land Only Plus Flights package mean that you will have full financial protection, thanks to our ATOL bonding.

Note that we can usually only offer the Land Only Plus Flights package to our clients who live in the UK.  If you are travelling from outside the UK, it will make better sense for you to book a Land Only package and arrange your own flights either directly with the airline or via a local travel agent. We are happy to give advice on which flight schedules fit best with our trip itineraries and information on suitable flights is available in all of our trip dossiers.

If you do choose to book a Land Only Package, you should be aware that most of the cheaper airline tickets purchased online are non-refundable so we would advise that you read any terms and conditions related to your ticket purchase carefully. If you are making your own flight arrangements you must check that your holiday has reached the minimum numbers required and is 'Guaranteed to Run' BEFORE paying for your air tickets.  The trip status is shown on our website or you can check it by contacting our office.

ADT stands for adult and is a code used by airlines to denote the status of the person travelling and in some cases the basis on which the airfare has been calculated.

Airlines do not require middle names for tickets, only your first name and surname.  Note that the names must be as on your passport so if you are normally referred to by your middle name, you should still give your first name to us (or any airline) when booking airtickets.

Travelling with a bike is usually as straightforward as travelling with any other type of baggage - providing you have packed it adequately. We have many years experience of travelling with our bikes, and nowadays we think that the best way to travel and fly with a bike is to partially dismantle it and put it into a purpose made soft bike bag. Although more expensive than a cardboard bike box, they are smaller in size to transport and are considerably easier to handle. PLEASE DO NOT USE a purpose-made rigid bike box - these are heavy (which can put you over your baggage allowance) and are also too bulky to be easily stored or transported on the group's support vehicle.

To pack your bike you simply remove both wheels and pedals and prepare it for travel as follows. Obviously, extra care when packing your bike can minimise the chances of accidental damage occurring in transit. Ask your local bike store for plastic wheel hub protectors (which will prevent damage to your bike bag) and plastic fork and frame spacers, insert the spacers into the dropouts, tape them in place and then put extra padding over this area. Use pipe insulation lagging (from your local DIY store) to cover frame tubes, forks and seat post. If required, remove your bars from the stem and attach them carefully to your frame/forks using plastic ties or pvc tape - ensure that your Ergo/Sti levers are well padded to minimise the chance of damage. You may also wish to remove your rear gear mech, pad it with foam and tape it to the chainstay out of harms way. Finally partly deflate your tyres, leaving some air in them to help absorb any impact on the wheels. Don't forget to pack wheel skewers, pedals and any bolts you have removed, these are the items that tend to get left behind. Finally, find an old cardboard bike box and cut out panels to fit inside your soft bike bag for extra protection. You may also wish to wrap and tape pipe insulation material over your frame's tubes. Don't forget to bring enough packing materials to pack your bike on the way home.

If your baggage has been checked all the way through to Kathmandu then you do not need an Indian visa. However if you are collecting baggage and do not have a through flight then you will need an India Visa, even if you are not leaving the airport. Please see individual trips for visa information specific to the country, for example Everest Base Camp

You do need to have your travel through the US authorised. The US Visa Waiver Programme allows most visitors to take advantage of an online electronic travel authorisation process that must be completed before boarding a US bound aircraft. Go to the website of the US Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) at www.estauk-applications.co.uk for further details. If your nationality makes you ineligible to use the US Visa Waiver programm, you will need a visa.  Please contact your nearest US consulate for full details regarding the visa application process.

The B0, B1, B2, B3 boot grading system was introduced as a way of categorising outdoor footwear especially according to its suitability for use with crampons. It works as follows:

• B0 (Walking Boots) These boots are unsuitable for use with crampons.
• B1 (Hillwalking Boots) Suitable for the easiest winter conditions. Flexible walking crampons with a strap attachment (Crampon Grade C1) can be used for limited periods or in emergencies, for example when crossing a patch of snow or ice, rather than for a full day's walk using crampons.
• B2 (Mountaineering Boots) All boots within this range are compatible with articulated 'strap-on' crampons and some of them will also work with 'semi-step-in' crampons (with a combination of strapped front and step-in heel). These boots are intended for winter mountain walking or glacier traverses and their corresponding crampon grade is C2.
• B3 (Climbing and Mountaineering Boots) These boots have fully stiffened soles and can almost always be fitted with 'step-in' crampons (Crampon Grade C3). Including plastic double mountaineering boots, they are intended for high and cold climbs.

We give advice on mountaineering equipment in all of our trip dossiers, and publish an equipment list for each of our trips with further information.  If you are unsure of which footwear is required for your trip, we would suggest you call or email our office.  One of our sales staff will be pleased to give advice on suitable footwear.

You should take 2 items of luggage.

• The first of these is the KE trek bag that we provide and this will be your single item of check in luggage on all flights (unless you have a bike or skis). KE trek bags are big and strong and should be large enough to carry everything you need, even for a 4-week Himalayan adventure.
• Secondly, you should take a daysack or small rucksack, large enough to carry your camera, water-bottles, waterproof jacket and fleece jumper. For most trekking trips, a 30 litre daysack is large enough. You will carry this as hand luggage on all flights.

We would advise that you read the equipment lists on each trip on this website, for example the 'Equipment list for Coriscan Haute Route GR20 ' or the trip dossier (also downloadable from each trip on this website) carefully for more information on baggage and equipment required for your chosen trip.

Depending on the type of camera you have, we suggest taking a couple of spare batteries. This will probably be the lightest option, rather than carrying your charger and converter etc. Modern lithium batteries hold their charge well and can last for a two or three week trip, depending on usage of course.

On trek, you can minimise battery use by not viewing photos and by switching the camera off as much as possible. A compact solar charger or a power monkey could also be a good investment. In some mountain areas, eg the Khumbu (Everest region) in Nepal, there are opportunities to charge batteries (in lodges - for a small fee). Electrical power is not always guaranteed in Nepal. Voltage in Nepal is 230V, so you will need a voltage converter and plug adapter to use UK and US appliances.  However this is not the case in more remote valleys so we would always suggest taking spare batteries.

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