Every trek we run comes in three comfort settings: Lean, Standard and Premium. They differ in what makes the days and nights more comfortable: tents and sleeping kit, meals, rooms, vehicles and the size of the support crew. They don't differ in safety. The trip leader, the medical kit, the daily oxygen checks and the way we pace altitude are the same in all three.
So the question isn't "how safe do I want to be?" It is "how comfortable do I want to be, and what is it worth to me?"
Below are our typical comfort arrangements; your quote shows which apply to your route. Safety, and the equipment your route needs, are the same in every tier.
What never changes
Before the differences, the part that stays fixed. On every trip, in every tier:
- your own private team, with a trip leader on every trip and a local route guide on every trek;
- a high-altitude medical kit;
- oxygen saturation measured every day on trek;
- guides and leaders with sound knowledge of high-altitude physiology, emergency medicine and protocols;
- your health, wellbeing and emergency information collected before the trek;
- the safety gear the route demands, whatever tier you choose;
- transfers and permits arranged by us, confirmed in your quote;
- acclimatisation built into the itinerary, never rushed.
Our guide ratios are 1:2 on every Challenging and Challenging+ trek and every summit above 6,000 m, in every comfort setting; otherwise 1:6 Lean, 1:4 Standard, 1:3 Premium. You can read the full picture in our Max Safety Assurance Protocol.
Lean: everything a safe, well-run trip needs
Lean is a complete private trip without the extras. You get your own team with a local route guide for every six guests, two-person all-season tents, foam mattresses and sleeping bags matched to the route and season, vegetarian and egg meals, economy vehicles, and hotels comparable to three-star.
Lean suits people who care about the mountains more than the camp, and anyone who would rather spend on an extra acclimatisation day than a softer mattress. It is the same trek, the same route and the same safety. The team just works a little harder with a little less around them.
Standard: more comfort, more hands
Standard gives you everything in Lean, plus a route guide for every four guests and a camp helper. Included meals add chicken or meat and a wider menu. In camp there are chairs and a hot-water dispenser, and the mats are thicker. Rooms are twin-share where available, in hotels comparable to four-star, and the vehicles are roomier: Ertiga, Xylo or similar.
Standard suits couples, families and anyone on a longer trek, where small comforts add up over the days: a proper chair at dinner, hot water on tap, a better night's sleep.
Premium: our best comfort, where the route allows
Premium gives you everything in Standard, plus a route guide for every three guests and at least two kitchen helpers. It has our best sleeping comfort and the widest menu, Innova-class vehicles, five-star hotels where available, and the best rooms on the route, with extra warmth where we can arrange it.
On some routes, Premium can include luxury stays and higher-end expedition support. On others, the mountains decide what's possible: there is no five-star hotel at a high camp. We will always tell you what Premium means on your route, not promise the same everywhere. What it never does is take you away from the real mountains. It's the same raw Himalayas, with more looking after you.
Premium suits guests who want the best available rooms and sleep on their route, so that all their energy goes into the walking.
A quick comparison
| Lean | Standard | Premium |
|---|
| Route guiding on other treks | 1 per 6 guests | 1 per 4 guests | 1 per 3 guests |
| Camp support (camping trips) | Core crew | Plus a camp helper | Plus at least two kitchen helpers |
| Sleeping | Two-person all-season tents, foam mattress, sleeping bag for the route and season | Thicker mats | Our best sleeping comfort |
| Meals | Vegetarian and egg | Adds chicken or meat, wider menu | The widest menu |
| Hotels | Comparable to 3-star | Comparable to 4-star, twin-share where available | 5-star where available, best rooms on the route |
| Vehicles | Economy | Ertiga, Xylo or similar | Innova class |
| Safety | Same | Same | Same |
On Challenging and Challenging+ treks and every summit above 6,000 m, the ratio is 1:2 in every tier.
How to choose
- On a budget, fit and experienced? Lean. Spend the difference on an extra day.
- A couple, a family or a long trek? Standard is the usual sweet spot.
- The best available room and sleeping setup matter to you on this route? Premium.
- Somewhere in between? Ask. We often build a quote around one tier and change a single part of it, such as a Standard trip with Premium sleeping and simpler food. Your quotation is built for you, not picked off a shelf.
Every quote we send shows all three settings side by side for your group size, so you can see exactly what each step up adds. Our prices are explained in why a private trek costs what it does, and the everyday details are in how we conduct our treks.
In short
- Three comfort settings: Lean, Standard, Premium.
- Comfort changes: tents, sleeping kit, meals, rooms, vehicles, crew size.
- Safety doesn't: same leader, medical kit, daily oxygen checks and pacing in all three.
- Premium can include luxury stays where the route permits, never as a blanket promise.
- Every quote shows all three side by side, and we can mix and match.
Tell us the trek and who's coming, and we'll show you all three settings priced for your group.