Our Style at 'Andes'
Our trips are different.
Most of our customers find our trips better than the trips other companies run, and return year after year, but our trips are not to the taste of a few people. Have a look at our Customer Satisfaction page for further details.
On this page we have tried to sum up what makes our trips different but please note that what we have given here are just examples. What you get on your trip may be different because we believe in the concept of adventure. You can't package an adventure so come to the Andes with us with an open mind and enjoy yourself.
We take smaller groups with good leader ratios, so there is often room for some flexibility in itineraries and there is much more day to day flexibility when climbing or trekking. On the other hand we use fewer intrusive services in the mountains - there is unlikely to be a large mess tent, two cook tents and ten or more staff waiting for you when you get back from your summit. You may find yourself eating your supper while sitting out with a group of four or five others under the stars, it's a great experience. We do use horses/donkeys and occasionally porters and for quicker and easier access to the mountains, but we keep even these expeditions 'lightweight' and you won't be walking alongside a huge column of porters or animals for day after day.
Campsite at Laguna Callumchaya, First Ascents in Peru, August 2003
We lead where others follow. Many of our trips are pioneering, making first ascents or going into areas of the Andes where other 'commercial' groups don't go - yet. See our Firsts page for further details of some of our pioneering expeditions over the past 15 years. Eight years after we first pioneered a ski-mountaineering trip to Chile in 1999, Jagged Globe now have one on their schedule for 2007.
We like to involve clients more in the day to day running of the trip. On our recent First Ascents in Peru trip several clients accompanied the leader on a reconnaissance trip and helped choose and check out the route. You might also get to visit a Peruvian supermarket to help your leader buy food. One client recently spent some time cleaning a stove that had been blocked by bad fuel. The majority of people find this involved approach much more satisfying and fulfilling than just sitting around waiting for things to happen. But please note that if you're tired or ill or just can't be bothered, our leader will look after you. We don't run trips this way to make our leaders job easier, but to give you a more satisfying experience.
On the way to Aconcagua base camp, 'Andes' expedition January 2008
