Altitude Junkies is established as one of the premier outfitters offering professionally managed mountaineering expeditions.

Our expeditions are non-guided like traditional commercial expeditions with certified IFMGA guides and a 4:1 climber to guide ratio. On our expeditions we have a single expedition leader who manages the expedition logistics and staff. In the Cordillera Blanca of Peru where we practice roped glacier travel we may have two expedition leaders.

All our expedition leaders are professional climbers and have reached the summits of the mountains that they lead the expeditions to, some numerous times. They climb year round worldwide and have the experience needed to make the expedition successful and safe. All of our leaders have extensive experience in the effects and medical treatment of high altitude ailments.

We primarily focus on the less crowded 8,000-meter and more challenging technical 6,000-meter peaks. We have organized many expeditions to 8,000-meter peaks including Everest, Lhotse, Dhaulagiri, Makalu and Manaslu in Nepal; Gasherbrum I, Gasherbrum II and Broad Peak in Pakistan; and Everest, Cho Oyu and Shishapangma in Tibet.

During the summer months we switch from climbing in the Himalayas to the lower peaks of Cordillera Blanca in Peru. We offer an expeditions to some of the Cordillera Blancas most popular peaks as well as bespoke expeditions to any Cordillera Blanca peak.

We do not advertise the lowest price for our respective expeditions to form a team of twenty or more climbers for profitability. We prefer to keep our expeditions to a maximum team size of eight climbers plus leaders as we feel a smaller expedition allows for a more personal experience on the mountain. The quality of our food and services at our respective base camps is considered one of the premier operations in the Himalayas and better than most of the high cost expeditions. Not having several western guides means that our expeditions are more affordable than most for qualified climbers. We only run professional expeditions and our focus is on safety and quality rather than the quantity of climbers joining our expeditions.

To maximize our chances of summit success we use Nepalese Sherpa on our Nepal Himalayan expeditions. Our Sherpa team have climbed with us over many years and are under the directorship of our UIAGM certified guide Sirdar, Pasang Ongcho Sherpa. Base and advanced base camps are well staffed with our Sherpa cooks and kitchen assistants. They have all been trained by professional western chefs to produce a varied menu and are knowledgeable of food safety and safe hygiene practices. Our base camps are stocked with fresh local and imported foods for a varied and nutrient conscious diet.

The equipment used at base camp and high altitude camps, is of the highest quality and replaced on a regular basis for safety. We only use the finest high altitude tents available, made by Black Diamond and Mountain Hardwear, to withstand the extreme weather conditions that are encountered in the high mountains.

In base camp we provide showers, heated and carpeted dining tents, and solar panels for lighting and the charging of electronic devices. All of our expeditions have a comprehensive medical chest, medical oxygen, portable altitude chamber and personnel who are familiar with their usage. Each leader, Sherpa and climber has their own personal avalanche beacon and two-way radio on the mountain and we have base station radios at the respective base camps.

All of our Nepal expeditions use private helicopter transport whenever possible over fixed wing flights. We believe helicopters are a safer option, especially when the weather is marginal for the Lukla flights. Helicopters also allow us to reach remote areas which are off limits to fixed wing aircraft. This is beneficial to make our expedition durations shorter.

To maximize our summit success on our expeditions we use a professional meteorological service for up to the minute weather forecasts.

Himalayan peaks are a serious undertaking and climbers need to be aware there are certain risks that are out of the control of Altitude Junkies. We prefer to describe our expeditions as professionally managed rather than guided. A true guided expedition is only where the guides have full UIAGM certification (alpine, rock and ski certified), which is the only internationally recognized qualification for mountain guides and there is a 2:1 or smaller guide to climber ratio. If you need to be guided, look for guides with full UIAGM certification.

As the name suggests, Altitude Junkies organizes expeditions for like-minded climbers who are addicted to climbing the world's high mountains. Come and get high, climb with the Altitude Junkies.

Photo credit: Phil "Disco" Huddy - Cholatse

Contact us: info@altitudejunkies.com