LET’S HEAR IT FOR WHITE MAGIC ADVENTURE TRAVEL – AGAIN!

I have travelled with White Magic for almost 10 years, having adventures and making amazing memories, and I’ve reviewed them here before.

If you search in the blog for “White Magic” you’ll find a handful of reviews over the years, but here’s a link to my very first review, after my first technical climb with WM.

Looking for the best Indian trekking and climbing company in the business? Look no further…

But as I have also said here before, good service deserves repeated recognition.

And since I have just had another flawless climbing trip with White Magic, it is only fair to recognise, yet again, their planning and expertise and all-round competence.

Ten years on, and the company and its guides are every bit as good.

I have just got back from climbing Lobuche East (6119m) in Nepal, a trip that involved 2 parts as it were. We were a group of 11 climbers and trekkers, and travelled together for the first 10 days or so, then at Dzhongla the trekkers headed off to Everest Base Camp and we 5 climbers were snowed-in for 4 days, before heading to climb Lobuche.

The logistics for divvy-ing up a group can’t be easy, and when you throw into the mix one climber who had to cancel on the first day of the trip and 2 trekkers who choppered out earlier than planned, you can see that there must have been logistical issues galore, but the 2 guides, Sanjiv Rai and Shyam handled everything with cool aplomb.

This is my 3rd trip with Sanjiv and he just gets better. Kind but firm, endlessly patient (especially with someone as slow as me) and full of advice and good cheer. He’s a brilliant photographer and very knowledgable about birds, so trekking with him is always a learning process.

Shyam who headed the trekking group was at the airport to meet me on arrival, and again when we landed back in Kathmandu after our climb, and he was always kind and attentive and ready to help.

We stayed in teahouses until Lobuche High Camp, where we climbers spent 2 nights in tents. There were 2 teams of porters for our baggage, and as I mentioned, we had unforeseen snow delays, but everything was handled smoothly.

I had an individual porter and a summit Sherpa – as I get older, I’m getting more accepting of my limitations – and this arrangement helped me no end, but I know that both young men happily helped out with the rest of our group – but that’s the amazing kindness and team work of the Nepalis for you.

Unstinting praise, once again, for the professionalism and high safety standards of White Magic.

And by way of conclusion – WM has never once asked me to write anything about them. By now, they know I blog, but never once have they suggested a plug from me.

I pay my own way – which, as a non-Indian, means that I actually paid quite a bit more than my team mates. But those are Nepalese rules.

I paid for my own porter and summit Sherpa.

WM – thanks so much for another smashing trip, and I’m giving you all due warning – I’ll be back 🙂