Elizabeth & Jane: A Change of Path for the Right Journey

Elizabeth and Jane have been clients for almost two decades and we've been lucky to have them! We've so enjoyed being able to create trips that fulfill their dreams of spending time in the mountains and with each other.

Their most recent itinerary was an ambitious one, but promised lots of space for the staff on the ground to alter days incase the ladies were especially enchanted by one village or another. But the first day of trek one of the ladies unfortunately hurt her leg, which left their trek up in the air. How were they going to continue on trek? What were they going to do? Did they have to cancel their trek?

This is when the benefits of a custom trip made a big difference. Their itinerary was rerouted and altered to allow for slower pace and shorter days. Tents were swapped out for tea houses wherever possible and the staff made sure to be available to help out along the trail. In the end, these ladies proved how tough they are and what wonderful spirits they have, as they reported enjoying the trek and the staff raved about them and how wonderful they were as well.

Their abilities and comfort level unexpectedly changed - which happens in places like the Himalayas - but that doesn't mean they couldn't complete their trip or had to give up on their journey. We were more than happy to do adjust whatever they needed and to do anything else we could to help. To us, this is the benefit of choosing a custom trip with a company that cares about the outcome of your journey.

““I love working with ATC because they are in such close touch and they care so much about the client experience. This is our 3rd trip to Nepal with ATC and the itineraries have been diverse, flexible and tailored to our physical capability and interests. Support staff is carefully selected and has always includes a guide or sirdar from the region into which we are trekking. Aside from the personal knowledge they provide, I have loved each of them for their patience, humor and ability to accommodate 2 silly women half way across the world.

Elizabeth and I met in Nepal in 2000 and have made our 3 trips together. ATC is responsible for helping our friendship grow over these 14 years and as well as keeping it filled with very unusual challenge and adventure.””

— ~Jane M. St. Paul, MN

““Yes, indeed, there is a trip to be had, especially in Tsum. By far, this was the most beautiful scenery of our three trips to Nepal. At times, rounding a corner and seeing beautiful lush crops growing far up and down mountain sides, aqua blue rivers thousands of feet below our cliff trail, and an 8,000 meter snow-covered mountain in the distance… if we didn’t know better, we would have said Disney built it… it was so perfect.

Yet far outshining the scenery was our crew. ATC always provides us with the best. The trek motto was “no problem”. Whatever difficulty, request, or change was handled seamlessly. I was 69 years old and fell early on in the trek… “no problem”. My knee was injured and swollen and by day’s end could not bend at all. It slowed us down but did not stop us! As I was slower than the main party, Tendi accompanied me and the two of us developed “the system” to conquer any steep inclines. Dhawa carefully adjusted the route and even obtained accommodations in lodges when he could… it was easier on my knee than trying to get in and out of a tent with it swollen like it was. On top of that the full course meals, even prepared in a field at noon, were awesome. We left pieces of our hearts with the our crew, Tsum Valley and Nepal and are saddened when we have to leave. We’re coming back! There’s no place better to trek in the world and no finer people to do it with than Above the Clouds.””

— ~Elizabeth W. Upland, CA

Itinerary Overview: