Mountain Expeditions is a UK company owned and run by Jon Gupta, specialising in Instructing & Guiding, seamlessly run Worldwide Expeditions & Expedition Specific Training.
We operate across 5 continents and believe a successful expedition is made up of the hundreds of small experiences gained from start to finish. We therefore ensure that every aspect of your trip is expertly organised and well-managed, whether it’s going rock climbing for the first time, winter mountaineering or joining a major Himalayan expedition!
“We 100% recommend Mountain Expeditions whole heartedly! An experience of a lifetime – a true mountain adventure, run by an absolute legend.” Bhupinder Singh
1. Instructing & Guiding – We have rounded up all our UK mountain courses in this neat category. In spring, summer and autumn this includes all things mountaineering including Hill Walking, Scrambling and Rock Climbing, In the winter this includes all things snow, ice & mixed, in the form of Winter Skills, Winter Mountaineering and Winter Climbing.
2. Worldwide Expeditions – Our speciality, what we absolutely love and what we are best known for! We have been guiding high altitude overseas expeditions for 10+ years. For a full list of our expeditions from Toubkal in Morocco to Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, all the way to 7000m Peak Lenin in Kyrgyzstan, please head to the M.E. Hub. We run a mixture of private expeditions and open expeditions throughout the year.
3. Expedition Specific Training – Drawing on decades of worldwide expedition experience from our Instructors, Expedition Leaders & Guides, we provide expedition specific training programs for individuals and groups. We often create programmes and plans which span a number of years to help you achieve your distant mountain objectives. The training is delivered across the UK in both summer and winter.
To find out more or to book yourself on an expedition or course please check out our M.E. Hub where you’ll find all of the above! Alternatively, if you have an idea that isn’t listed and are looking for help planning and running it, please Contact Us!
1. Highly experienced Instructors, Expedition Leaders & Guides – As a small specialist mountain company delivering the highest standards, we take great pride employing the very best, most experienced instructors, expeditions leaders and guides in the UK. All of our staff are highly qualified and experienced and all have excellent people skills (this is very important to us!). For our expeditions, our policy is that wherever possible, the Expedition Leader will have previously delivered the same expedition – we believe this results in an even better expedition for you.
2. Smaller expedition teams & high guide ratios – This is really important to us and we’re proud of this. All of our open expeditions have a definitive maximum number of members, for example, for Aconcagua, Elbrus and Mera Peak this is 8. This is smaller than our competitors which offers a much more personable experience and higher success rate on the expedition. You will feel an involved and integral part of the team from the start and you will get to know all your fellow team members well.
3. Fully inclusive pricing – Whilst we do not offer flights for our Worldwide Expeditions, we do offer an unrivaled fully inclusive land only package, with no hidden extras. We will greet you at the in-country airport on your arrival and, until we drop you back at the end of the expedition, almost everything is included*. You will find no additional meals in the cities or extra transfer costs on our expeditions – it’s all included.
*Every course or expedition clearly outlines anything that is not included. These tend to be costs related to personal matters or the costs incurred if you choose to leave early.
4. Great value expeditions – Our prices are what they are because of three things; 1. we choose to employ the UK’s very best Instructors, Expeditions Leaders & Guides, 2. we choose to have smaller expedition teams and higher guide ratios and 3. we have a fully inclusive pricing policy. All that being said, we know that joining a mountain expedition is a big commitment and we do our best to keep the cost low without compromising on quality.
5. Personable approach & professional ethos – Mountain Expeditions grew out of a love of high altitude expeditions and time spent in the UK mountains – they are such incredible, life affirming experiences, that we couldn’t imagine doing anything else. We manage all of our courses and expeditions individually, ensuring that the attention to detail and all the small things are there – we are always here and available to help.
6. Our environmental promise – We’re firm believers in giving back, especially to the environment and we’ve chosen to support The Woodland Trust; the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity. There are a few reasons for this although top of the list is that our planet is reliant on trees; both to produce oxygen and to capture our carbon. It has also been well documented that spending time alongside trees has a positive impact on mental health and, as we love being outdoors with our members, this support feels right. We feel that by supporting The Woodland Trust it’s a win for the planet and a win for the people. See below for information on what we’re pledging.
Mountain Expeditions was established in 2009 by Jon Gupta. Jon was guiding his first fully self-organised expedition to Kilimanjaro with a mixture of school and university friends making up the team. With an extraordinary amount of laughter and fun, the trip was a huge success and Mountain Expeditions reached its first (of many) summits.
Jon’s passion for expeditions and the mountains started in 2005 when he was aged 18 after spending over 2 months living deep in the remote jungles of Belize.
“Being part of a team of 22 I pushed myself both physically & mentally harder than ever before and learnt what expedition life was all about…I loved it and I’ve never looked back!”
His love for the mountains is continually growing and he has accumulated more high altitude experience than anyone his age in the UK (including 4 summits of Everest and a rare K2 summit). Jon is a Rab Athlete, full member of the Alpine Club, an ambassador for the Youth Adventure Trust and a member of both the Mountain Training Association and the Association of Mountaineering Instructors.
Since the first trek on Kilimanjaro, Mountain Expeditions has grown steadily and the high volume of return clients is testament to Jon’s approach to his work. The relationships formed and experiences shared on both the UK courses and the Worldwide Expeditions are the backbone to Mountain Expeditions.
If you’re interested to find out more, Jon recently did an interview for the Further Faster Podcast and a video interview for the Montane Performance Edge campaign. He dives into topics about life in the industry, finding the elusive balance and how it feels to stand on top of the some of the high summits!
“My overseas expedition and UK mountain work involves coaching, instructing and guiding at all levels. I love creating flexible and tailored programmes whether for a single day rock climbing, a couple of weeks trekking or a major Himalayan trip. Quite simply – I love my job!“
Mountain Expeditions (formally JCG Expeditions) grew slowly and organically from a real love of the experiences gained from spending time in mountains. Our desire to facilitate life changing experiences in the mountains and share the simplicity of expedition life has never diminished. Spending time in the mountains is incredibly special to us, be it a day cragging by the sea or spending 6 weeks on an 8000er, we thrive on sharing these intense, magical and unforgettable experiences. It’s hard to articulate why we find expeditions so special but we’ve made a good attempt in this blog.
It is not our aim to grow into a big company dominating the market, far from it, instead we aim to maintain the high standards and personal touch we have become well known for, whilst continuing to deliver superb expeditions – having a large proportion of returning clients bears testament to our overall approach. We are steadily growing and we now employ a few select Expedition Leaders to deliver our Instructing & Guiding, Worldwide Expeditions and Expedition Specific Training.
Mountain Expeditions has a clear and defined ethos – the small things matter. We believe that spending time in the mountains is more than simply standing on a summit, ticking a route or navigating to the right spot; it’s about all the individual parts of the journey which build up to that shared experience. Whether you join us as a member of a team or as an individual learning some new skills, you are part of the Mountain Expeditions family from the minute you sign up.
We want to provide you with a unique and unparalleled mountain experience. Our Expedition Leaders have developed their skills on personal adventures and by leading expeditions in some of the world’s harshest and most remote environments. This expertise allows us to offer a variety of training, expeditions and challenges to suit all abilities and goals.
Mountain Expeditions is very proud to employ a small number of the UK’s very best and most experienced Instructors, Expedition Leaders and Guides. They are carefully and personally selected to deliver our UK Instructing & Guiding, Worldwide Expeditions and Expedition Specific Training.
All of our leaders are chosen on their individual merits which we base on their mix of vast mountain experience, interpersonal skills and of course, qualifications.
