How was your Explore Tour Leader?
"Good qualities: - kind, compassionate, encouraging, supportive, good humoured, took responsibilitiy for things that went wrong, dealth with issues once raised with him appropriately.
Needs to improve: Better communication with clients in the evenings, should eat with clients at least twice / three times during each week, needs to keep a closer eye on how the 'support team' are fubnctioning, would have been helpful if he had been more forthcoming re. the gaps between breaks and target ascent. If one is struggling / tired knowing this can be motivational. "
What tips would you give to someone else booking this tour?
"1. Be prepared for quite basic conditions. If you've never used a 'long drop' loo it can be a bit of a shock.
2. Take a good stash of antibiotics with you, and paracetamol.
3. If you have any astmatic tendancies at all take a 'reliever''a preventer' and some prednisolone.
4. Make sure you hire or invest in a good sleep mat - I did and it was great. Also don't scrimp on your sleeping bag - it gets cold!
5. Take a good dose of PMA with you, a sense of humour, and a willingness to do it 'a step at a time'. "
Do you have anything else to add?
"1. A double climb is not for the faint hearted, especially as there was no rest day inbetween our climbs. I thing strategically this was a mistake on Explore's part.
2. The average rating is for the appalling food week one, and the rather dire flight out with ethiopian airways.
3. Explore needs to to be consistent - either give expedition bags away to all who book or don't do it at all. You told me I had to buy mine, but my tent companion was given hers for free.
4. I became unwell 'on tour' I do feel with the benfit of hindsight that the tour leader should have insisted on a medical examination.
5. I would consider Explore again, I am however unlikely to book my flights through you again. It was the worst medium/long haul flight I have ever taken."
