Join the K2 Base Camp Trek in 2024 – space is limited!
Join the K2 Base Camp Trek in 2024 – space is limited!
Full refund of balance or full trip credit will be issued for the following reasons:
1. Clients can provide Epic with medical proof that they have had a serious injury prior to departure. Refund Option: Epic Travel Credit equal to the total balance paid minus any expenses incurred by Epic (IE purchasing internal flights, hotel reservations, etc)
2. Epic cancels the trip due to minimum numbers not being met. Refund Option: Full refund or full travel credit towards a future trip.
Epic adventures carry a certain amount of risk since we are trekking into the mountains and cities of developing countries. There is the small chance of you being injured or even killed on an expedition. Epic trips are not classic holidays per se. Epic Backpacker Tours are adventure trips and by their very nature there are risks involved.
Our clients cannot come on an Epic tour unless they buy travel insurance and in some cases, helicopter evacuation insurance (for longer, more serious expeditions in very remote areas).
All tour participants will need to provide Epic with proof of travel insurance before coming on a tour.
All tour participants will be required to sign an industry-standard liability waiver. Waivers are usually issued on day 1 of the tour at our first team briefing. If you would like to request a copy of the waiver in advance, clients can email us to request a copy in advance.
Epic cares deeply about the well being of all of our tour participants. We do everything in our power to provide a safe and secure adventure tour environment.
International flights, keeping your passport up to date, obtaining the visa on time – all of these things are entirely your responsibility and must be arranged prior to departure.
Epic takes no responsibility for the cancellation of your trip in the event that you are not allowed to fly, or able to continue the tour due to ill preparation.
The tour participant must ensure that his/her passport is valid for at least six months beyond the date of the start of the tour. Failure to do so will result in visa denial and subsequent forfeiture of deposit and balance amount.
If you are unable to travel due to not obtaining the appropriate visa and/or passport we reserve the right to retain the cost of your trip (see “Visa Denial” section below).
You must ensure you are medically fit to travel and participate in the tour. We accept no responsibility for any losses you incur or any element of the tour that you are unable to participate in, on account of your fitness.
It is your responsibility to ensure that you research your intended destination(s) and activity/(ies) to determine whether you are able to participate and that you are at the required fitness level to undertake the tour. Epic reserves the right at any time to require a participant to produce a doctor’s certificate certifying that they are fit to participate/ continue participating in the tour.
Once paid, the deposit is non-refundable (except in case of tour cancelation, see “Tour Cancellation” section below).
If you have paid a deposit and would like to cancel your trip, your deposit payment can be used as credit for other Epic trips for up to 2 years.
The full trip balance minus the deposit is refundable should you cancel within more than 160 days of the start of the tour. Trip deposit can be used as credit towards a future trip. Trip credit is valid for 2 years.
– Cancel for any reason: If you cancel after paying the balance, 50% of the trip balance payment (less the deposit amount) is refundable if cancelled within 90 days of the start of the tour.
– The partial balance will only be awarded if Epic Backpacker Tours has not closed the trip to additional participants or if the client cancels with more than 90 days prior to the start of the tour, whichever comes first. This is because the company is unable to resell the canceling client’s spot should the client choose to drop out after the trip has been closed or is declared “sold out”.
Trip deposit can be used as credit towards a future trip. Trip credit is valid for 2 years.
– If cancellation occurs 90 days or less from the start of the tour, no amount will be refunded. Trip deposit can be used as credit towards a future trip if EBT is given at least 1 month notice of cancellation. Trip credit is valid for 1 year.
– Please note that if a client signs up for one tour and is moved to a future tour at the request of the client, no amount of the balance payment is to be refunded in the case that the guest decides to excuse themself from a future tour all together.
Under normal circumstances, clients cannot change from the original tour they booked at the last minute. Changing to a future tour may not be possible if the original tour booked is FIVE MONTHS or less from the trip departure date.
Clients can not change tour dates after this 5-month window pre-departure simply because the client decides the original dates booked do not work for them anymore for whatever the reason may be with the exception of a personal emergency.
Changing from the originally booked tour to a future tour (once approved by EBT) can incur a change fee of $250 per client (if internal flights are part of the tour). The client will not be permitted to come on a future Epic trip if the change fee is not paid in a reasonable amount of time (at least three months before the next planned departure date). When the original tour departure date is less than four months/120 days away, it may not be possible to change tours due to visa procedures or trip availability.
In the event of a legitimate emergency IE death in the family, a personal circumstance that otherwise prevents the client from coming on an adventure tour, or serious health problems, the change fee shall be reduced or omitted at the discretion of Epic. In this case, the client would need to provide medical proof of the emergency to Epic Backpacker Tours in order for the company to consider the claim legitimate.
-Some of the destinations Epic travels to require obtaining visas in advance.
If you are denied a visa after taking all of the correct steps required to apply and are unable to come on the trip solely because of a denied visa, you will be refunded the full balance amount minus the deposit (no tour participant has ever been denied a tourist visa as of now). Proof of visa denial and proof of correct application submission is required to receive a balance refund.
It is the responsibility of the trip participant to ensure they have taken every step to obtain their visa, appeal a visa denial in a timely manner, apply again, etc.
Please note that for some Epic tours, you may be asked to travel to the consulate of the country in question in your home country as part of your visa application. We strongly recommend that you are available in your country during the visa application process (Pakistan visa). If you are unable to do this, and choose to apply for your visa without being in the country, you do so at your own risk. We will not refund the cost of the trip if you are unable to go to the embassy to sort out your visa.
If you are denied a tourist visa because you did not submit all necessary documents in a timely manner, you are NOT entitled to a refund. We are however reasonable people and if you are denied your visa for reasons beyond your control after taking all of the correct application steps, and can provide proof that your visa was rejected, we will refund you.
Important: Remember it is your responsibility to apply for your visa in a timely manner in order to give yourself enough time to submit extra documents should they be requested by the given state consulate. If an individual does not submit all of the correct documents issued by Epic and follow all of the correct application steps while submitting the visa application in a timely manner to the correct authority, the individual is not entitled to a refund. If an individual attempts to apply for a visa using documents not issued by Epic and our partners, the individual will automatically forfeit their refund should a visa denial occur. If an individual has applied for a visa BEFORE joining an Epic tour and is denied due to issues within or beyond their control, the refund will also be forfeited.
Refunds will not be issued if Epic determines a visa denial to be the fault of the individual rather than a circumstantial denial beyond the individual’s control.
Payments are due approximately 4 months before the tour begins, we will let you know when the payment is due via email, and payment options will also be provided. Please ensure that you pay the tour balance in a timely manner.
For all trips requiring visa paperwork from us, you will be asked to pay the full balance before Epic issues your Letter of Invitation/ visa grant letter.
Epic reserves the right to cancel any tour in extraordinary circumstances, forced by virtue of unforeseen circumstances such as civil or political unrest, natural disaster, other matters it could not foresee or prevent.
This may also apply to tours where minimum numbers have not been reached, in the case of insufficient participant numbers, trip credit or transfer to a different tour date shall be offered.
In the case that Epic is forced to cancel a tour due to civil unrest, catastrophic political instability, natural disaster, or other factors that would compromise the safety of the tour, all participants would be fully refunded (minus any reasonable expenses already incurred by Epic IE internal flights, hotel bookings, etc) or moved to the next available tour of their choosing.
Epic does not cover any client pre/post tour travel expenses in the case that a tour is canceled for reasons beyond the company’s control IE civil unrest, catastrophic political instability, natural disaster, or other factors that would compromise the safety of the tour. Clients can opt to go through their travel/flight insurance to obtain refunds for flights or other travel expenses incurred before the start of the trip.
It is unlikely that the Epic will have to make any serious changes to our published itineraries. Occasionally changes may need to occur without prior notice for reasons over which we have no control.
Epic reserves the right to make changes without prior notice at any time, both before and during the tour. It is agreed that a published itinerary constitutes only an indication of what the tour is planned to accomplish and is not to constitute a contractual obligation on the part of Epic – though of course we do our very best to always execute the given trip itinerary as planned!
Participants agree that the nature of the tours offered by the Epic requires a degree of flexibility and that the contents and timings of the tour (including the arrival time at the tour’s destination, changes in route or method of transport) may be materially and consequently affected as a result of ‘force majeure’, weather, local political conditions, man made or natural disasters (including landslides, quakes and severe flooding), strikes, entry or border difficulties, mechanical breakdowns, flight cancellations, sickness, or other unforeseen circumstances
You agree to accept this flexibility and to accept that we cannot be held responsible for delays and alterations in the schedule, or for expenses incurred as result of any delay or alterations arising from any such circumstances over which we have no control.
Participants acknowledge that there is an element of personal risk in participating in the tour, and accepts and consents to the personal risks inherent in the implementation of an Epic tour itinerary. Participants must accept the limitations of Epic liability set out herein as being reasonable.
Epic will appoint the tour leader(s) in advance of each tour and the identity of each tour leader shall be communicated to participants in pre-departure information. Upon the first meeting and at the commencement of the tour, and that by continuing on the tour, Epic and the tour leader(s) shall be free to assume that the participant is fully aware of the tour leader(s) identity and shall accept all appropriate instructions given and requests made by them.
Participants agree to accept the decisions of the tour leader(s), who shall have absolute discretion and authority to securely implement Epic obligations to fulfill any given itinerary and achieve best possible tour outcomes.
If your physical condition or behavior is such as to affect the well-being of yourself or other members of the group, and/or if you are being obstinate or in any way disruptive, combative, or violent and/or affecting or potentially affecting another participants enjoyment/safety of the tour, it is up to tour leader’s sole and absolute opinion to decide to remove you from the tour without any right to refund.
If you choose to leave the tour at any point you will be required to provide your decision to the tour leader in writing, you waive the right to be permitted to rejoin the tour at a later date – this will be up to the sole discretion of your trip leader.
We will always endeavor to resolve a complaint as it arises. In order to do this we need to be made aware of the complaint. Participants agree to the following procedure, at the earliest opportunity any perceived failure in the performance, or improper performance of the implementation of the itinerary, whether by Epic or its partner’s, is to be respectfully communicated to the tour guide in a timely manner.
The tour guide and participant will make prompt efforts to resolve the complaint. In the event that the complaint remains unresolved then the participant agree and is welcomed to set out their complaint in writing to the Epic within 7 days of completion of the tour.
If we encounter issues we will get them sorted to the best of our ability as we want your travel expereince with us to be the best possible journey and we do everything in our power to make that happen!
Our staff is always here for you before, during, and after the trips ends. We look forward to meeting you on one of our trips soon!
Feel free to send us a message using our contact page!
Chat with us now!
Chat with us now!
Adventure Guide
Hailing from the Toronto region of Eastern Canada, with a background as a former standout athlete (hockey of course) and a love of mountain adventure, Clark is a welcomed addition to the Epic team.
In addition to being a keen photographer and adventurer, Clark brings his brilliant sense of humor, leadership skills, and positive attitude to everything he puts his mind to.
When he is not leading trips, he is working on taking over the hard apple cider game in Canada as a skilled craft brewer.
Meet him during : K2 Base Camp Trek
Adventure Guide
Noeimi grew up in the mountains of German-Speaking Switzerland where she naturally developed a deep love and respect for mountain environments.
She is a talented photographer, aspiring climber, and speaks at least 5 languages fluently including Arabic (and probably a few more that we don’t know about), which she taught herself in a matter of months by watching YouTube videos.
Noemi has spent the last several years traveling, hiking, and photographing her way around many different countries in the Middle East, South and Central Asia, and Europe, and we could not be more stoked to welcome her to the Epic team!
Meet her during : Discover the Celestial Mountains | Island Peak Climbing Expedition
Adventure Guide
As our man on the ground in Mongolia, there is not much this legend can’t do. As a native the Bayan-Ölgii province of the Western Mongolia Altai, Syerik has been working as a guide and tourism entrepreneur…
for the past several years and is one of the rising stars in Mongolia adventure travel industry.
He is currently building a beautiful Ger (Yurt) camp near his hometown where he will host Epic Mongolia team members on our trip as well as other travelers from around the world!
“
He is the perfect guide for your trip to Mongolia. Serik did an amazing job giving us a well rounded experience in the Altai NP region and down in the Gobi…
The food was fantastic and Serik gave us many opportunities to learn about the Kazakh culture in that region including traditional meals. (I can’t recommend enjoying the milk tea enough!)
– Coastal
Head of canine operations
Choriza started off life as a care-free vagabond on the streets of Madeira Island without any place to call home. From the moment we met her, we knew this dog was just different, and it was pretty much love at first sight.
She gave up the dog street life in favor of joining her new dad Chris to become a full-time member of the Epic family towards the end of 2022.
These days she can be found listening in on the fringes of important Epic business meetings while half-asleep on the couch. She is a keen hiker, lover of mud, rare steak, and might just be the sweetest little dog we have ever seen.
Adventure Guide
An experienced trek leader and
IFMGA aspirant ski guide, avid alpine climber, devoted adventure photographer.
Organized and guided trekking expeditions, climbs and ski tours in Tajikistan’s Pamirs, Patagonia, Peru, Morocco, Nepal, Kyrgyzstan, Georgian and Russian Caucasus and Kamchatka.
A full member and meets the organiser of the British Alpine Club. Visited over 40 countries, lived in the UK for four years. Certified first-aider.
“
We joined Andrew on a fantastic trip to the Fann Mountains in Tajikistan, pure nature and magnificent scenery! Andrey was super prepared and led us safely up and down numerous passes and through some rough and icy cold rivers. Thank you for a very memorable trip, your planning and prep was excellent!
– Monika Steinlechner
Meet him during : Trekking in the Fann Mountains
Adventure Guide
Our man in Nepal, Sandip is what we like to call a “Swiss Army Knife”. There is not much Sandip can’t do when it comes to helping Epic to run our expeditions smoothly in Nepal.
His tireless work ethic, passion for all things trekking in the Himalayas, and smart decision-making mean that Sandip is a truly invaluable member of our team.
Sandip is passionate about showing visitors to his country an amazing time, and he goes above and beyond to make sure that happens.
His company Himalayan Masters is Epic’s trusted partner in Nepal and one of the country’s top new tour agencies.
“
We really enjoyed the entire journey, and I would like to say that Sandip is truly professional. He guided us and he is a hardworking person, providing us with the best service and taking care of each one of us. Plus, he is super funny! The kind of professionnal you always want to find on your path for your explorations!
– Alexandra Ruth
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Our flagship Pakistani adventure tour. Road trip with some hiking and cultural immersion.
A trekking-style tour that features some very remote locations, inlcuding a K2 viewpoint.
Adventure Guide
João has born in the mountains of Madeira Islands in Portugal. Nature lover, writer, musician, guide, for him, a day without contact with outdoor vibes is a nightmare.
With a degree in Cultural Studies in Portugal and a Master of Arts in Global Cultures and Creativity in the U.K.
João found out what really matters in life can be found on the trails, and in the contact with people from different backgrounds and cultures.
Guiding, crazy trekking missions, and sharing observations about the natural world, – these are some of João’s passions.
After trekking to K2 Base Camp and exploring all over Northern Pakistan, he fell in love with the country and the local people. His experiences resulted in his desire to share these feelings with the world.
João is one of the most experienced guides at Epic and his skillset and positive mindset in the mountains is second to none
When not in Pakistan, João is guiding and exploring in the Madeira Islands trails – discovering some of the hidden treasures on his Portuguese Island.
“
João I can not thank you enough for the off the beaten paths and views you keep giving. Definitely one of the most challenging and amazing hikes we did 1200m meters all the way up to Fanal forest and circling back to the hidden village. Wow!
– Jeffery
Meet him during : Lost World of Europe | Discover the Hunza Valley | K2 Base Camp Trek
Adventure Guide
Sohail is the newest addition to the Epic Backpacker Tours team and we are beyond stoked to have him on board. As a veteran of the Karakoram and a native of Karimabad in Hunza, there is not much Sohail can’t do in the mountains.
Besides having the ability to speak more languages than we can count, Sohail has explored every corner of Gilgit Baltistan and logs more trekking miles
in a year than most people will do in a lifetime. As of the summer of 2022, Sohail has summited Gasherbrum 1, Gasherbrum 2, and K2 – three of Pakistan’s five 8000-meter peaks. Sohail guides several trips including our annual bespoke expeditions but specializes in Hunza Valley tours.
“
Chris and Sohail, and the team at Epic are FANTASTIC! Highly recommend anyone to do a tour with ‘Epic’. They have the perfect balance of fun, excitement and wild adventures, tied in with being super professional and ensuring your safety/health in a foreign environment. Don’t waste a moment and book a tour with these guys as the value for money is UNREAL!
– Borgan
Meet him during : Discover the Hunza Valley
Adventure Guide
Pedro’s been traveling all around the globe since 2009. His keen interests in documentary photography, rural life, and local people from different ethnic groups have been the focus of many of his professional projects.
Since 2012, he has developed his passion for travel and awesome shared experiences into a full-time adventure photography tour leader position.
Pedro has found himself continuously going back to the Middle East, with his likely favorite destination being Iran. Pedro will be leading his 11th tour in Iran with EBT this coming spring 2020
When Pedro’s not traveling the world with Epic Backpacker Tours, you’ll find him based in the western south of Portugal planning he’s next adventure missions, logistics and working out his photos in local exhibitions.
“
I loved the combination of hiking, camping around breathtaking scenery mixed with the cultural aspects. The guide (Pedro) is knowledgeable and work very hard to make the trip as memorable as possible. All in all an epic adventure with some extremely epic individuals! Go for it, you won’t regret it!
– Coastal
Adventure Admin / Marketing
After fleeing from the corporate fashion world in Paris towards the start of 2020, Diane has been working as a web developer and graphic designer remotely from various bases across the globe
She brings all of her incredible design and organizational power to Epic Backpacker Tours and is responsible for many of the beautiful behind-the-scenes design elements.
Diane has been to Iran and to Pakistan twice including all over Gilgit Baltistan and KPK.
Head of Operations | Guide
A veteran of Pakistan travel, Ralph is an experienced guide, photographer and writer who specializes in documenting remote locations.
Not one to simply go where everyone else does, he insists on exploring new and lesser-known areas.
Together with Epic Backpacker Tours, he shows people parts of Pakistan that most other operators don’t even know about. He is particularly fond of the village of Barah, which he believes will become just as famous as Hunza one day.
“
Just got back from EBT’s Trekking Amongst Giants 15 day tour. The experience was first class. Ralph, our head guide, ensured that the entire trip ran smoothly and relatively on time (a bonus for anyone travelling in Pakistan). We had so many unforgettable days on the tour and the trekking was well-planned, safe but also a rewarding challenge.
– Calvin
“
Traveling to a non-tourist destination can be a little intimidating but EBT takes all of the worry and trepidation away. From the pre-trip call to meeting the wonderful staff in person you can tell that you are dealing with a company that has a passion for what they do each and every day. Ralph, Zahid, and Khan were supportive, kind, and always willing to go the extra mile to make sure that everyone on the trip was getting what they wanted out of the experience.
– Katrina
Meet him during : Trekking Amongst Giants | Discover the Celestial Mountains | K2 Base Camp Trek
Founder | Adventure Guide | Director
Since he started exploring the world, Chris has been seeking out every shade of adventure in various parts of the globe and had visited more than 70 countries along the way.
Over the last 10 years, Chris has logged more than 7000 trail miles across five continents and climbed multiple 6000 + 7000 meter peaks in Pakistan and Nepal.
A few years back, a distant dream and a deep passion for the mountains and the people of Pakistan led Chris to co-found Epic Backpacker Tours at a time when foreign adventure tourism in Pakistan was almost nonexistent. Since then, Chris has guided more than 20 expeditions to various parts of Northern Pakistan.
Chris believes in using photography and powerful adventure experiences to dismantle negative stereotypes regarding what mainstream media considers “dangerous” countries while facilitating unique and meaningful memories in the mountains for countless people from around the globe.
For him, an ideal start to the day begins with a steaming cup of good coffee, the beam of a headlamp, alpine boots, and a camera in hand.
He lives in Madeira Island when not leading expeditions in far-flung lands.
Chris also works as a writer and photographer on his blog Off the Atlas – an adventure travel blog all about Pakistan.
Read this interview our staff did with Chris to learn more about him!
“
Chris believes in Pakistan and its people, and he believes in the value of journeys shared with others and family cultivated on the road. Honesty and integrity are at the heart of what he does, and this really shines through in his work as a guide. He also makes great coffee – whether at 5am in an empty guesthouse or half way up a Himalayan peak.”
– Will De Villers
“
Pakistan is a magical country! Had 3 of the best weeks of my life thanks to Epic Backpacking Tours with owner, and one of our awesome guides, Chris. From detailed itinerary, preparation with an equipment list, and visa assistance. To amazing food, great porters, helpful guides, and great accommodations. Epic really hit home run after home run. […]
Their desire for adventure and amazing trip is just as high as yours. Bring a good pound of coffee for the trip. French press coffee every morning and no average tin coffee, plus you’ll be in your guides good books.
– Clark Tyler
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