Hobnail Trekking Co.

09/06/2026

The Peruvian Odyssey: Salkantay Trek is 15 days in Peru, and it covers a lot more ground than the standard "fly to Lima, take the train to Machu Picchu, fly home" itinerary. We designed this one ourselves, with our in-country team, because we wanted something that actually shows you the country and is actually an adventure.

Here's what that looks like in practice.

You'll start in Cusco — three days to acclimatize, including a cooking class where you'll learn to make ceviche and lomo saltado, and a full day in the Sacred Valley visiting the ruins at Pisac and Ollantaytambo. Then the trek begins at Humantay Lake, a turquoise glacial pool tucked beneath the Salkantay glacier. Night one on the trail is in glass cabanas with views of the mountain. Night two is in sky domes — open to the stars above you. Night three is in what we call the Hobbit Houses, nestled into the cloud forest as the landscape transitions from alpine to lush and green.

Your meals on the trail are prepared by chefs with actual culinary school training. This is not trail mix and freeze-dried pasta. It's three courses, cooked fresh, every night in camp.

Day six takes you over the Salkantay Pass — the high point of the trek physically and emotionally — and down through coffee country to natural hot springs. After that: Machu Picchu with a local expert guide, Rainbow Mountain (which genuinely looks like something out of a geology textbook — stripes of turquoise, lavender, and gold across an entire mountainside), the floating Uros Islands on Lake Titicaca, an overnight homestay with a family on Amantani Island, and a bike tour through Lima's Miraflores and Barranco neighborhoods along the Pacific coast before you fly home.

If you've been thinking about Peru, this is the version worth doing.

📅 NEXT DEPARTURE: November 11–25, 2026
⏰ Booking deadline: September 11
💰 $4,803 per person (double occupancy)
🌎 This itinerary is exclusive to Hobnail — you won't find it anywhere else

Send us a message (Mark or Holly will get back to you personally) or visit the link below for the full day-by-day breakdown.

👉 hobnailtrekkingco.com/peru-treks/peruvian-odyssey/

08/28/2026

Mark, here. Today, I need to address a somber topic: the recent flash floods in Nepal. I'm sure you've all seen the footage. Frankly, it's horrifying. When I first saw it on X, I assumed I was looking at an AI video, but was shocked to learn it was real — and in our beloved Nepal. Many people have perished.

After the initial shock, the next obvious step was to reach out to our team there. While we can't account for every porter we've ever hired (these folks are usually freelancers), we know that our director, guides, yak handlers, and Sherpas are all safe. Thank the Lord! Nima, our Nepali Director, told me yesterday that the flood happened roughly 60 miles west of the nearest point of the Everest Base Camp route, so none of that area was affected. Our scheduled fall treks will proceed as normal.

Several folks have asked Holly and I about how to make a donation. We learned years ago that making a charitable donation in Nepal can be tricky, so you have to be super careful about the organization you choose to donate to. As of now, the best bet that I've found is the Nepal Red Cross/International Federation of Red Cross. This is a reputable organization and is currently working directly on this particular disaster. I'll post the donation link at the end of this message.

Let me add a caveat to this. Almost without fail, our staff and partners in countries that have suffered disasters have told us that the best way to support them is not to send money — it's to come visit in person. Each trek uplifts a wide variety of people, from guides, Sherpas, and porters to drivers, cooks, and local merchants to the employees of hotels, restaurants, and airports. Whether you travel with Hobnail or someone else, I urge you to book a trek and go experience another country on your own two feet.

One more thought. We go to places like Nepal and Bhutan because they represent true adventure and a step back in time. Speaking as an American, we are immeasurably blessed to have been born in a country where our way of life is — as compared to many other places — safe, stable, and remarkably affluent. Citizens of areas like Nepal don't tend to enjoy the same advantages, and much of their land and infrastructure is as wild and untamed as America was 150 years ago. That's not a knock; it's just a fact.

For me, this is the appeal of adventure travel. Even with all the forward planning, video chats, emails, and safety precautions, our treks are nonetheless actual adventures, not luxury getaways. And that's what makes them worth doing. Every time.

As the image says, prayer for Nepal.

https://donate.redcrossredcrescent.org/ifrc/nepal-flash-floods/~my-donation?ns_ira_cr_arg=IyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyOAeRQw6BCYPth-7-M9blYeAAoC2hG-u9uafooag3maxw&utm_source=chatgpt.com&_cv=1

07/29/2026

This is Mark. I want to tell you something about the Galápagos Islands that nobody told me before I went last year:

Sea lions are weird.

They're just laying around everywhere. On the docks. On the benches. Flopped across the sidewalks. Sprawled on the beaches like a bunch of college kids on spring break after a long night out partying. I shot this video while strolling along the waterfront of Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz island.

And nobody moves them. Because in the Galápagos, the animals don’t know they’re supposed to be afraid of you. They never learned. Charles Darwin showed up in 1835 and apparently forgot to tell them that humans were something to worry about, so they just… didn’t get the memo. For nearly 200 years, they’ve been living completely unbothered.

The result is the most extraordinary wildlife experience on the planet.

https://hobnailtrekkingco.com/ecuador/expedition-galapagos/

I’m talking about snorkeling through a narrow channel at Kicker Rock while sea lions spiral around you and hammerhead sharks drift underneath. Standing at the rim of Sierra Negra — one of the largest volcanic calderas on Earth — with lava fields stretching to the horizon. Swimming alongside Galápagos penguins at Tintoreras Islet, which shouldn’t make sense geographically and yet there they are. Walking among giant tortoises at El Chato Reserve that have been alive since before your grandparents were born. Watching Blue-Footed Bo***es nest in lava formations while you snorkel below them at Los Túneles.

And in between all of that, you’re making ceviche with a local fishing family on San Cristóbal and sampling craft beer made with island-grown ingredients in the Santa Cruz highlands.

Here’s what I’ve noticed when I talk to people about the Galápagos: almost everyone has heard of it. Most people know there are animals, but they’re fuzzy on where exactly it is, how you get there, and what you actually do for a week.

So let me answer that. The Galápagos Islands sit about 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador in the Pacific. You fly into Quito or Guayaquil on the mainland, then catch a short connecting flight to the islands. It’s easier to get to than you’d think, and the whole experience is guided by certified Galápagos National Park naturalists who make every encounter richer than you could pull off on your own.

Our Expedition Galápagos! itinerary is designed specifically for people who have always been curious about the islands but have less time available for a longer trip. It’s focused, immersive, and — I’ll say it plainly — it should be on a lot more people’s radar than it currently is.

The sea lion that swam right up to my face while I was snorkeling off Isabela Island last year is the single most surprising wildlife encounter I’ve had in years of international trekking. It was as playful as a golden retriever puppy.

If the Galápagos has been in the back of your mind — even vaguely — give us a shout and let's get the ball rolling. I promise it’s more doable than you think. Go to the trek page here: https://hobnailtrekkingco.com/ecuador/expedition-galapagos/

07/25/2026

Read this new blog about how Hobnail Supertrekkers Russ and Susan Moore approach the "How do you find the time?" question.

Russ and Susan Moore aren't elite athletes or full-time travelers. Here's how they make time to travel — four continents and counting.

07/24/2026

Most people have heard of Everest Base Camp.

Almost nobody has heard of Gokyo Lakes — and that's exactly why you want to go.

At over 15,000 feet, tucked into the Khumbu valley northwest of the standard EBC route, sits the highest freshwater lake system on earth. Above it rises Gokyo Ri — a 17,583-foot summit where four of the world's fourteen 8,000-meter mountains are visible simultaneously. Everest. Lhotse. Makalu. Cho Oyu. All at once.

Then you keep going. All the way to Everest Base Camp.

Hobnail Trekking Co. has two departures this fall:
📅 September 29 – October 18 → BOOKING DEADLINE: JULY 29
📅 October 18 – November 7

October and November are prime trekking season in the Khumbu — clear skies, stable weather, and views that make every training hike worth it. These are small groups. Holly and I communicate personally with every single trekker before departure. No call centers. No strangers.

If Nepal has been on your list, this is the year. If you've been waiting for the right moment, the September 29 departure runs out of time on July 29.

Hit the link below for the full itinerary and pricing — or send us a message and we'll talk. We answer every inquiry.

👉 hobnailtrekkingco.com/nepal-treks/ebc-gokyo-lakes-extension/

The EBC + Gokyo Lakes Extension trek combines the world's highest fresh water lake system with the world's most iconic trek!

07/22/2026

Congratulations go out to trekker Walter Nicolau and previous Hobnailers Jeff and Patricia Stewart who just completed the Ecuadorian Odyssey, our 15-day adventure through the Amazon rainforest, Andes Mountains, and Galapagos Islands. What an amazing trip in a fantastic country! Thanks go to our awesome Hobnail Ecuador staff — Christian Valencia, Alex Tene, and guide Alirio Peralta. See the trek page here: https://hobnailtrekkingco.com/ecuador/ecuadorian-odyssey/

07/10/2026

There's a version of the trek to Machu Picchu that most people don't know about.

It doesn't follow the crowds. It crosses a high mountain pass beneath towering glaciers. It descends through cloud forest into coffee and fruit plantations, where the landscape changes so completely beneath your feet that it's hard to believe you're on the same trek. It ends with a soak in natural hot springs before the grand finale at one of the world's most extraordinary destinations.

And you sleep in glass cabanas, sky domes, and Hobbit Houses along the way. (Wait...Hobbit Houses??)

That's the Salkantay Trek — the wildest and most visually dramatic of the three routes Hobnail offers to Machu Picchu. Where the Lares Trek immerses you in Andean village life, and the Classic Inca Trail follows the ancient stone paths of the Incas, Salkantay is about big mountains and raw wilderness. It's the route for travelers who want to feel the full scale of the Andes before arriving at Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate.

Our November 10–25 Peruvian Odyssey (Salkantay) is confirmed and departing. Space is available, and solos are welcome. Booking deadline is September 10.

Details and full itinerary at the link below. 👇
🌐

From cities to mountains, ruins to floating islands, our Peruvian Odyssey trek has it all. Experience Machu Picchu, Rainbow Mtn., and more!

07/05/2026

Here's something most people don't know about trekking in Nepal:

Everest Base Camp is not the best view in the Khumbu region.

Gokyo Ri is.

At 17,583 feet, the summit of Gokyo Ri gives you a simultaneous panorama of four of the world's fourteen 8,000-meter mountains — Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, and Cho Oyu — all lined up across the horizon at once. On a clear October morning, there are few things a person can witness on foot that top it.

Below Gokyo Ri sits Gokyo Lakes — six glacial lakes, the highest freshwater lake system on earth. And along the way, you'll pass through Phortse, a remote village that has produced more Everest summiteers than anywhere else on the planet. Most EBC trekkers never see any of it.

Our September 29 – October 18 EBC + Gokyo Lakes departure does.

Here's what we tell everyone on the fence about adding the extension: if you can manage 17 days for the classic route, try to squeeze out three more for Gokyo. The odds of coming back to Nepal are not high. This is likely your one shot. Take the extension.

Booking deadline: July 29. Details below. 👇

🌐 hobnailtrekkingco.com/nepal-treks/ebc-gokyo-lakes-extension/

07/01/2026

Most people who dream about trekking Nepal have Everest Base Camp on their radar.

Fewer know about Gokyo Lakes. (The photo shows one of our 2025 groups approaching the village of Gokyo.)

At over 15,000 feet, tucked into the Khumbu valley just off the standard EBC route, sits the world's highest freshwater lake system. Above it rises Gokyo Ri — a 17,583-foot summit with simultaneous views of four of the world's 8,000-meter mountains: Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, and Cho Oyu.

Our EBC + Gokyo Lakes Extension trek does both. You trek up to the village of Gokyo, summit Gokyo Ri, then descend back through the valley to rejoin the classic route on your way to Base Camp. Two extraordinary experiences. One trip.

Our September 29 – October 18 departure is confirmed and has space available. October is prime trekking season in the Khumbu — clear skies, stable weather, and some of the best views on earth.

Booking deadline is July 29.

If Nepal has been on your list, this is the departure. Details at the link below. 👇

🌐 hobnailtrekkingco.com/nepal-treks/ebc-gokyo-lakes-extension/

06/15/2026

BIG NEWS: We've been able to re-open booking for Bhutan: The Jolomhari Trek Experience through the end of July. We have TWO remaining slots for this, our inaugural trek into Bhutan. The trek runs October 18-28, 2026, and will be personally led by Nima Sherpa, our longtime partner for Himalayan itineraries. Don't sleep on this one — grab one of those remaining available slots now! Go to the trek page for details and booking by tapping this link: https://hobnailtrekkingco.com/bhutan-the-jomolhari-trek-experience/