Owen Hale
Owen started Meridian Pine after ten years leading small-group treks in the Alps and the Andes. He still walks each route before it goes on sale and writes every trip grade himself.
Started at a kitchen table
Meridian Pine plans small-group trips from Boulder, Colorado. We walk every route ourselves before we sell it.
How it began
Meridian Pine started at a kitchen table with a map pinned to the wall. Owen Hale had spent ten years leading treks in the Alps and the Andes, and he wanted to share the places he loved in small groups.
The first trip was a week in the mountains with six friends. Nobody ran a tight schedule. Everybody took a rest day when they needed one. That trip taught us most of what we still do: small groups, local guides and room for the afternoon a village invites you in for tea.
We have grown, but slowly. We still run groups of twelve people at most, and we still walk each route before it goes on sale.
Small groups, steady hands
- 15
- 12
- 4.8
- 9 in 10
People who know the way
Planners and guides who live where you will be walking.
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Priya Nair
Priya plans every departure, from the flights and visas to the hut booking that makes a long day possible. She keeps a separate planning sheet for each group and rings every host before a stay is confirmed.
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Tenzin Angchuk
Tenzin grew up in a village above the Indus and has guided the Markha Valley for eight seasons. He knows which monastery doors open early and which tea stop has the best view.
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Sunita Gurung
Sunita leads the teahouse routes out of Pokhara and into the Annapurna foothills. She trained as a wilderness first aider and keeps the pace easy on the first climb so everyone arrives fresh at lunch.
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Hassan Ait Lahcen
Hassan runs the muleteer trails from Imlil and has summited Toubkal more times than he keeps count of. He works with three local mule families and pays them the same evening the group leaves.
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Lucia Ferrer
Lucia guides the glacier walks and the Laguna de los Tres route from El Chalten. She reads the wind forecast each morning and will change a day's plan when the weather turns, without fuss.
Guides and stays we would book
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Guides from the valleys
We hire guides from the villages we walk through. Each one holds first-aid training that we renew every year, and we pay a fair day rate.
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Stays we have slept in
A member of the team visits every homestay, lodge and camp before it goes on our list. We check the beds, the water and the food.
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Grades we stand behind
We grade each trip against the trail markers you already know. If we have not walked a route ourselves, we do not sell it.
Registered and insured
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Registered operator
Licensed to run guided trips. Registration details are sent on request.
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Fully insured
Public liability cover for every trip we run.
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Guides certified
Wilderness first aid, renewed every year.
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Small footprint
Small groups and locally owned stays.
Ski-in ease and a warm host
The chalet is a short walk from the village centre, and the host met us with hot drinks and a clear plan for the week. Our room had a wood stove and a drying rack for ski gear, which was thoughtful. Breakfast was generous, and the host gave good advice on which lifts open early. The road into the village is closed to cars, so arrange your luggage transfer in advance. A relaxed and friendly base.
Plan your next trip
Tell us the month, the group and the pace. A real person replies within one working day.