Pradip Kirat (Rai), Nepalese kingpin of Access-Himalaya, is part of a family with well over a quarter of a century of direct experience in the trekking adventure field, and has been involved himself for more than 15 years. In 1998 he founded Access-Himalaya adventure travel, and it has been a source of pleasure and satisfaction to witness the steady growth of the company since then. Pradip’s early years of education took place in a rural village, south-east of Everest, since when he completed secondary education in Kathmandu. Higher education was based in UK, where he has so far achieved a first degree in Information Technology with Business Management, and a Masters degree in International Development. A strong feeling for ethical business and fair trade underpins Pradip’s insistance that the company employs only Nepalese trekking staff, including leaders, and completes all trade in Nepal, with Nepalese products and services, thus ensuring that all expenditure and profits benefit Nepal and thus contribute towards the development of the country. He and Gill share a keen interest in sustainable development for Nepal, including schemes for renewable energy. Pradip’s practical interests include photography and travel (Europe, India, Tibet and throughout Nepal). Anthropology is a long-held interest, as is world music – particularly Jazz (including Latin Jazz) and Soul, European and Asian classical – and all things technological! 

Gill Spilsbury, a teacher in UK for over 30 years, has been working alongside Pradip since they founded Access-Himalaya together in 1998. She first visited Nepal in 1997, and met Pradip on a trek where he was a guide, when they discovered that they had many interests in common, such as Ornithology, Natural History, and a desire to improve the lives of Nepalese people, particularly via children and through education. Gill writes the long-winded descriptions of trekking itineraries, handles most correspondence, and usually manages to be in Kathmandu to welcome our clients and help them to cope with the initial culture shock that a first visit to Nepal sometimes causes. She and Pradip are deeply involved with charity work in Kathmandu and beyond, and they spend a great deal of their time on this, both when in UK and Nepal. Gill has a broad understanding of Nepalese culture, including a keen interest in handicrafts and textiles – not to mention shopping for jewellery in Kathmandu! She is Education Adviser to our charity project in Kathmandu and also organizes its Sponsorship programme. Gill speaks fluent French, and also Nepali, and enjoys listening to Classical music and Jazz when she doesn’t have her nose in a book. Widely travelled in Europe, USA, India and, of course, Nepal and Tibet, she admits to feeling culturally drawn to, and fascinated by, the Old World rather than the New.

Damber Rai is the company’s factotum, and our ‘Man in Kathmandu’ when Pradip and Gill are in UK – he has been working with us since completing his secondary education, in 1999, and without him Access-Himalaya would seem diminished. He is a permanently cheerful and dedicated, loyal member of our staff, with an incredible ability to sort out problems via his motorbike, his mobile phone and his charm. Government trained and licensed, with first aid qualification, Damber is a very popular trekking guide with adults and children alike, and he is second to none where bargaining is concerned. He greets our clients at the airport when they arrive, and also bids them farewell there at the end of their holiday, unless he is off trekking himself. He has led treks throughout Nepal, and knows the topography of Nepal intimately. Damber is very knowledgeable about Nepalese culture, and comes from a large, traditional Nepalese family, now based in Ilam, where their hill-top farm is situated in an incredibly lush area, enjoying both a semi-tropical climate and the chilly temperatures which are part and parcel of hill-top living. He dances extraordinarily well and sings like a corncrake!