Group Leader - Jim Carr-Hilton
(also known as "Thar" - Sherpa for "Mountain Goat")
I like to climb stuff! - Jim seen here on the summit of Island Peak - Nepal - 2015 trip - (6,180M)
My family and I (wife Margaret and 3 kids) have been active in outdoor adventure all our lives. I have rock climbing, mountaineering and trekking experience over many years and I am active in many sports and other business ventures.
In my working life I was an accountant in public practice for 35 years. (That's right - an accountant!)
I am pretty much a regular guy with a passion for enjoying life and personal challenge. I enjoy helping and motivating others to safely push through their comfort zones.
My first trip to Nepal was in 2012. I arranged the trip for a group of friends and our families. The group consisted of 4 families (16 people in all - close friends for many years). Our kids ranged in age from 14 to 26 years. This was our bucket list trip.
I heard about Sherpa Encounters and Eoin White in 2011 through a friend and I gave Eoin a call. He took charge of the project and made it all come together. Right from the start he gave us all a feeling of comfort and trust with his depth of knowledge, his organisation skills, his focus on safety and his easy demeanour.
We all had an unbelievable and special time with our families. It was a life changing journey for all of us. The care and attention to every detail that Eoin and his Sherpa family brought to the trip made it all very enjoyable and unforgettable.
Needless to say we all fell in love with Nepal and with Eoin and his Sherpa family. A better team you could not ask for. I have been back each year since, bringing many friends and acquaintances.
I am now retired from my profession, but not from life, and am very fortunate to be working with Eoin and his Sherpa family as a group leader and guide, bringing others to Nepal to share in this incredible journey.
I have the good fortune of a strong metabolism, lots of energy and agility, even though I am 60+. Our Sherpa guide, Kami Nurbu Sherpa, named me "Thar" (Sherpa for Himalayan Mountain Goat) and we are now “Sherpa brothers” having shared many fantastic experiences together. Kami’s Sherpa family now calls me “Jim Uncle”.
My job on the treks is to help make your adventure fun, safe, educational and memorable. Our team will help you achieve your personal goals and exceed your expectations both for the tour and for yourself. It is my goal to challenge those who want to be challenged with some “off the beaten path excursions” and to support those who choose a more relaxed pace. This is your adventure and we can accommodate many levels of abilities and expectations with our skills, flexibility and unique resources.
Eoin and I have a shared vision. We are not running a business. We are not doing this for money or profit. We are doing this for the joy and satisfaction we each get from helping the people of the Khumbu and in helping our guests experience the challenge, culture and beauty of the region. We succeed when you succeed. Many of our guests tell us their trek was "one of the hardest things they have ever done, but that it was the best and most rewarding thing they have ever done".
While pushing through the altitude effects, the cold, the ups and downs and the less than 5 star amenities, a true bonding of the group evolves. Strangers pulling together, sharing a struggle and supporting each other brings out a certain euphoria and a sense of real friendship. This is why we have so many people coming back for multiple trips and so many word of mouth referral trekkers.
The best friendships evolve from a shared effort and challenge.