Welcome
TO SL TREKS
Simon Leadsom’s Story
I was ten when, with my parents, I climbed Snowdon for the first time. I will not forget my extraordinary experience on the summit seeing our shadows projected onto the haze above the Glyders, a mountain several miles away. Quite surreal and magical. Later I would learn this to be called a brocken spectre.
Out of that trip grew a love of walking in mountains and I have pursued this passion through both my military and civilian careers, eventually setting up SL Treks in 2011. It’s been wonderful to lead walking tours across Europe, Africa and Asia since then, seeing extraordinary places and assisted by knowledgeable guides. It has allowed me to meet exceptional individuals and often see them discover more about themselves amidst the beauty of the great outdoors.
Visit my walks page to view my upcoming schedule. The Nepal page is for those that wish to arrange their own treks, using my guides. I have also included a guide to the via ferrata routes and a couple of great walks in the Eastern Dolomites.
Finding the right level of challenge
The experiences we offer vary a lot. Some expeditions are all about big goals. Mt Kenya comes to mind, with a technical climb at the top and that opens the way to the mountain’s twin peaks. Others are much slower pace; time for reading, painting, yoga and cooking is built-in. With comfortable accommodation and a glass or two of local wine over dinner, it’s impossible not to relax.
We create adventures you won’t forget. Come and join us - and get walking!
SL Treks Guides
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Pete Greening
UK Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor
Pete has been mountaineering for over 35 years, ranging from scaling Cornish sea cliffs to Himalayan giants. He climbed the iconic Ama Dablam (6,812m) in Nepal in 1998, involving a challenging, high altitude route with rock and ice climbing.
Prior to becoming a professional mountaineering instructor, Pete served in the Royal Air Force and was a member of the RAF Mountain Rescue Service. He holds the Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor qualification (MCI), the highest UK-based mountaineering qualification for summer conditions, plus the Winter Mountain Leader (WML) qualification from Mountain Training Scotland.
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Paolo Tassi
Italian Mountain guide
Paolo is a very experienced mountaineer who speaks excellent English. Bolognese by birth, Cortinian by adoption, he has a passion for the mountains that has led him to ski and climb on five continents. Paolo has been a member of the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (IFMGA) - the umbrella organisation representing professional guides around the world - since 1995. He is well-known for his patient, supportive and easy-going attitude.
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Balak Buzuka
Tanzanian Mountain Guide
I have worked with Balak since he took me to the top of Mt Kilimanjaro in 2014. Balak first scaled the mountain at the age of 19. Now in his mid-30s, Balak is one of the areas most experienced guides, having taken clients to the top over 200 times! He is licensed by Tanzania’s Ministry of Natural Resources, and has a particular interest in the region’s diverse vegetation. He’s familiar with all six routes to the summit – Machame, Marangu, Shira, Rongai, Lemosho and Umbwe, and has guided on all of them. It’s a pleasure to walk with him.
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Sanjib Adhikari
Nepalese Mountain Guide
Sanjib is one of the most experienced trekking guides in Nepal, first qualifying with the Nepal Mountaineering Association over 20 years ago. His wide experience includes guiding to Everest Base Camp, to the area around Manaslu, the eighth highest mountain in the world, and the Tsum Valley on the border with Tibet. Sanjib’s knowledge of the routes, mountains, animals and vegetation is exceptional, and he speaks very good English.
Sanjib is also a high altitude medic registered with the Nepalese Ministry of Tourism. He has proven experience handling altitude-related incidents calmly and with precision, including organising successful helicopter evacuations.
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Rachid Aztat
Moroccan Mountain Guide
Rachid is a qualified mountain leader trained at the national Training Centre For Mountain Crafts at Tabant (CFAMM). I have worked with Rachid on a number of occasions - one time we took a 20-strong team from Aviva to the top of Mt Toubkal. He has fifteen years of experience leading trekkers in the mountains of Morocco.