Our team
John Gully
Founder/Director/Trek Leader
After spending much of his time climbing, trekking and volunteering in the Khumbu Valley in the 80s, John led his first Youth to Everest trip in 1988 and began taking groups of adults to Everest Base Camp shortly after. He has since taken more people to Nepal than any other non-Sherpa in the world.
John has organised and executed many community projects in Nepal, which later awarded him with a Queen Service Medal for International Relations. John resides in Nelson Lakes, New Zealand, and still enjoys travelling to Nepal to guide trips and spend time with his Sherpa family.
Ben Gully
Trek Leader
Growing up inspired by his father, Ben took to the great outdoors from a young age, and visited Nepal for the first time in 2015. A keen mountaineer and adventure sportsman, Ben has climbed several of New Zealand’s tallest peaks, and in 2019 he summited Imja tse (Island peak) – a 6000m peak in the Himalayas.
With a background in semi professional sport and building management, he’s now putting his energy into Everest Treks and pursuing his love of mountaineering and adventure.
Chhepal Dorji Sherpa
Operations Manager/Trek Leader
Chhepal lives in a small village called Khunde, in the Khumbu Valley, where he was born and raised. He’s been with us since 2012 as our Operations Manager, where he runs the backend of things on the ground in Nepal, and helps to manage logistics during trips. Chhepal is a passionate adventurer himself, and enjoys trekking and being with family in his spare time.