Trekking to Everest Base Camp is an epic adventure with breathtaking views, rich Sherpa culture, and a rewarding challenge that pushes you mentally and physically. You don’t need to be an elite athlete, but a good base of fitness helps. Expect long days of hiking at high altitudes, so endurance and some training beforehand will make the journey way more enjoyable!
An experiential leadership development journey and transformational rite of passage, centered around a trek to Everest Base Camp in Nepal
“This experience has given me a renewed sense of confidence in myself, a renewed sense of adventure, and a belief in the power of community.”
-MATT DEFINA
EXPERIENCE Dates
GROUP CONNECTION AND PREPARATION CALLS
[PRIOR TO THE RETREAT]
jan, feb & mar 2026
everest base camp retreat in nepal
apr 9 to 18, 2026
Group integration call
[Post retreat]
may 2026
THE OUTCOMES
By joining us for THE EVEREST BASE CAMP EXPERIENCE, you can expect the following:
“It's allowed me to create the space that I needed to step into my power, figure out what's next, and really answer the questions that I've been navigating. Not only has it done that, but it's given me family that I will cherish and appreciate forever.
-BERI HAYENGA
the experience leaders
JAMIN HEPPELL
CO-CREATOR OF MOUNTAINS AND MARATHONS, LEADERSHIP COACH
Jamin is the Co-Founder and Leadership Coach of Mountains and Marathons and the ALIGN Leadership Program.
Jamin has coached the founders of multi-million dollar start-ups, leaders in real-estate, leaders in network marketing companies, corporate executives directors, ex-military, and many more.
Besides his passion and gift as a coach, Jamin has ran a marathon in 6 continents, summited Mount Kilimanjaro 13 times, completed 4 ultramarathons (one of which raised $10,000 for a Balinese charity) and another raising $10,000 for a local charity in Tanzania.) Jamin is also in the Guinness Book of World Records for being a participant in the world’s highest obstacle course race, and is the fastest person in the world to summit Mt Kilimanjaro hiking backwards.
Jamin is passionate about adventure, authentic communication, healing generational trauma, and exploring what it means to be a leader in this modern day.
JEN ZIEGNER
CO-CREATOR OF MOUNTAINS AND MARATHONS, LEADERSHIP COACH
Jen is the co-founder and leadership coach of Mountains and Marathons. For the last seven years, she has worked with leaders from Fortune 500 companies to national non-profit organizations across the US, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. She is certified in Strategic Intervention Coaching, Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy and Pleasure Coaching, and brings a mix of her diverse training and own life experience from living her most aligned life.
Jen has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro five times, trekked to Everest Base Camp twice, ran twelve marathons within five years and has supported dozens of leaders from around the world towards their own marathon finishes and mountain summits.
Jen has a degree in intercultural studies and an MSc in International Business. Before starting Mountains and Marathons, she worked with impact-driven businesses and social enterprises across Australia and Europe. Jen believes that we need leaders who do good, while being well to create sustainable change in the world. Originally born in Europe, she is home in the world and currently spends most of her time on Lake Atitlan in Guatemala.
JORDYN DAVIS
LEADERSHIP COACH
Jordyn is a Leadership Coach of Mountains and Marathons with over 13 years of experience in coaching and leadership development.
After a successful career as a senior leader in Corporate America, she merged her expertise in leadership and business with her passion for travel, adventure, and deep inquiry. Now, she helps mission-driven leaders align with their truth and create more peace, freedom, and fulfillment in their lives.
As a passionate explorer and student of life, Jordyn has traveled 40+ countries and spent the past three years living abroad. She has summited Mount Kilimanjaro four times, trekked to Everest Base Camp, explored iconic trails across North and South America, and completed the Mont Blanc Marathon twice. She has led transformational retreats on four continents, weaving adventure with self-discovery. The mountains are not just her playground, they are her teachers, her mirrors, and her greatest co-facilitators.
Jordyn sees potential and possibility in everyone she meets. She holds a space where all of you is welcome and deep transformation gets to be fun.
AN EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME
YOUR JOURNEY
Every step of your Everest Base Camp Experience is designed to facilitate deep transformation as well as connection to yourself, fellow participants, and the sacred mountains of the Himalayas.
1 • LEADING UP TO THE EXPERIENCE
In the 3 months before your retreat experience, you are invited to join monthly group calls on Zoom, so you have a chance to connect with us personally, meet your teammates, and receive guidance in preparing for the retreat and trek. You'll also have access to a group thread to receive all relevant updates to be set and ready to go once we meet in Nepal.
2 • ARRIVAL AND PREPARING FOR THE TREK
Upon your arrival in Nepal, you will be welcomed in a beautiful hotel for the start of the Experience. Your journey begins by coming together for introductions where you meet your teammates, the leadership team, and trekking guides in person. There will be sessions dedicated to preparing mentally, emotionally, and practically for the trek.
3 • THE EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK
On the second day of our retreat, we begin our 8-day trek to Everest Base Camp, following a renowned section of the trail. We’ll fly from Kathmandu to Lukla, then trek for several days through Sherpa country, gaining altitude as we make our way to the base of the world’s tallest peak. Along the way, we’ll pass hilltop monasteries, bustling Himalayan market towns, and towering craggy peaks, ultimately arriving at the legendary starting point of Everest expeditions.
To complete the journey in unforgettable style, we’ll take a helicopter ride back to Kathmandu on our final day.
4 • CELEBRATING YOUR JOURNEY
The remainder of the Experience includes space for recovery, reflection, storytelling, and celebration. We facilitate activities to support the consolidation of life lessons from the journey to Everest Base Camp and create opportunities to acknowledge and thank individuals who made the Experience truly remarkable. Our final evening is intentionally spent in celebration of our time together.
5 • INTENTIONAL INTEGRATION
You may have experienced a seminar or retreat that sparked major shifts, only to find the insights and habits fading once you returned to daily life. In The Experience, integration is a priority. To ensure your growth carries forward into your life and leadership, we provide a group integration session post-retreat, supporting you in embodying and sustaining the transformation long after the journey ends.
What's Included
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Leadership Retreat Facilitation by Mountains and Marathons coaches
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3 nights hotel accommodation pre and post trek
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Domestic flight from Kathmandu and Lukla
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8-day guided trek from Lukla to Everest Base Camp, including accommodation in tea houses and exceptional guides
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Helicopter for return to Kathmandu at the end of the trek
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All food and beverage (3 meals daily)
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Detailed Preparation Guide and support from the leaders (travel, gear, packing list, fitness and fueling guidance)
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3 Group Connection Calls pre-retreat in January, February and March 2026
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1 Group Integration Call post retreat in April 2026
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Leadership guides to support your experience on the trek (and in life!)
*Not included are international flights to and from Nepal, hiking gear, travel visas and insurance, tips for guides and porters, additional travel experiences as well as snacks and beverages
Investment
$7,500
3-Part Payment Plan Available
Now through December 31 or until sold out.
Note: The Early Bird 10-Part Payment Plan ended June 30.
The leadership team of Mountains and Marathons is like beautiful concoction of both challenge and support, they see you for your fullest potential, but they also create a safe space for you to actually lean into that, and fully trust your becoming.
-NIKKI CASSA
FAQ
THE EXPERIENCE is a transformational retreat that goes beyond your standard trek to Everest Base Camp. This adventure is part of a much broader context and experience, before, during, and after the trek. The intention of the Experience is that each individual returns home with a profound sense of accomplishment, a deep connection to Mother Nature, and even greater understanding of self and what they are truly capable of.
With 30+ years of combined experience in team building and group facilitation, Jamin and Jordyn are there to guide and support the collective to get the most from the Experience and leave with stories and friendships to last a lifetime.
Here are the main ways that THE EXPERIENCE is different and distinct from most other programs:
(1) We being a holistic approach to leadership – We don’t distinguish between your personal and professional life, but teach tools to live in deeper alignment that can be applied to every life area.
(2) We bring together extraordinary community – Inside THE EXPERIENCE, you get connected to a group of dynamic, growth-oriented leaders from all walks of life. Even (and especially!) people who were initially apprehensive about the group aspect of the program, have graduated saying that this was one of their favorite parts of the Experience.
(3) You hike to Everest Base Camp! – Not many leadership trainings in the world weave nature, community and first-class facilitation. Do we need to say more?
We care about who you are and who you’re inspired to be in the world much more than your current job title. This is why we say THE EXPERIENCE is for ‘leaders, entrepreneurs and visionaries’. If you are a leader in life, have big aspirations, and everything about THE EXPERIENCE lights you up, then, yes, absolutely come and join us!
Absolutely! In fact, many of our Members have families or are single parents. From our experience, people in this circumstance often have a harder time justifying this kind of investment of time and money into themselves – and every participant who does, we see the most remarkable transformations in who they are become for themselves and their families. It’s one of the most special aspects of our work.
As long as you can organize to be mostly distraction-free for our online preparation sessions and are able to be fully present for the Retreat Experience, you are good to go!
If you cannot be fully present in Nepal for the Retreat Experience in April 2025, you are unfortunately not able to participate in this edition. We recommend you sign up for our newsletter to find out about our upcoming offerings.
You will fly into Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM) in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Everest Base Camp (EBC) is 17,598ft (5,354 m) above sea level. It’s located in Nepal on the south side of Mount Everest.
Altitude affects everyone differently. It is completely normal to experience some symptoms of altitude sickness on the mountain. Throughout the trek, we take a deliberate path that is intended to support acclimatizations, as well as encourage everyone to drink plenty of water, eat regularly, and keep a slow and steady pace. We will talk through the specifics of fluid intake and diet closer to the retreat start and before we get on the mountain.
We work with experienced guides who know exactly what to do in case of any emergencies.
The climate on the Everest Base Camp trek in April is sunny, dry, and moderately warm. The higher we go, the lower the temperature gets. Temperatures at Everest Base Camp can range between 5°F to 59°F / -15°C to 15°C during the day.
We have done the research for you! We will provide you with a detailed packing list to support you in your preparation. Many items you may find you already own, or you can easily find at a local sporting goods store or purchase/rent them in Kathmandu, Nepal. You will not need any technical mountain climbing equipment.
Yes! We have participants from all over the world, which is what makes this such a special experience. You get to connect with leaders globally. We have had participants from North America, Australia, Europe, Africa and the UAE.
We do our best to schedule our online group preparation sessions to accommodate for all time zones the best we can.
Of course! And – It is important that every individual chooses THE EXPERIENCE for themselves first, not because someone else is doing it. We also encourage you to ask yourself whether you will be able to open up fully with someone you already know as part of the team. If that’s a YES, this can be a beautiful opportunity to go through a transformational adventure together with your partner or friend and strengthen your bond.
All group sessions are hosted via Zoom. We will give you advance notice on dates and times, so that you can plan accordingly. While we encourage everyone to be live and present for the calls, we know that there may be schedule conflicts so all calls will be recorded and accessible within 24 hours of each session.
If your questions are simple and of a logistical nature, send us an email to [email protected].
If you would like to discuss your individual situation and ask more detailed questions, schedule an Exploration Call so we can answer them directly.
ABOUT US
Mountains and Marathons: Live and lead in alignment
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