Leading NZ company named among top in the world

                                                Media release – March 4, 2009

Leading NZ expedition company named among the top mountaineering companies in the world – according to National Geographic

Leading New Zealand expedition company Adventure Consultants has been named one of the top mountaineering companies in the world by National Geographic Adventure.

National Geographic Adventure magazine has confirmed Adventure Consultants of Wanaka as one the best mountaineering companies in the world,

Four times Everest summiteer and Adventure Consultants director Guy Cotter said they were lined up against the best mountaineering companies in the world and they were placed fourth out of 41 companies with a score of 92 out of 100.

``We were only three points shy of a major American company that came in first and we equalled their customer satisfaction score. Being a New Zealand based company working in the international arena makes us have to work much harder to achieve the success that we have so it’s great to be recognised for that,’’ Cotter said today.

``We are really stoked at the result and the recognition we have received from the National Geographic rating.   We live such a long way from our markets that we have a lot stacked against us but our reputation for providing a great experience is what distinguishes us.

``Our success only comes about because I am supported by excellent staff that all work really hard at being the best at what they do and I’m really proud to be able to say to say we have all achieved this together.

Cotter took over from Adventure Consultants in 1996 after previous owners Gary Ball and Rob Hall succumbed to the perils of altitude and died in separate incidents in the mountains of Nepal. 

Adventure Consultant climbers reached the world’s highest peak last May to become the first Kiwi expedition to summit Everest since Sir Edmund Hillary died earlier last year.

Among the New Zealanders in the expedition were guides Lydia Bradey and Mike Roberts. Bradey was the first woman in the world in 1988 to climb Everest without oxygen.  Last year’s success lifted the number of Adventure Consultants’ successful Everest ascents by Kiwi climbers to 54.

The Wanaka company will soon be launching its 2009 Everest expedition.

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