Founder & Lead Guide
Prem Pandit
Kathmandu-born Himalayan guide. TAAN-certified trekking operator since 2009. 500+ expeditions across Everest, Annapurna, Manaslu, Langtang, and beyond.
Kathmandu-born Himalayan guide. TAAN-certified trekking operator since 2009. 500+ expeditions across Everest, Annapurna, Manaslu, Langtang, and beyond.
Prem Pandit founded Mountain Hawk Trek in 2009 from Balaju Height, Kathmandu, with a single goal: build a trekking agency where every client walks with the owner, not an outsourced guide. 27 years and 500+ expeditions later, that principle still drives every trek Mountain Hawk runs. Prem leads personally on Everest Base Camp, Annapurna Circuit, Manaslu, and Langtang Valley routes, and hand-picks and trains every guide in the team for the treks he cannot lead himself.
Born and raised in Nepal, Prem holds a government trekking operator license (License No. 1029/066) from the Tourism Department, Government of Nepal, and is a registered member of the Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN, Member No. 2009-800). Mountain Hawk Trek also holds membership with the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) for peak climbing expeditions above 6,000m. These are not decorative logos. They are legal requirements for any legitimate Nepal trekking operator, and Prem has maintained them continuously since 2009.
Prem specializes in the Everest, Annapurna, Manaslu, and Langtang regions, but has extensive experience across all seven trekking regions of Nepal, including the remote Dolpo, Upper Mustang, and Makalu-Kanchenjunga corridors. He also operates Bhutan cultural tours and Tibet overland journeys, managing permits, logistics, and local partnerships across all three Himalayan nations.
His guiding philosophy is grounded in three things: safety at altitude, honest pricing without agency markup from international resellers, and fair treatment of the porters and staff who make every trek possible. Mountain Hawk pays porters above industry standard, limits loads to 25kg, and provides full insurance coverage. Prem believes a trek is only successful if everyone on the trail, not just the client, goes home safely.
Fluent in Nepali, English, and Hindi with conversational Japanese, Prem works directly with trekkers from planning through departure. There is no call center, no sales team, and no middleman. When you email Mountain Hawk Trek, Prem is the one who writes back.
Registered member of the Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (Member No. 2009-800). TAAN membership requires annual audits, insurance verification, and compliance with Nepal's trekking regulations. It is the industry body that distinguishes licensed operators from informal guides.
Operating under License No. 1029/066 issued by the Tourism Industry Division, Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Government of Nepal. This license is mandatory for any agency organizing trekking, mountaineering, or tour operations in Nepal.
Nepal Mountaineering Association membership authorizes Mountain Hawk to organize expeditions on NMA-classified peaks above 6,000m, including Island Peak, Mera Peak, Lobuche East, and Ama Dablam.
Certified in high-altitude emergency response, including AMS diagnosis, HACE/HAPE protocols, Gamow bag operation, and helicopter evacuation coordination. Every Mountain Hawk guide carries the same training.
Fluent in Nepali, English, and Hindi with conversational Japanese. Operates treks across Nepal, Bhutan, and Tibet, managing cross-border permits, local guides, and logistics in each country independently.
Author of in-depth trekking guides covering Everest Base Camp, Annapurna Circuit, Manaslu, Langtang, and 50+ Nepal trails. Content cited by trekkers planning independent and guided expeditions across the Himalayas.
In-depth guides to Nepal's trekking trails, written from 36+ years of guiding experience.
Permits close. Weather windows narrow. The best Everest region teahouse beds fill by October, and spring season opens again in March. Our Kathmandu team is already booking for autumn. If you have been planning a trek, this is the window.
