Private Tongariro Crossing Guided Walk

It was a beautiful day with good weather and great company. I have to thank you both for your work guiding us through such hard walking areas and taking care of us. I strongly recommend Adrift as a good job is reflected in people who love what they do.

With very inclement weather we were in safe hands with Stew as our guide. It was a challenging walk but we loved it and enjoyed lots of banter. We weren't able to get to the top due to rain, wind and the final insult - hail! But it was a great adventure and we will be back. Thank you Robyn for the yummy wraps!

My wife and I joined the Tongariro Alpine Crossing Guided Walk on 17 June 2022 with a guide named Hiro. To be fair, it was good for the most part but the actions taken by the guide could be improved. Whether or not the company takes this feedback onboard is obviously up to them but I will try to give my feedback as objectively and gentlemanly as I can. Hiro turned my wife and I back about 5km into the track while he took the rest of the group the rest of the way up. Hiro's given reason for turning us back was because I "didn't look so good" and that I was displaying "heavy breathing". Firstly, I'm not saying the guide can't turn me back; I just have an issue with how he did it. I appreciate that the guide was looking out for my safety and health, but I feel that this could have been handled in a better way. I am aware that it is the guide's prerogative on who gets to continue on the trek, but the way that he came to the decision and the manner in which he explained it to us, the customers, could definitely be improved. I believe that Hiro did not conduct an adequate health assessment before turning me back. Heavy breathing is typical for any vigorous activity and the mere look on a person's face is insufficient by itself as a health assessment. As it is, I am normally pale-faced but that's just how I look. Hiro did not ask me typical health assessment questions such as if I was feeling any pain, if I was feeling light-headed, if I was dizzy, if I was cold, if I was feeling feverish, if I had anything to eat or drink earlier in the day, if I was short of breath, if I was feeling any palpitations, if we had done hiking before, what our fitness level was, if I felt I was at my limit, etc. Hiro also did not physically examine me for any fever, irregular pulse, low body temperature, etc. What he did was to take a quick look at me and immediately decided that I was unfit to continue. My suggestion is for the guide to ask more questions in the future, not only to get a better picture of what is happening to the customer but also to show the customer that he is being professional and caring. Prior to turning me back, Hiro did ask me a few times along the trek if I was fine, to which I all replied in the affirmative. Full disclosure: I also revealed to Hiro during a conversation along the trek that I had a bout of motion sickness the day before while kayaking. However, I was not holding the group back in any way and kept up with the group's pace at all times. I did not once ask Hiro to stop or slow down, nor did I indicate at any time that I was unable to continue. When I questioned Hiro regarding the above points after the guided walk, he deferred us to the company director, Stewart, for any complaints. Unfortunately, I sent Stewart and his company an email a few weeks ago on 17 June and have yet to receive a reply. Secondly, I believe our safety could have been better prioritised during the return journey. My wife and I were unaccompanied along the return journey down the mountain for at least 3 hours which I believe is a rather serious safety issue. This means we were without a guide for more than half of our time outdoors. Given my alleged poor physical condition as determined by Hiro, it would have been safer if he accompanied my wife and I back down the track to ensure we returned safely. Hiro did ask me to text him once I got back down to a certain hut near the start. He did call me twice after we had arrived back at the van but I did not bring my phone with me on the hike. My bad I admit. But I believe a phone call would probably not be as helpful as being physically there to help me. Unfortunately, even with Hiro's texts and calls, I could have fainted or injured myself on the way back and he would have been too far to render effective assistance. My wife would not have been able to physically handle me due to her small stature and her unfamiliarity with the terrain. As an aside, Hiro did inform us back at their office after the guided walk that he actually requested for 2 guides to be attached to our group of 8 due to the rainy weather but their other staff insisted that Hiro take our group all by himself, which he reluctantly did. It is regrettable that Hiro had to struggle to lead our group on his own without sufficient support. If we had two guides, we could have finished the guided walk as the other guide could have led my wife and I up. Alternatively, the second guide could have accompanied my wife and I back down to ensure we got back safely. I guess what I'm trying to say is that customers pay a lot of money for these tours and it is thoroughly disappointing when the service is not perceived to be as good as it could be. Because all things considered, Hiro was cheerful, friendly, and helpful for most of the trip and we do appreciate his service. So if he could improve on a few simple things to make his service even better, I don't see any harm in that. So I do hope both he and the company could take my sincere feedback onboard. Thank you.