Featured in The Guardian, 2023
What Himalayan Outdoor Safety Initiative (HOSI) is
Every year Nepal loses trekkers and adventurers in the mountains — the majority of them Nepali. Freelance guides working trip to trip have no access to remote medical support. Independent adventurers carry no satellite communication. When something goes wrong, there is no protocol, no backstopper, no one coordinating from Kathmandu.
HOSI is HAL’s response to that. Since 2014, HAL has operated with full safety infrastructure on every departure — satellite comms, remote doctor, weather forecasters, emergency protocols, Kathmandu backstopper. In 2023 we made that infrastructure available to Nepali guides, independent Nepali trekkers and small Nepali adventure companies who would otherwise have none of it.
HOSI is a community initiative. It is not a commercial product. It exists because we believe safety in Nepal’s mountains should not be a privilege of clients who can afford international operator prices.
Note: HOSI is currently available to Nepali guides, Nepali adventurers and Nepal-registered adventure companies only.
What HOSI provides
Every HOSI-enrolled trip receives:
- Emergency protocol document prepared specifically for your route and team
- Thuraya satellite phone with airtime credit
- Garmin InReach with active subscription and device orientation
- Handheld transceivers
- Medical insurance for guides
- Helicopter evacuation coverage below 5,000m for guides
- Access to a dedicated Kathmandu backstopper on standby throughout your trip
- Remote doctor and weather forecaster available on request
HAL has been running these protocols on its own expeditions since 2014. When you enrol in HOSI you are accessing the same infrastructure.
For Nepali guides and adventurers
If you are planning a high-altitude trip and want help setting up safety protocols, accessing satellite equipment or understanding your options — get in touch. This is exactly what HOSI was built for.
→ Contact us to discuss your trip
For international operators
If you run adventure programmes that bring clients to Nepal and are looking for Nepal-side safety infrastructure, HAL offers HOSI as a B2B partnership. Get in touch to discuss what that looks like for your programme.
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