City Mountaineering Avis 86

I had the pleasure to be guided by Stuart on part of the Cape Wrath Trail last week. Although I joined for the full trail I unfortunately had to abandon my too bold a plan due to a yet unhealed knee-injury and a bad weather spell early on in the trek. Stuart proved to be highly understanding and reconfigured the rest of my too short a stay in the Highlands on the spot. I was struck by Stuart's nononsense approach to guiding and his ability to improvise and organise the most complex logistics. I was charmed by his deep knowledge of the trail and the larger environment. I enjoyed many fine conversations on the flora, fauna, history, archaeology, geology and of course cuisine of the region. The improvised part of my sojourn turned out to be most interesting and in full consideration of my particular interests. Thank you for the wonderfull week Stuart. And thank you Dave for the great companionship.

The best group to join when you want to explore the UK mountains! Stuart and his team leads explorations with the priority of enjoying your time outdoors, at the end of the day it all depends on one’s own fitness and capabilities. But even then you are assured that you will not be left on your own and you are safely guided to the mountains and back. If you are guided by Stuart, there is also the bonus of being joined by his lovely dog Beinn!

Great trip, excellent guides and met lots of very nice and interesting people. Relaxed, friendly, supportive.

Glencoe Valley weekend trip was my second experience with City Mountaineering. Should anyone look for a condensed flavour of Scottish Highlands - pick that one. Stunning landscapes, iconic spots, sense of freedom and - a bonus feature - breakfast with a View (capital V essential). On top of that, great company of fellow hikers and absolutely top-notch logistics and care by our guide, Stuart. Thank you again, City Mountaineering.

Another amazing experience with City Mountaineering! I spent a week with Jonathan hiking the Skye Trail. Stunning scenery and luckily only one day when the weather wasn’t with us. I appreciate how much hard work it is to keep us all happy. And of particular note is the care and attention given to making sure we were kitted out appropriately.

Stunning hike in the Cairngorms. Stuart and Beinn are excellent guides — knowledgeable, friendly, and attentive. I’m looking forward to another trip with them.

Great way to explore Orkney! - both its natural landscapes, and the historical sites. This 10 day trip involved 4 nights of wild camping, 2.5 days of hiking with a full pack, remaining days hiking with day packs (thanks to van support!) and 4 ferry rides. We really lucked out on the weather, missing storm Floris by a day. Spent plenty of time admiring the wildlife; hares, horses, puffins, seals, dolphins..! I love the structure of City Mountaineering trips - small group of 9 like-minded people, a qualified mountain guide who leads and takes care of everyone, a well thought out itinerary, and road/ferry transfers. It gives me the opportunity to mentally switch off and really enjoy being present in nature. Thank you Stu and Jonathan for such a lovely trip!

What a excellent week in Orkney. Great wild camping spots, outstanding walks and visiting beautiful beaches and places steeped in history. Jonathan was an excellent guide and my thanks to my fellow team mates and Stuart for organising this island hopping gem of a holiday.

Amazing trip! One of the best expeditions ever! The planning is so spot on that feels effortless. And Jonathan guiding with Stuart as support has made the adventure feel like a 5 star luxury event. Wish I could upload the photos. Visit Orkney as soon as you can! Thanks City Mountaineering for yet another perfect trip. X

I love these trips, I must have done 10 by now! Book early to avoid disappointment as they are getting popular!!

I have been on a few trips with city mountaineering and always enjoy… really some memorable adventures and a complete reset each time !

This is my 4th trip with City Mountaineering. Isle of skye it was my first time wild camping. I can't fault them as always well organised, knowledgable guide. I had a great time. Looking forward to my next trip

This was my second trip with City Mountaineering, and once again, they were fantastic! I joined the weekend camping trip in the Cairngorms, and it was such a great experience. Everything was really well organised, and the group was super friendly. Taking the sleeper train to and from London added a fun touch to the trip. Stuart was an excellent guide—really supportive and made sure everyone was well looked after. I highly recommend them.

Wild camping in the Cairngorms with Stuart was honestly one of the best experiences I’ve had in a long time. He’s such a knowledgeable guide and clearly knows the area like the back of his hand. What I really loved was how we were completely off the beaten track—it felt like a real adventure, and exactly the kind of break I needed from the hustle and bustle of London. Stuart has a really calm, reassuring manner that made the whole group feel comfortable and at ease. I came away feeling refreshed, inspired, and already thinking about when I can do another trip with him. Can’t recommend it enough

I joined City Mountaineering’s Kilimanjaro trek in April 2025 and cannot recommend highly enough. As a keen hiker but total novice to altitude, I was unsure of what to expect but Stu expertly explained everything, every step of the way - taking the time to do a detailed kit briefing before we even left the U.K., and answering the many many questions asked with patience and kindness. He explained each step of the journey every day. The local crew selected by Stu were also excellent. The result was a trip that felt completely safe, extremely well organised, and above all, incredibly fun! All of our group reached the summit, which was the cherry on the Kili cake. Absolutely loved it and will be back for more adventures asap!

I jumped on the last place for one of the weekend Ben Nevis trips - I'd been wanting to do this in winter for ages. The small group size was perfect and the other participants were lovely. I generally plan my own trips, and it was nice to not have to think of anything (as everything had already been thought of!)
I would definitely go on a City Mountaineering trip again in the future.

Winter West highland way.
Fantastic guiding, excellent support and really good accommodation options. Plus I took the sleeper train back leaving me refreshed for work. But I’d rather have stayed up there. Stuart and Jonathan also arranged exceptional weather for us. Not sure how!!! You should see the photos. Such beauty. Everywhere.

** My first Winter climb to Snowdon Summit **

I found City Mountaineering through a 3rd party website and visited their own website. The site looked professional with lots of mountain climbs and I decided to book a last minute Snowdon climb happening on 10th Jan 2025.

Stuart Shipp was our host and climb leader. He provided all the details before the trip, provided transportation and accommodation. Gave us technical training on how to use safety equipments like crampons, ice axe.

He manages a small group of 8 people at a time to make sure he can give attention to each individual.

The hike to Snowdon was risky but he made sure everyone was safe and guided us to the summit. Stuart is a passionate mountaineer, a genuine person and a good guy and climbing a mountain with such a personality is always nice.
I got lucky with the group as well since all 7 of us really connected.

I would be returning again for more climbs in future and I can say, they are the only one who are doing some true hiking/climbing in UK.

David and Simon were fantastic mountain leaders who made the weekend very enjoyable. They have extensive knowledge of the great outdoors and they were very welcoming of our predominantly female group. I will definitely book again with City Mountaineering. Thank you to Stuart too for the coordinating and oversight.

Fantastic trip. Really well organised and Stuart is a great “host” for the weekend. I would recommend a City Mountaineering trip and look forward to our next trip