Why Choose CTSS for Your Next Adventure
Climbing the Seven Summits LLC (CTSS) is the premier climbing and trekking guide service, specializing in expeditions to the tallest peaks on each of the seven continents. CTSS is owned and operated by renowned high altitude guide, Mike Hamill, who is a veteran of over 120 expeditions to all seven continents, has “lapped” the “Seven Summits” six times, and has been guiding for over two decades with unrivaled success. He is also the author of the guidebook, “Climbing the Seven Summits.”
Expeditions under Mike’s direct guidance have maintained a 91% expedition success rate overall, with an 80% client success rate on all expeditions. We don’t believe you will find a leader with higher success rates. Mike has led well over 120 expeditions and thousands of clients over 20 years on all seven continents. Well over 150 climbers have stood on top of 8000m peaks under Mike’s direct guidance. Join us and find out why we truly believe we offer the best expeditions at the best value.
CTSS’s aim is to help climbers and trekkers achieve their goals in a socially and environmentally responsible way. Climbing the Seven Summits is a fully licensed and registered Washington State LLC based in Seattle, WA USA.
A Note from Mike Hamill
At CTSS, our primary goal is to inspire people, whether you’re a professional athlete or have never trekked before in your life, to step outside of your boundaries and experience the power of the natural world. We promise you that the experience will change you for the better. I have been fortunate to experience the world through adventure travel and am passionate about sharing these experiences with you.
The best part of mountaineering is that it enables you to travel and experience places and cultures that you otherwise wouldn’t, push yourself mentally and physically and discover yourself.
At CTSS we work hard to put in place the best logistics and personnel to support your expedition so that you can focus on the experience. Please allow us to show you the world from the top!
We look forward to climbing and trekking with you.
Thank you,
Mike Hamill, Owner, CTSS
How we offer you the best experience at the best value:
- The Seven Summits specialist Climbing the Seven Summits is THE Seven Summits specialist. We focus primarily on the mountains of the Seven Summits and hold an incredible resume of experience on them. We feel we have created the perfect climbing experience for you through time-tested logistics and support. We love the diversity and challenge of these climbs and that is why we focus on them primarily.
- Individualized service: We pride ourselves on the unique, individual service that we give to each client and the rapport we have with them. For us, this is what makes our company great. Mike Hamill, the owner of CTSS, will often communicate directly with clients. We maintain a modest size so that we can continue to offer a great product and individualized service. Don’t get lost in the fray with a larger climbing factory that can’t give you the attention to detail you need for such an important trip.
- Best guides: the quality of an expedition is, in large part dictated by the individual guide(s) leading the trip. CTSS hires only the finest guides operating at the highest standards. They are highly trained, well respected in the industry, and close friends that we trust. The have excellent personalities and are some of the most experienced professionals in the world. Many of our expeditions are led by the owner of CTSS, Mike Hamill, himself. Mike is the world’s premier high altitude guide and a veteran of well over 120 high altitude expeditions including 23 to 8,000m peaks (10 to Mt. Everest). Well over 150 climbers have stood on top of 8000m peaks under Mike’s direct guidance, perhaps more than any other guide. Mike and the rest of our team will lead your expedition with the high standards you’d expect from the premier expedition company. Our guides make our company and have extensive resumes of personal climbs, high altitude guided climbs, and certifications. They maintain at least a Wilderness First Responder medical certification. Our Sherpa and local guides around the world are the best in their industry and do an amazing job helping you attain your goals and navigating local obstacles.
- The highest quality expedition at the best value: CTSS believes in providing our clients with the highest quality service in the industry at a great value. There are cheaper companies but it costs more to provide the best logistics, services, guides, communications. Climbing and trekking is our passion and our goal is to share these unique places and experiences with you. We want you to feel good about your experience because we believe word-of-mouth is the best advertising, and that begins with satisfied customers. There is a difference between our expeditions and those of our competitors, especially local cut-rate options.
- Safety: Our primary goal at CTSS is safety. The safety of our clientele plays into every decision we make while on expeditions. Although we like to attain our goals and stand on the top of mountains more than anyone, we believe that climbing is a round trip and that safety is paramount. We take all safety precautions including bringing multiple communication devices, high altitude safety equipment and the highest quality gear to ensure a safe environment in which to climb.
- Success: We are incredibly proud of our summit success and work harder to get our clients to the top than any other service, as long as it’s safe. Our high summit success percentages are a testament to our small, personalized service and attention to detail. Our reputation is built on a safe and successful approach and it’s one that we intend to keep. A client once said “You can’t buy a summit but you can buy better odds.” With our expertise, experience and infrastructure you can stack those odds in your favor. Our guides work hard to put our teams in position to stand on top. We offer a longer acclimatization progression for proper acclimatization, and improved success and safety, and are willing to wait out bad weather. We also spend money where it is needed to improve our odds.
- You!: Why choose us? Because of you! We consistently attract the best clients and believe this is because we offer the highest quality expedition at a great value. Our clientele takes the time to educate themselves about their options and choose us because of this. We feel that surrounding yourself with the right people will make you successful, and that goes for guide service owners, guides, and even those you climb with. Having a team with the right attitude and camaraderie is a key factor in making you successful.
- Logistics: Mike Hamill has led countless high altitude expeditions and will perfect the expedition logistics, allowing you to focus on climbing, safety and success. We eat well and live well on expedition. We want you to feel as comfortable as possible while on your climb or trek to not be distracted from the task at hand. We feel that these creature comforts go a long way to making your time in the backcountry enjoyable.
- Local Outfitters and Sherpa: Our Sherpa and local outfitters around the world are the best in the industry and do an amazing job helping you attain your goals and navigating local obstacles. We hold ourselves to very high standards and expect the same of those we partner with internationally. You will be impressed by the level of service and attentiveness shown to you and your expedition by these wonderful people.
- Updates: In today’s connected world people want to know how things are going on expedition. CTSS maintains regular updates on our blog to keep friends and families informed. This can relieve a lot of the stress loved ones have when you’re away on climbing. We want to make the climb as stress-free for both the climber and the folks back home.
- Professional Business Practices: Running a professional guide service that you feel comfortable putting your trust in is important to us. Because of this we comply with all local, state, federal and international laws. We hope that this makes you feel more confident about choosing us and our programs.
- Enjoyment: This is your vacation and you’re here to have a good time. Our goal is to give you the experience of a lifetime, inspire you in the mountains, and to have a great time doing it. This, again, comes back to our guides; they all have great personalities and their love for the mountain is contagious.
- Because you care about your environment, and local communities. CTSS is a member of “1% for the Planet,” an alliance of companies financially committed to making the planet better. Also, a portion of the profit from each program goes to the “Tiger of the Snows Fund.” CTSS Owner Mike Hamill began CTSS in 2014 to provide educational opportunities for workers involved in outdoor tourism and their families globally. By climbing or trekking with CTSS you are making a conscious decision to be a global citizen and support education and local communities. In supporting “The Tiger of the Snows Foundation,” CTSS is creating stronger communities and giving back to the people that give us so much on our expeditions in the best way we know how: education.
- Low client to guide ratio: We operate all of our trips at a ratio of 4 clients per guide or less which offers you a better, safer, and more personalized experience.
- References: See for yourself why CTSS is the best. Visit our “Client Testimonials” page for a small sample of the positive feedback we have received over the years. We are happy to supply you with a list of references that will further help you make an educated decision in choosing the right guide service for you. The majority of our clients are repeat customers because of the service we provide. They are more than just clients: we consider them friends. We are confident that you will choose CTSS!
Choosing the right guide service for a high altitude climb or trek is a big decision. Expedition leadership is extremely important when it comes to safety, success, and the overall enjoyment on an expedition. We are here to help you make an informed choice, so please feel free to contact us: info@climbingthesevensummits.com
CTSS Mission Statement
Climbing the Seven Summits is committed to offering the highest quality expeditions with excellent leadership. We aim to help clients set and attain goals that challenge themselves and inspire them to explore the world, learn through experience, and connect with the environment and local cultures in a socially and environmentally responsible way, while building positive and lasting relationships with fellow climbers.