Words and photos from Epic Expeditions founder, Chris Lininger
In keeping with the tradition of the last few years, I sit here with a steaming cup of coffee overlooking the wintry scene before me. The sky is full of mist and grey swirling clouds at tree-top level. The Spokanne River flows gently with geese flying in their iconic V over the water’s surface.
This is traditionally the time of year when I get up early, pour a few coffees, and think back on another year in the life at the helm of Epic Expeditions.
2025 has been a year full of changes, new directions, and an overall journey towards to summit of our own shared potential. Now, I invite you to grab your own cup of coffee and sit with me a while as I break down how 2025 unfolded for us here at Epic Expeditions.
South America: A Full Circle Journey
January and May 2025
As many of you probably know, Epic started running our first trips in Pakistan in 2018. At that time, we had no intention of expanding to South America offerings.
In the winter of 2011, I set of for my first ever solo international backpacking trip, starting my journey in Argentina before making my way down to Patagonia, Chile, and Torres Del Paine National Park. I then spent the following 8 months traveling multiple times between Argentina, Peru, and Ecuador. Along the way, I found love, adventure beyond my wildest dreams, and the mountain range that would ignite my passion and love for alpine environments. I discovered the Andes for myself and that was pretty much it for me.
Flash forward nearly 15 years. In January 2025, I was able to return to South America with a team of repeater Epic clients/ old friends for an expedition to climb Ecuador’s highest volcanoes. This trip really brought things full circle for me and was a defining moment in a new chapter in the history of Epic. A major highlight of the year was standing on top of Cotopaxi with an incredible sunrise scene unfolding before us. That summit morning is something I will cherish forever (it’s the first photo you see at the top of this article).
A few months later, we ran our first-ever Bolivia Expedition; a hybrid climbing-trekking trip to the Cordillera Real in the mountains west of La Paz. This trip too was packed with Epic repeater clients who now feel more like friends than ever before. The team bonded incredibly quickly, and I can say now that it was easily one of my favorite trips Epic has ever done.
Our South America programs proved to be so much fun that we launched three more itineraries in 2026 to three new countries: Chile, Argentina, and Peru.
In a little more than a week, I will head down to Chile to meet the team for our first-ever Ojos Del Salado Expedition to climb South America’s 2nd-highest peak. The remaining part of January and into February will see us head to legendary Aconcagua to climb the highest peak on the South American continent.
2026 is going to be a year of big doings down here – and we can’t wait to kick off the year with a brand new trip in Chile.
Check out the Ecuador Trip Article here
Here are some photos from the Ecuador Expedition:
Here are some photos from the May 2025 Bolivia Expedition.
Check out the Bolivia Trip Article here
Maderia: Ancient Trails and Specialty Coffee Dreams
Spring, Summer, and Fall 2025
Madeira Island in Portugal was a big part of our story this year. As many of you know, I made this island my home in 2022, one year after we ran our first-ever trip here.
That first trip in November 2021 had a grand total of 3 clients on it. Well, Madeira has proven to be a classic case of starting slow and grinding towards bigger goals.
I can’t believe I am writing this, but here it goes: in terms of sheer volume, our Madeira Island Expedition proved to be our most popular destination in 2025. More people joined us in Madeira than did our very popular K2 Base Camp Trek program (not by much), and our new perennial favorite Mongolia Expedition.
For myself and veteran Epic trip leader João Freitas, whom we designed this trip with, this year in Madeira was extremely satisfying. Another point worth mentioning is that we ran two versions of the Madeira trip for the first time (a 7 and 10 day itinerary, respectively), and it proved to be widely popular. Madeira has always been a special place for many of the Epic staff on a personal level, so the fact that our most popular trip is here makes it that much more special in our hearts.
On a separate note, something else BIG happened in Madeira this year.
What was once a casual idea became a reality. I, along with Diane Bouvet, founded Madeira Coffee Roasters – a brand new specialty coffee roastery and cafe in Madeira Island.
As it turns out, we had an Epic group in June become the first ever customers at the cafe, roughly 1.5 months before the official grand opening. This morning of lattes and roasting demonstrations literally brought tears to my eyes as I saw the convergence of two worlds and two dreams.
Madeira Coffee Roasters officially opened its doors in August of this year. Now, a few months in, the cafe is starting to build up a steady following of locals and tourists who love great coffee, and it is just so cool to watch.
Although it has been a team effort, the vast majority of the success, vision, and growth of Madeira Coffee Roasters can be attributed to the talents and hard work of Diane. All of us here at Epic Expeditions are so proud of all she has accomplished with the new roastery.
If you are ever in Madeira, be sure to stop by Madeira Coffee Roasters in Santa Cruz for the best latte on the island!
Pakistan: Where All The Magic Happens
June – November 2025
This year’s season in Pakistan was WILD. Pakistan is a country that always keeps things interesting, and this year was no different.
Pakistan is also a place where our friendships and connections to local communities are unparalleled. In many ways, each year I return feels like I am going home to see family.
2025 was also a year of significant changes for us in Pakistan, as our team continues to grow and we expand our trip offerings. This year marked my 21st visit to Pakistan, and the K2 Base Camp Trek season can be defined thus: a marathon of adventure, olympian-level logistics, eye-watering laughs at inappropriate jokes from cheeky Australians, unexpected magic at Goro 2 campsite, surprise freshly fried pakoras, and an overall solid team effort from every group that ventured to the base of the Savage Mountain.
Oh yeah, and every single one of our teams crossed Gondogoro La pass this year for the 4th year in a row – a statistic that speaks to the excellent leadership and weather management of our guides and trip leaders. You rock, guys!
Speaking of, we had several new trip leaders join us this year in Pakistan, and we could not be happier to see our tight-knit team of trip leaders expand.
Special shout-outs to Pema, Santosh, João, Jocelyn, Gustavo, and Yusif for bringing your positive energy, fine leadership abilities, and for “leaving it all on the field” as they say. This season would not have been the same without this incredible team.
Extra special shoutout to Nisar Hussein, our “general” in the field and general manager for all things Epic Pakistan operations. Nisar is really the man behind the scenes who gets shit done like nobody I have ever seen. If you travelled with us in Pakistan this year, your smooth and safe experience was largely due to Nisar’s talents – so from all of us here at Epic, cheers, Nisar!
From the Caucasus to the Fann Mountains
July and August 2025
Changing our points on the compass yet again, well guys, we had a busy summer in the Caucasus and in the Fann Mountains.
Led by our fearless leader Andrey, our programs in Georgia and Tajikstan/Uzbekistan proved to be a ton of fun. Our groups were blessed with generally good weather (although it was a tad warm in Georgia this year!) and views of the incredible landscapes that define these destinations.
For 2026, we have launched two brand new itineraries to Kyrgyzstan, including to the Karavshin Valley, aka “the Yosemite of Central Asia”, and to the World Nomad Games happening towards the end of next summer. Raph Cope, now the head of operations here at Epic, and I first explored the Karavshin Valley area in 2019, and we are thrilled to finally be able to roll this one out. Keep your eyes on this trip for 2026 and beyond, as it is a hell of an itinerary that we are very proud of.
Mongolia: Return to The Altai
September and October 2025
Ever since the first moment I set foot in Mongolia, I knew this trip was going to be something special. 2025 was the third year we have been running this trip, and the 2025 season proved to be just as fun and full of raw adventure moments as previous years.
This trip has a little bit of everything, and the groups we had this year were made up of just super fun, solid people. We had moments of crazy weather, unexpected musical performances from local throat singers, some beautiful sunsets, conversations with Eagle Hunters, and fire-heated yurt stays on moonless nights. All in all the Mongolia program is one that I continue to be stoked on.
Unsurprisingly, at the time of writing right now, our 2026 Mongolia programs are pretty much all sold out. When the next season’s trips sell out before the current year ends, you know you have something good.
That’s Mongolia, honestly – it’s just a really good time, and I am already looking forward to heading back there next year!
Papua New Guinea: A Step Back in Time
October 2026
Each year, I try to get in one “research trip” to a destination I want to offer in the future. These destinations are carefully selected, and a ton of planning goes into everything, sometimes years in advance for what will eventually be a 10 or 12-day Epic trip.
My main research trip I did this year was to tackle the famous Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea. All I can say is wow.
I flew straight from the frigid steppes of Western Mongolia to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, meeting up with two past Epic legends – Brogan and Cass – for a trial run of this 100-kilometer trek.
To be honest, I was buzzing the entire time. The Kokoda Track is special for so many reasons. The landscapes, the local village communities, and the World War 2 history all come together to make for a unique adventure experience unmatched by any of the other trips we offer.
After 9 days of hiking our way over the Owen Stanley Mountains, we made it to the end point of the trek at Kokoda.
To share this initial run on the Kokoda Track with two good friends really made the trip for me. We laughed, we suffered, we sweated, we immersed ourselves in the history, and we profited greatly from the overall shared experience. Plus, I gained valuable intel and knowledge on how to run an even better version of this trip next year.
I usually hate this question: “So, Chris, which new Epic trip is your favorite?” But if you ask me today, the answer is the PNG Kokoda Track trip. I hope to see some of you there next October 2026. Trust me; it’s gonna be fun.
Check out the Kokoda Trip page here
Yoga, Peaks, and the Karakoram: A Different Side of Pakistan
November 2026
We closed out the year in Pakistan with a totally new trip. It combined elements of our flagship Hunza Valley Tour with the vision of Peter Bartesch, our friend and yoga instructor from the Bay Area in California.
We combined the world-class landscapes of the Hunza Valley in Northern Pakistan with a slower-paced, hiking and yoga-filled week.
The weather was fantastic, and some of the usual hot-spots were quieter because of the time of year. All and all the trip was a hit and you know what? I just like trying out different trip programs!
I don’t think this will be the last time we combine epic landscapes, yoga, and hiking, somewhere out in the world.
The Epic Team is Growing
2025 saw the growth of both our behind-the-scenes administration team as well as our trip leader staff.
Epic was founded with the purpose of being a home for like-minded people to do meaningful work they love. Seeing our team grow and the caliber of talent we attract brings me tremendous joy.
So to everyone who works as part of the Epic family – you know who you are and how integral your work with us has been this year.
Ralph (director of operations) and I are truly humbled by your work ethic and by the passion and professionalism you bring to the job. In fact, we could not ask for anything more, so thanks, team.
Into the Mountains We Go in 2026
2025 was a banner year for Epic in many ways. We had more people join us on trips and in more countries than in any previous year.
Looking back at how far we’ve come since the early days is incredibly rewarding, especially knowing that the spirit of creating genuine, life-changing, and inspiring adventures for like-minded travelers has only intensified.
Now that I am on the doorstep of leading Epic for a 9th season/year, I am full of gratitude for all the amazing humans we got to meet this year (and all previous years too), for all of the old friendships that were strengthened through shared adventures, and for all of our local staff in each country we operate in for absolutely crushing it this year.
To everyone who joined us on a trip this year from around the world, thank you for trusting Epic to make your adventure dreams happen. There are a ton of tour operator options out there, and the fact that you chose us (some of you repeaters for the 5th time!) means a lot to us. Whether it was your first trip or you are a seasoned Epic Legend, cheers for being part of the Epic community! I am full of gratitude for you all.
I have tried to approach each end of the year/start of the new year the same way in recent years: I take a moment to celebrate the awesome year of successful and safe adventures we had in 2025, ponder on the lessons learned and what can be improved, and then… it is time to lock in for 2026.
So, here we go, guys…
Thank you for being here. I hope 2026 brings you endless adventures, no days with bad coffee, and a standout year of achieving your personal goals, doing what you love, finding that life balance, and spending time with the special people in your life.
You only live once—don’t compromise on what matters to you.
December 26, 2025
Chris Lininger, founder of Epic Expeditions
