“The Adventure Company” Expands Market through New Experiences and Touchpoints
As of today, Mountain Travel Sobek has officially updated its name to MT Sobek. In addition to a name change, and central to its commitment to innovation in adventure travel, is a rebranded website complete with an online booking portal, an upgraded customer interface, and an expanded adventure portfolio with new travel interests and 60 new trips slated for 2019.
“As we gear up for our 50th anniversary in 2019, we knew it was time to update our heritage name and overall aesthetics to pay tribute to where we’ve come from and where we’re going,” said MT Sobek President & CEO, Kimberly Daley. “Our brand has opened the world of travel to thousands over the years, and now we want to continue to expand our services along with a name and website that resonates with travelers of all kinds.”
Originally named Mountain Travel in 1969 by Leo Le Bon, Allen Steck, and Barry Bishop, the company eventually teamed up with Sobek Expeditions—founded by Richard Bangs, Lew Greenwald, and John Yost—in 1991. From there, Mountain Travel Sobek was born, offering the broadest range of active adventure travel trips to far-flung corners of the planet ever provided by a single company.
“The name Mountain Travel Sobek carries its own legacy,” continued Daley. “We have a number of guests who have been traveling with us from the beginning and we didn’t want to stray too far from our roots. So we went with a name that many people already use, and one that helps us go beyond the mountains and encompass all of our adventures—whether climbing to Everest Base Camp or watching wildlife in the Galápagos. The refreshed logo itself still retains the mountains and rivers that speak to our legacy on the trail and on the water, but refining it takes us forward,” said Daley.
MT Sobek has been recognized as “The Adventure Company” since its inception in 1969. Known for its small group and customized high adventure, unique global destinations, first commercial treks to Nepal, and a long record of first descents, country entries, and mountain ascents, MT Sobek is no stranger to pushing through barriers. Using the “The Adventure Company” tagline enables MT Sobek to showcase its legacy as a company of adventure travel firsts.
The company has continually evolved its trips with changing times and travel preferences by listening carefully to what travelers are looking for and innovating. This year, MT Sobek has added 19 cutting-edge new trips, introducing never before visited destinations like Iraqi Kurdistan and the first commercial rafting descent of Iran’s Sezar River, to name a few. The brand has also created new wellness, women’s, food and drink, and national park adventures. “This enables guests to have control in designing their travel preferences and ongoing adventures. Our goal is to reach adventurers of every age, gender, and ethnicity,” continued Daley. “The new trips reflect this new direction.”
MT Sobek is dedicated to not only finding exceptional places in the world, but in taking responsibility in preserving them for coming generations. "Our passionate commitment to fundamental beliefs, such as the priceless value of community, culture, nature and being a good global citizen, keeps us firmly grounded as we move into the future. Our new identity does not just symbolize our company and what we stand for, it symbolizes a promise we make to ourselves, all of our partners and guests, to continue our quest for responsible travel as we mark our role as leaders of the next big adventure, no matter where in the world it may be."
MT Sobek is also leading a 50th Anniversary Everest Base Camp Trek, with legendary guides, as part of its Heritage series to take adventurers back to where it all started in 1969.
The relaunched MT Sobek website can still be found at its address: www.mtsobek.com.