Evidence over opinion.

jtreks is an independent trekking research site. Every factual claim traces to a primary source — government permit data, altitude medicine journals, rescue authority reports, operator filings — and every source is linked inline so you can audit the chain yourself.

Built by Julian Irigoyen, an Argentine mountaineer and software engineer. The site exists because the trekking advice landscape is dominated by content optimized for affiliate revenue, not your decision quality. jtreks takes the opposite approach: research first, monetization second, never at the cost of accuracy.

Editorial independence

• No trekking agency has ever paid to appear on this site, and none ever will.
• Operator recommendations are based on published safety records, not commercial relationships.
• Criticism of specific operators, governments, or practices is backed by cited public records.
• All research prompts, source lists, and editorial notes are tracked in the site's public repository.

Affiliate disclosure

Some outbound links — typically to gear retailers like REI — are affiliate links. If you buy through them, jtreks may receive a commission at no cost to you. These links are always marked in article disclosure boxes. The rules:

• No pay-to-rank. Affiliate status never influences which gear, operators, or routes get recommended.
• No agency kickbacks. jtreks does not accept commissions from trekking agencies, permit fixers, or tour operators the site reviews.
• No hidden sponsors. Every commercial relationship is disclosed here and in each affected article.
• No safety paywalls. Emergency contacts, altitude sickness guidance, permit requirements, and route safety information are always free and always source-cited.
• Monthly ethics review. Partners with weak claims handling or manipulative upsells are removed, regardless of commission rate.

Research methodology

Each region is researched through six analytical lenses: historical/geopolitical, economic/contrarian, practical/risk, cultural/ethical, ecological/seasonal, and travel-logistics. Findings are cross-checked against at least three independent primary sources before they reach an article. Articles are revised whenever primary sources update — permit prices, insurance rules, route closures, new altitude data — and the revision date is noted.

Corrections

If you spot an error, outdated source, or questionable claim, please contact us or open an issue on the public repository. Every correction gets a visible update note and a linked source for the revision.