 Christopher Ussher
Christopher was born in Yorkshire in 1955 and spent the early part of his life living on one of England’s finest Estates, Harewood, where his father was Land Agent.
Following Sandhurst, he joined the 10th Princess Mary’s Own Gurkha Rifles, with whom he served from 1974 to 1983. He also served as an instructor in Combat Survival and Jungle Warfare with the British Army Advisory Team in Nigeria. Christopher speaks fluent Nepali and has lived and worked in Nepal.
He started Ussher Tours in 1988, initially running treks to Nepal and wildlife and fishing safaris in Kenya, flying his clients personally to and from different locations. In 1991 he started visits to Bulgaria and the unexplored Russian Far East, where he discovered the tremendous fishing and wildlife possibilities. He retains his excellent contacts with Russia and Eastern Europe for fishing, shooting and wildlife trips. Following in his father’s footsteps, he is now Estate Manager at Harewood but continues to lead treks in Nepal. Christopher is a committee member of the Nepal Trust for Nature Conservation, UK.
 Colonel Mike Allen
Mike’s links with the Indian sub-continent go back to the 18th Century. His great-grandfather, Sir George Allen, brought the young Rudyard Kipling out to Allahabad to work as a cub reporter on The Pioneer. Mike was born in Bihar in India, close to the border with Nepal and spent much of his early life in Bihar and Assam, where his father was a political officer.
From Sandhurst, Mike was commissioned into the 7th Duke of Edinburgh’s Own Gurkha Rifles and during his 34 years as a Gurkha Officer he served in Malaysia, Borneo, Cyprus, Brunei, Thailand and Nepal. He has travelled all over the Kingdom of Nepal on trek and by river and is an expert on the region’s wildlife and insects.
Mike has helped to organise several important scientific expeditions in Asia and is actively involved with wildlife conservation projects in Nepal. He is a Trustee of the Nepal Trust for Nature Conservation, UK, and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical and Royal Entomological Societies. Twice Defence Attaché with the British Embassy in Kathmandu and once in Bangkok, Mike speaks fluent Nepali, Thai and Hindi, and has a deep knowledge and love of Nepal.
 Colonel Willie Bicket
Willie was born and brought up in Africa and has lived and worked in many foreign countries. During his 21 years as a Gurkha Officer he worked in Nepal, Borneo, Hong Kong, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Europe. His last appointment with the Gurkhas was as Chief of Staff of the British Gurkhas in Nepal, living in Kathmandu and travelling and trekking extensively throughout the country, both professionally and in his own time. He is currently Chairman of the Royal Gurkha Rifles Association. Willie is a fluent Nepali speaker.
 Jagdish Rai
Jagdish joined the Queen’s Gurkha Engineer Regiment in 1960 and served in Malaya, Singapore, Brunei, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom over a period of 24 years before retiring as a Gurkha Lieutenant, when he established Insight Himalaya Treks. He is married to Jaimit, who supervises our experienced team of cooks. They have two children, Binod and Philemon; both of whom are actively involved in the company and, like their father, are brilliant and experienced trek leaders. Jagdish is a very experienced trekker who is very knowledgeable on the traditions and culture of Nepal and who loves the outdoors.
 Binod Rai Binod started trekking when he was 13 years old and was leading high altitude treks by the age of 18. He is a keen bird watcher and a landscape photographer. He is also a painter turned digital artist. He is the designer of the usshertours.com website. Binod leads high altitude treks in Nepal, Sikkim and Tibet. He has also lead climbing expeditions for the British Armed Forces. He was head of the support team of an expedtion in 1996 to make one of the last documentaries to be made in Western Tibet - “The Search for Shangrila”.
Educated in Darjeeling at the famous Dr Graham’s Homes School, his English is fluent and he will be able to talk to you on all aspects of the history, culture, fauna and flora of Nepal. Binod has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography and English, and is a St John’s Ambulance First Aider.
 Heather Willis
Heather is a fluent Nepali speaker who lived in Nepal for many years when her late husband, Major Richard Willis, was serving with the Brigade of Gurkhas, completes our experienced team of trek leaders. |
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