An employee-run, multi-day backpacking trip has become a hot ticket at McKinsey

In 2025, 65 McKinsey colleagues hiked Patagonia. This year, 100 are headed to the Peaks of the Balkans. Alex Harman Alex Harman started an unofficial hiking retreat, drawing McKinsey employees from around the world. Trips involve backpacking across places like Kilimanjaro, Patagonia, and the Peaks of the Balkans. The trips, which raise money for charity, help the attendees to unplug and connect with colleagues. Alex Harman was on the last stretch of his trek to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania when he stopped on a steep part of the mountain. He had gone to bed at 3 p.m. the day before and set his alarm for midnight to start hiking early. Now the sun was coming up, so he stopped to have a snack and take in the view, alongside around 30 of his McKinsey colleagues , before continuing on to the summit.