This trek was a father and son trek. My dad was a trekking guide for over 25 years. However, he left his guide job about 19 years ago. I had never been on an EBC trek. To answer your question, my dad was the guide. As you can imagine, a lot has changed along the trekking route since his last trek. We hired a friend of his,Tenjin, to carry my dad's rucksack since my dad is 76 years old now. Basically, it was 3 of us. If you're interested, I can recommend a guide whom you won't have to go through a trekking agency. It will be cheaper for you. However, there are tourists who trek on their own without a guide as well. If that appeals to you, then I will be glad to give you details regarding the EBC itinerary. Let me know.