Ten amazing “green” adventures

by Kraig Becker on

Eco-adventures are all the rage these days with environmentally conscious travelers choosing to visit far flung places, all the while fully aware of the size of their carbon footprint. They want an amazing travel experience, and are willing to go to great lengths to get it, all the while adhering to the principles of sustainable travel.

With that in mind, the Times Online has an excellent article listing ten top “green” travel experiences, or what they call “clean breaks”, each of which offer cultural immersion, amazing scenery, and a fantastic experience that is far off the beaten path. For instance, the article recommends heading to Lebanon to hike the Mountain Trail, the country’s first long distance trek, which runs through the Mount Lebanon range from Qbaiyat, in the north, to Marjaayoun in the south. The trail is roughly 270 miles in length, with regularly spaced stone inns offering up a place to sleep, good food, and plenty to drink.

For a completely different experience, hop a flight to New Zealand to spend a little time on the slopes. The authors of this piece recommend heading to Craigieburn Valley in the Southern Alps for some amazing skiing, minus the resort. Yep, that’s right, no chairlifts or groomed trails here. Just a couple of rope tows that will pull you to the top of the mountain, where you’ll get the opportunity to ski through untouched wilderness. And at the end of the day, relax in one of the nearby huts, which are comfortable but primitive.

Other suggestions include a swimming vacation in Finland, camping in France, and hiking in Estonia. There is a little bit of something for everyone, and you won’t need to feel guilty about your impact on the environment while you travel.

Traveling the globe with Nat Geo Student Expeditions

by Kraig Becker on

In the summer of 2008, National Geographic launched a fascinating and inspiring project called Student Expeditions, which aimed to send high school students to a variety of exotic locals around the globe, immersing them in that location through unique, special projects that give them the opportunity to experience the culture and landscapes of the place, while learning something special in the process. The program is now in its second year, and even more students are getting the opportunity to take part in this amazing travel experience.

The students can choose to travel to Australia, Belize, China, Costa Rica, Ecuador and the Galápagos, Iceland, India, Mexico’s Yucatan, Peru, Rome and Greece, Spain and Tanzania. Each of the trips is three weeks in length, and along the way, the students, and their trip leaders, are joined by National Geographic experts, who share their insights and unique perspectives on each of the countries. These experts are generally writers, photographers, explorers, and so on, and they typically spend between four to eight days traveling with the high schoolers.

While traveling in their selected country, each of the students adopts an On Assignment Project, which are specially designed to teach them something about the country, while offering an experience that only National Geographic can deliver. The projects focus on photography, filmmaking, wildlife and conservation, and more. The trip leaders and experts work closely with the young travelers to help complete the assignments, and create a lasting travel experience unlike any other.

Many of the studens have been blogging their travels all summer long, and you can read all about the Student Expedtioins experience by clicking here. You’ll find thoughts on trekking glaciers in Iceland, exploring Inca culture in Peru, and visiting the sites of ancient empires in Rome and Greece, amongst many others.

And if there are any students out there that are interested in joining future Student Expeditions, click here to begin the application process.

Best vacation day: Slide Rock

by Jamie Rhein on

Friends of mine recently returned from a trip to Arizona with news of a hands-down favorite day that pleased the whole family. Slide Rock State Park near Sedona made the parents, a 16-year-old girl, an 11-year-old boy and an 8-year-old girl happy at exactly the same time. Amazing. For anyone who has traveled with an age range of children of both sexes, an activity that fits everyone’s desires and then matches their expectations at the same time is golden.

Jaunted’s review of Slide Rock mirrors what my friends said made this day a crowd pleaser. Slide Rock is a chance to interact with nature in a way that’s much cheaper than a water park and more environmentally friendly. A slick creek bed and rushing water reflects a simpler childhood where fun costs $2 a person. (A carload is $10)

Along with being some of the most gorgeous scenery imaginable, Sedona is an easy pairing with a trip to the Grand Canyon which is something I did. The drive through Oak Creek Canyon is spectacular.

One time to head here might be September 19-20 for the Apple Festival, a time of celebrating the area’s agricultural history. The state park used to be an apple farm.

Warning to hikers: alien big cat spotted in Scotland

by Sean McLachlan on

If you thought the only monster in Scotland was the one in Loch Ness, you thought wrong. Mysterious giant cats are stalking the land, and while many people consider them as big a hoax as Nessie, one has recently been sighted and filmed. The video, taken by an off-duty Ministry of Defense dog handler, shows what appears to be a black feline measuring, if you judge by some nearby railway tracks, to be about four feet long. It’s certainly way too big to be a normal cat and doesn’t look at all like a dog. In fact it looks for all the world like a jaguar, although jaguars don’t exist in the wild in Scotland or anywhere else in the British Isles.

Sightings of wild cats are fairly common in the British Isles and have been dubbed by the easy to remember moniker Alien Big Cat (that’s ABC). Many look like pumas or jaguars. The Big Cat Research group has gathered data on more than 5,000 sightings and has lots of photos on their website, some laughable, some downright eerie.

You might just fob this off as a bit of harmless mystery, or some pussy on steroids, but one Scottish woman was attacked by an alien big cat and required numerous stitches. After that incident local police warned people not to approach or feed any giant cats they come across. So if you’re planning a hike in Scotland, be careful. Oh wait, I’M planning a hike in Scotland. Uh oh.

Classic Treks: The Paine Circuit

by Kraig Becker on

Yesterday we mentioned how amazing Patagonia is for adventure travelers, and in the process referenced the Torres del Paine National Park in Chile, which also happens to be home to one of the best long distance treks in the world. This classic hiking trail is known as the Paine Circuit, and backpackers from around the world make the journey to South America each year just to hike through the dramatic Patagonian landscapes.

The Paine Circuit is roughly 65 miles in length and requires about 8 to 10 days to complete. The entire route is lined with amazing scenery that is distinctive to Patagonia, including beautiful valleys filled with glacial lakes, stunning mountain vistas, and the legendary Towers of Paine, three unique rock faces carved out of pink granite.

Trekking the circuit independently is incredibly easy, as a solid infrastructure is in place to assist backpackers in getting on the trail. Shuttles run on a regular basis, and there are a number of trailheads from which to begin the trek, with access near Puerto Natales, and El Calafate. The price of the shuttle is generally about $20 and the park entrance fee is another $14.

The trek can be a bit gear intensive, as you’ll need to carry everything you’ll need along with you. Packs tend to get heavy, and pack animals are not used on the circuit at all, so you’ll need a stove, sleeping bag, clothing for a variety of weather conditions, and possibly a tent as well. On the Paine Circuit, you can choose to stay in your own tent for free, or pay a nominal fee to stay in the assorted cabins, or refugios that are found along the trail.One of the great aspects of hiking this trail is that it gives you the sense of a high alitude, alpine trek, without the severe altitude. There is no fear of alittude sickness on the Paine Circuit, as the highest pass is just 4071 feet. But the hike can still be a challenge, as the legendary Patagonian weather can strike at any time, with high winds and heavy rains making conditions very uncomfortable.

The Paine Circuit has a lot to offer any backpacker, and should easily be on your short list of international treks to complete. The stunning scenery is worth the journey alone, and you’ll be exploring one of the most remote and unique environments on the planet.