REI Adventures offers winter weekend getaways

by Kraig Becker on

Looking to add a little activity and adventure back into your weekends now that the football season is officially over? Then REI Adventures may have exactly what you need. The company, which is the travel arm of the REI gear stores, has introduced several new winter weekend getaways that will get you out playing in the snow this February and March.

These excursions are short – most are just three or four days in length – but pack plenty of activity into the itinerary. Local guides lead groups of active outdoor enthusiasts into some of the more remote, and beautiful winter playgrounds in the U.S., giving them the opportunity to visit those locations at a time when crowds are non-existent.

Amongst the new trips for 2012 is a three day snowshoeing excursion into the Adirondack Mountains, where travelers will stay in a rustic log-cabin while spending a long weekend hiking some of the more scenic trails in the region. Similarly, REI offers a four day snowshoeing trip to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula during which visitors will trek past frozen waterfalls and visit caves along the shores of Lake Superior. And for those looking for something even more adventurous and active, there is a three day escape to the Catskills to do some ice climbing.

These short, but active trips are proof positive that we don’t have to stay inside all winter waiting for the warm weather to arrive. REI Adventures will give you a reason to dig out your warm clothes and boots and head outside for some much-needed winter fun.

America’s baddest badlands

by Sean McLachlan on


One of the greatest things about the United States is its environmental diversity. From towering forests of pine to sun-hammered deserts, from snowy peaks to steaming swamps, this nation has it all.

Some of the most compelling places are also the harshest. Take this view of the sand dunes of Death Valley, taken by talented photographer John Bruckman. This is the worst part of the Mojave Desert–lower, hotter, and drier than any other spot in the country, yet it has a subtle beauty this image captures so well. With the majority of us living in cities or suburbs, these open, empty spaces call out to us.

They certainly do to me. When I moved from the leafy upstate New York to southern Arizona for university, I discovered what people really mean when they talk about America’s wide open spaces. They set you free, and they can kill you if you’re not prepared, yet somehow their deadliness only adds to the feeling of freedom.

America’s badlands remind us that life can cling to even the bleakest of landscapes, that the empty places can sometimes be those most worth visiting.

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Italian climber first to scale “Second Seven Summits”

by Kraig Becker on

An Italian climber by the name of Hans Kammerlander has become the first person to climb the “Second Seven Summits” after topping out on Mt. Tyree in Antarctica last week. This unique distinction was earned by climbing the second highest peaks on each of the seven continents – a feat that most mountaineers feel is far more difficult than the traditional Seven Summits.

In addition to Mt. Tyree, the Second Seven Summits consist of Ojos del Salado (22,614 ft) in South America, Mt. Kenya (17,057 ft) in Africa, Mt. Logan (19,550 ft) in North America, Dychtau (17,073 ft) in Europe, Puncak Trikora (15,518 ft) in Oceania, and K2 in Asia. Kammerlander knocked off K2, quite possibly the hardest climb in the world, back in 2001, but had no idea that he would go on to climb the other Second Seven at the time.

In 2009 he traveled to South America, and successfully climbed Ojos del Salado, located along the border of Argentina and Chile. It was after that expedition that he began to form a plan to take on the remaining five. The past two years have been focused on those mountains, and his quest to climb them all ended on January 3rd at the summit of Tyree.

The Italian mountaineer has had a long and storied career in the high places of the Earth before accomplishing this feat. He has knocked off 13 of the 14 8000-meter peaks and opened new routes on some of the world’s most iconic mountains, including Cho Oyu and Annapurna.

It doesn’t seem that the 55-year old is ready to hang up his crampons just yet.

[Photo courtesy of Hans Kammerlander]

Adventure Vacation Guide 2012: Belize

by Elizabeth Seward on

Belize is the only country in Central America with English as the official language. The small country, measuring 180 miles long and 68 miles wide, is a popular vacation destination for tourists whose native language is English. But Belize is good for much more than just lounging in white sand while watching the shimmering teal waves roll in and out while drinks, ordered in English, are replenished. Behind the luxurious resorts and relaxing vacation packages, Belize is an adventure destination.

With the lowest population density in Central America and, simultaneously, the highest growth rate in the region, 2012 is the year to visit Belize–it’s still spacious and remote in most places, but it doesn’t appear as though this quality will serve Belize permanently. People everywhere are beginning to now catch onto what natives have always known–Belize is not only gorgeous, rich in history, and filled with Mayan cultural treasures, but the small country packs in a big punch with adventure and thrill-seekers. Inexpensive and lush, the untainted waters and landscapes await you.Explore Belizean caves littered with Mayan ruins. The ATM Cave, near the city of San Ignacio, boasts still-in-tact skeletons and pieces of once-blood-holding pottery from Mayan sacrifices; these were offerings to the gods during times of desperate drought. But there’s a catch to seeing something as rare as these remnants–you have to get to them first. Getting through ATM cave is no easy feat. You must first hike through thick rainforest terrain for an hour before facing the cave’s entrance, which is a waterway. The only way in, and out, is to swim through the chilly water in the pitch-black, damp cave with your headlamp serving as your only guiding light. After you’ve made it in and out of the water portions of the cave, relatively challenging climbs and tight squeezes await you as you journey through this spooky cavern.

Zip-line through the forests surrounding this cave and many others while you’re inland. Stop to observe wild jaguars if you can while in the Jaguar Paw area. While at Jaguar Paw, take the opportunity to go for a tubing trip through a cave. Hike through thick and challenging terrain and cool off via waterfall rappelling. Scuba dive down into the famous-for-a-reason Great Blue Hole, a submarine sinkhole that measures 984 feet across and 407 feet deep. Widely regarded as one of the best diving spots in the world, the aerial shots of this gaping Caribbean hole will make your heart skip a beat (just Google it). If diving is too much of a commitment for you, spend your time a bit more leisurely and follow a shining school of fish while snorkeling. Weave around the shoreline and throughout the inland rivers by kayak or go kayak sailing into the rising sun. Spend your time doing daily yoga at one of the country’s yoga retreats or yoga-friendly resorts, fully immersed in a tranquil environment, or test your boundaries with a sky diving, parasailing, base-jumping, or bungee jumping excursion.

Whether your on a shoestring budget or looking to spend your hard-earned money on all of the finest adventures Belize has to offer, you’ll find a sweat-inducing, adrenaline-spiking experience in Belize that suits your wallet and lifestyle. With a landscape like the Belize landscape, adventure waits outside your door with free admission to the mountains and beaches. And with organized companies like the ones you can find in Belize with minimal research, sky’s the limit for your guided adventure in this small, but incredibly rich, Caribbean country.

[flickr image via jayhem]

Dry-tooling, an exciting yet controversial adventure sport

by Jessica Festa on




I’ll admit that when I first heard the name dry-tooling I thought it was some kind of maintenance and repairs technique. In reality, it is a type of rock climbing that involves using ice axes and crampons to traverse areas without any snow or ice. Apparently, the techniques for dry-tooling were developed on winter routes in Canada where “sections of rock had to be crossed in order to link icicles or ice smears”. The range of techniques created as well as the necessary skill required allowed dry-tooling to become a sport of its own. While many love the recreational activity for the adrenaline rush it gives them, others look at it as nontraditional and controversial as it can cause long-term damage to certain types of rock formations.

Want a better idea of dry-tooling? Check out the video above.