US National Parks May Open To Mountain Biking

by Kraig Becker on

Earlier this week the National Park Service announced a shift in policy that could potentially allow mountain biking in more of the parks. A new rule, that goes into effect on August 6, will give park superintendents the option to decide if they will allow cyclists access to roads that are typically closed to motor vehicles. Those paths would include fire and access roads that are now only used by the park service itself.

This is welcome news for mountain bikers, many of whom have hoped to ride inside the national parks for some time. But while this new rule does open the door a crack, it is unlikely that many of the superintendents will actually grant access to those roads. The policy does provide for greater flexibility of course, but don’t plan on riding through the backcountry of Yellowstone just yet.

Those opposed to allowing mountain bikes in the parks should rest easy, as the new rules stipulate that mountain bikes would be restricted to fire and access roads only. That means you won’t find them on the majority of hiking trails and any newly created trails will have to be closely evaluated before access to bikes of any kind would be granted.

Cycling on paved roads that are shared with motor traffic has always been permitted inside the parks and that hasn’t changed in any way because of this new policy.

Given the multitude of great options, what national parks would you most like to explore by mountain bike? Personally, I think Big Bend would be fantastic, along with Canyonlands and Arches.

[Photo credit: Tom Johnson via WikiMedia]

2012 Tour De France Begins Today!

by Kraig Becker on

Cycling’s premiere event, the Tour de France, gets underway today with the world’s best riders preparing for another challenging race. This year’s Tour promises to be an exciting one as the teams go head-to-head through 20 grueling stages that culminate on July 22 with their arrival on the Champs Elysees in Paris.

The competition for the famed Maillot Jaune, or Yellow Jersey, which is worn throughout the competition by the race leader, should prove to be an interesting one. Former Tour champ Alberto Contador, widely considered the best cyclist in the world, is out of the race while serving a controversial drug suspension. His chief rival, Andy Schleck, is also out after suffering a fracture to his back in the Criterium du Dauphine at the start of June. This opens the door for any number of riders to claim victory in Paris, including defending champ Cadel Evans and Bradley Wiggins of the U.K. They’ll be pushed by Ryder Hesjedal of Canada, Robert Gesink from the Netherlands and Frank Schleck of Luxembourg.

When the race begins later today it will be on the streets of Liège where the cyclists will ride a short 6.4-kilometer (4-mile) Prologue that will determine the preliminary rankings before heading into the first road stage tomorrow. Stage 1 will be a mostly flat and fast affair covering 198 kilometers (123 miles) between Liège and Seraing. This will give the Tour’s sprinters a chance to stretch their legs before heading into the mountains in the later stages of the race.

The course designers did a fine job of mixing up the challenges this year. The race begins with the traditional flat stages, but eventually gives way to tougher medium and big mountain stages, which is where the race is usually won and lost. Two individual time trials will also go a long way towards determining who will wear the Yellow Jersey in Paris in three weeks time.

You can follow all of the action on the Tour de France website, where daily updates show rankings, stage results and individual highlights. For cycling fans, it is going to be an exciting event.

Hotels Offering Adventure Packages For Summer Travelers

by Jessica Festa on

Want to spend your summer looking for zebras, swimming with whale sharks and scuba diving ancient shipwrecks? Take advantage of these adventure hotel packages to make the season’s travels a little more exciting.

Picosa Ranch Resort
San Antonio, Texas

The Picosa Ranch Resort, located 30 minutes from downtown San Antonio, is an authentic Texas ranch that was once home to former Texas governor John Connally. Adventure activities include:

  • Taking a photo safari in a Polaris Ranger to see zebra, addax, common waterbuck, black buck, elk, oryx, barasingha, eland, Texas dall rams, roadrunners, Texas longhorn cattle and hundreds more local animals
  • Hiking through the Texas wilderness
  • Skeet shooting
  • Horseback riding
  • Shooting
  • Archery
  • Rodeos
  • Hay rides and climbs

Rates start at $7,500 per night, for a group of up to 18 people. All food, beverages and activities are included. Click here to book. The Little Nell
Aspen, Colorado

For those looking to do something a little different this summer, The Little Nell features an Adventure Concierge team to put together personally designed packages, as well as offer pre-set itineraries. Some of these include:

  • Geocaching- This adventure combines hiking with treasure hunting, and participants will use a GPS system to find and hide items called “geocaches.” Treasures are yours to keep once found.
  • Cowboy Camp 101- With this package, you’ll learn the art of backcountry living, like how to start a fire and catch your own dinner.
  • Fly Fishing Adventures- Anyone can take part in this activity, whether you’re a novice or an expert. To make the trip more interesting, helicopter excursions, women’s clinics and float trips in handcrafted wooden boats can be added into the journey.

Rates start at $565 per night, based on double occupancy. Adventure activities range from free and up. Click here to book.

Four Points by Sheraton Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles, California

The Four Points by Sheraton Los Angeles International Airport is offering a “Surfboard and Brew” package, for guests who enjoy a mixture of thrills and relaxation. The offer includes:

  • Accommodations in a newly renovated guesthouse
  • Surf lessons for two people at El Porto Beach
  • Two pints of beer nightly at the onsite Brewster’s Bar & Grill

Package rates start at $199 per night, based on double occupancy. Click here to book using promo code “SURFBREW.”

Curtain Bluff
Antigua, Caribbean

Until July 28, Curtain Bluff is featuring their “Active Package” for thrill-seeking guests. The offer includes:

  • Four nights of accommodation
  • 2-hour guided rainforest hike
  • Antigua Rainforest canopy tour, with 10 zip lines and round-trip transfers
  • Antigua Clay Pigeon Shooting School with round-trip transfers
  • South Coast Horizons kayaking trip through mangroves with round-trip transfers
  • Swimming with stingrays excursion with round-trip transfers
  • All motorized and non-motorized water sports
  • Two 60-minute massages
  • All meals
  • Bar drinks
  • Use of gym, tennis courts and squash courts
  • Round-trip airport transfers

Package rates start at $4,045 for a deluxe room, based on double occupancy. Click here to book.

Rosewood Tucker’s Point
Hamilton Parish, Bermuda

To help introduce guests to a truly unique adventure, Rosewood Tucker’s Point is featuring the opportunity to explore The Warwick shipwreck. Through July 24, the hotel is inviting guests to dive alongside researchers as they investigate the wreck, which is believed to date back to the Armada of 1588. It is part of the “Warwick Adventure” package, which includes luxury accommodations, and a Tuesday or Thursday dive for two people.

Package rates begin at $875 for the first night for two people. Additional nights begin at $730. Click here to book.

Hotel Solmar
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

For those looking for adventure on a budget, Hotel Solmar is offering a great deal. Guests will be able to book three adrenaline-pumping activities for $189 per person. Excursion options include snorkeling, riding wave runners, underwater helmet diving, scuba, zip lining, ATV riding, whale watching, La Paz day trips, Todos Santos tours, horseback riding and sunset cruises.

Rates start at $161 per night. Click here to book.

JW and CasaMagna Marriott Cancun Resorts
Cancun, Mexico

Have you ever wanted to swim with the world’s largest fish? This summer, JW Marriott Cancun and CasaMagna Cancun are offering guests the chance to swim with whale sharks in the wild, as they migrate through the coastal waters of Cancun. The enormous fish can reach up to 50 feet long, as you can see in the side photo by Jeronimo Prieto. The area is home to one of the largest barrier reefs in the world, so it’s truly a memorable adventure.

Excursions are $165 per person including lunch. Room rates begin at $149 in July, and $119 in August and September. Click here to book for JW Marriott, and click here to book CasaMagna Marriott.

Tambo Blanquillo Lodge
Manu, Peru

A stay at the Tambo Blanquillo Lodge will allow you to explore the many facets of the Amazon Jungle. The property operates four and five-day packages, which include night hikes through the forest, piranha fishing, boating through lagoons and lakes, spotting pink dolphins, caimens, anacondas and other unique species and kayaking.

Prices start at $700 for a 4-day/3-night excursion. Click here to book.

Ellerman House
Cape Town, South Africa

The Ellerman House in Cape Town is located on the cliffs of Bantry Bay, and is a great home base for a wildlife safari. Through July, the hotel is offering an “Ellerman House/Grootbos Private Nature Reserve 2012” package, in conjunction with Grootbos Private Nature Reserve. With the deal, guests will receive:

  • Trips to Robben Island and Table Mountain
  • A full-day tour of the penguin colony at Stony Point
  • Shark cage diving at Grootbos
  • A social responsibility tree-planting excursion

Package rates begin at $350 per night. Click here to book.

Awasi Lodge
San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

For adventure travelers with a lot of stamina, Awasi Lodge is featuring a five day “Awasi Adventure” package, which concludes with climbing the summit of a 19,589-foot peak. The itinerary includes high trekking, downhill biking and steep hikes, as each day gets progressively more difficult to prepare you for the hardest challenge. Some activities include biking to Moon Valley, hiking Devil’s Gorge and trekking the Sairecabur Volcano.

Package rates start at $3,515 per person for five nights. Click here to book.

Banos: Ecuador’s Top Adventure Destination

by Jessica Festa on

If you’re the type of traveler who loves extreme adventure and being active, you’ll love Baños, Ecuador. Located about three hours south of Quito, Baños is a small but lively town surrounded by mountains and lush greenery. There are dozens of tour agencies lining the streets, although I’d recommend using a highly reputable company like Geotours or Rainforestur. Some of the adventures you’ll be able to partake in include:

Taking A Trip Into The Amazon Jungle

From Baños, you’ll be able to do one day or multiple day excursions into the Amazon Jungle. The tours usually begin with a trip to a monkey sanctuary. Next, you’ll visit an indigenous community to get your face painted with fruit, drink Chicha, shoot dart guns and learn about the culture. Jungle hikes, canoe rides, waterfall swims and night treks encompass the rest of the tour. You’ll see unique plants, like the Devil’s Penis, which squirts a clear liquid used to enlarge the manhood of indigenous men, as well as wildlife like anacondas, tree frogs, exotic birds and enormous spiders.Biking The “Waterfalls Route”

I recommend getting your bike from Caroline’s Tours on Martinez Street. You can get a basic bike all day for $5, or upgrade to the more comfortable one for $10. She’ll give you a map, and a fanny pack filled with pumps, locks and spare tubes. The “Waterfalls Route” takes about two hours, including stops at viewpoints and hikes to the falls. You’ll see:

  • Agoyan- At 200 feet, it’s the highest waterfall in the Ecuadorian Andes.
  • Manto de la Novia- Literally meaning “the bride’s veil,” this waterfall has a distinct white color, and is 131 feet high.
  • Pailon del Diablo (shown above)- This is the second biggest waterfall in Ecuador, and is thought to be the most interesting one on the route.
  • Machay- This beautiful waterfall includes a challenging hike to get to and from its viewpoint. It’s popular for swimming, so bring your bathing suit.

You can take the bus back to Baños for $1 from Machay.

Going Canyoning

If you enjoy jumping from rock to rock and repelling down gorges, Baños offers canyoning excursions each day. You’ll descend numerous waterfalls, some extremely steep, along the Rio Blanco, while immersing yourself in the lush cloud forest. Your adrenaline will be pumping, as at times you’ll be dropping yourself 148 feet.

Hiking To Various Viewpoints

In Baños, there are two main viewpoint hikes: Bellavista and The Virgin. They’re both very straightforward, so don’t worry about getting lost. Bellavista takes you to a giant cross overlooking the city, and you’ll be able to continue the hike on the Runtun trail to see small villages and the Tungurahua Volcano. Just be sure to carry rocks, as dogs from the villages can get nasty. The trek to The Virgin takes you up hundreds of steps to an enormous Virgin Mary statue, for an all-encompassing look of Baños.

Rafting On The Pastaza River

Baños is a great place to enjoy white-water rafting. Depending on water levels that day, rapids can vary from class two to five. The rivers in Ecuador are warm and tropical, and you’ll even get the chance to journey through the lush flora and fauna of the Amazon Jungle.

Zip Lining And Bungee Jumping

The city is well known for its aerial adventures, like zip lining/canopy and bungee jumping. For the zip line, you’ll be strapped to a high wire, and will fly above the cloud forest. Moreover, bungee jumping is $20 or less, and allows you to jump off a bridge and swing like a pendulum. No need to book in advance, as you’ll be able to get off your bike and jump along the “Waterfall Route.”

Hiking And Biking Tungurahua Volcano

A hiking and biking excursion on this 16,480-foot active volcano is my top pick for the adventurous in Baños. I only recommend doing this thrilling excursion if it’s a clear day out, as the views awarded from this volcano are priceless. The day begins at 9:00 a.m., when a van will take you to the starting point. Then, you’ll hike up three hours to the refugio for excellent views of surrounding mountains, valleys and rivers, before cycling downhill at rapid speed. Once you get to the bottom, you’ll also bike your way back to Baños.

Eating Guinea Pig For A Cheap Price

Called cuy, eating this delicacy is usually an expensive culinary adventure. However, if you walk around near the main square, you’ll be able to find street food vendors cooking it for an affordable price. For example, I was able to buy a single serving with potatoes and vegetables for $3.50. While eating guinea pig may sound scary, it tastes a lot like greasy, fatty chicken.

Paragliding

Paragliding, which involves soaring through the air via a parachute, is a popular activity in Baños. Additionally, it’s a great way to take in views of the entire region. Most paragliding tours take off from Niton Mountain, and you’ll see mountains, volcanoes and rivers as you soar through the air like a bird.

Cyclist Sets New Round-The-World Record

by Kraig Becker on

A British cyclist named Mike Hall, riding in a round-the-world race, has set a new record for circling the globe on a bike. Hall completed his 18,000-mile journey last week, arriving back in London just 91 days and 18 hour after he set out. That breaks the previous record, set by Alan Bate in 2010, by more than two weeks.

When Hall left London three months back he was racing against eight other riders in the first ever World Cycling Racing Grand Tour. Each of the riders set out to circumnavigate the planet on a route of their choosing, although they were required to cover at least 18,000 miles along the way. Traveling west to east, Hall first crossed Europe into Turkey, where he then hopped a flight to India and continued his ride all the way to the border of Bangladesh. From there it was off to Australia, where he rode across that continent before cycling the length of New Zealand. After that, it was on to Vancouver and a crossing of North America that ended in Maine. The final stage of the ride was from Portugal back to the U.K., arriving at the finish line on June 4.

Halls approach to the race was to travel as light and fast as possible, and to that end he carried only the bare minimum of gear. While most of his competitors set out with 60 pounds of equipment strapped to their bikes, Hall took a little more than half that. This helped him to cover an average of nearly 200 miles per day for the entire three months that he was on the road. Meanwhile, the three other men who still remain in the race are continuing to make their way toward the finish line. One is currently in India, another is in Turkey, while the third is in New Mexico.

As if setting a new world’s record wasn’t enough, June 4 also happens to be Mike’s birthday. He was lucky enough to not only arrive home on that day but also celebrate his record setting win with friends and family.

[Photo credit: Rory Hitchens of Upgrade Bikes]