Inca Trail sold out? Take an alternative tour with Zephyr Adventures

by Kraig Becker on

Peru’s Inca Trail is, without a doubt, one of the most popular treks in the world. The four day hike takes adventure travelers on a wonderfully scenic walk through the Andes, along a route that was once used by the Inca themselves, culminating with a sunrise arrival at the mountaintop fortress of Machu Picchu. The Inca Trail tour is so popular in fact, that the Peruvian government had to start issuing permits a few years back in order to limit the number of people on the trail at any given time. Those permits are nearly impossible to come by at the moment, thanks in no small part to the fact that the trail was closed for much of the early part of the year, leading to pent up demand.

Fortunately, there are alternatives to the classic route, such as the Royal Inca Trail Trek offered by Zephyr Adventures, a small travel company based out of Montana that has been offering tours to adventure travelers since 1997. Part of the appeal of this trek, besides the fact that it doesn’t have the same permit issues as the classic Inca Trail, is that it is also much less physically demanding. The Royal Inca Trail follows the Urubamba River along a different route to Machu Picchu, which helps hikers to avoid some of the more demanding climbs and other issues that come along with altitude. This route is also seldom hiked by anyone other than Zephyr’s groups, which means the trail is mostly empty, and generally shared with just the local Quechua Indians who inhabit the area.

Zephyr offers this adventure as one of their pre-arranged group treks several times a year, but it can also be booked as a private trek as well. If you go with that option, you’ll be able to pick dates that best work for you, although you’ll need at least one other person to join you. Should you choose to make a private trek, there are two intineraries available. Zephyr’s Airport-to-Airport option, will have the guides greeting you upon your arrival and you’ll spend nine days completely in their care. But should you go with the Ala Carte Trek, you’ll be on your own getting to and from Cusco, and spend only five days just doing the trek itself.

All in all, this looks like a great alternative to the regular Inca Trail, which can be quite daunting for many travelers. It is physically demanding, adds the sometimes unpleasant element of high altitude, and is very crowded during the high season. All issues you won’t have to deal with on the Royal Inca Trail.

Outside in Aspen delivers outdoor fun June 11-13

by Gadling Staff on

Outside magazine and the Aspen Chamber Resort Association (ACRA) have announced the first annual Outside in Aspen adventure weekend set to take place in Aspen, Colorado June 11-13. The three day event will be filled with hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, and other outdoor activities, with a host of professional adventure athletes, such as Olympic gold medalist Tyler Hamilton and mountaineer/photographer Jake Norton, on hand to take part in the fun.

The festivities get underway on Friday night with a welcome party at the Sky Hotel which will be used t for the Leave No Trace organization. Then, on Saturday the Base Camp will open, which will serve as the adventure headquarters for the weekend’s activities. Visitors will gather at BC to meet up with guides who will take them rock climbing, trail running, cycling, fly fishing, and much more. Then, following a full day of active outdoor pursuits, it’ll be time to head over to a pool party at the Hotel Jerome. An after party at the Belly Up Aspen, will round out the evening.

On Sunday, it’s back to Base Camp for another full day of outdoor fun. The weekend will be capped by a panel discussion moderated by Outside editors, with adventure athletes fielding questions from the crowd and discussing issues in the adventure community. Lunch will be served following the panel discussion, with a gear give away soon there after.

In order to make Outside in Aspen as affordable and accessible as possible, special packages are being offered through Stay Aspen Snowmass, where you can get two-night lodge packages starting at $99. Additionally, the Outside in Aspen Activity Package is available for $250 and includes entrance to the welcome party, half day outdoor activities on both Saturday and Sunday, access to Base Camp festivities throughout the weekend, and entrance to Saturday’s Pool Party as well. The package also includes admission to the adventure athlete panel discussion on Sunday, and includes lunch after that event too.

For a great weekend of outdoor fun and adventure, plan on being in Aspen on June 11-13. It is sure to be a great time. Register here.

Some thoughts on travel in Ethiopia

by Sean McLachlan on

One evening I was walking near my home in Madrid and in front of me there was a group of people discussing where they should go to dinner. They were just passing Mesob, the only Ethiopian restaurant in Madrid. One of them said, “Look, Ethiopian food!” and they all started laughing. Several stupid comments about empty plates and starving children followed. Needless to say they didn’t go in, and didn’t learn about Ethiopia’s flavorful and varied cuisine, or the relaxing Ethiopian coffee ceremony. Ignorance is self-perpetuating.

Ethiopia has an image problem. We all have those horrible pictures of war and famine burned into our minds, but as our series on Ethiopia has shown, Ethiopia is a safe and welcoming place to travel. Tour operators such as Abey Roads say tourism is picking up, and considering how much the country has to offer, it’s amazing it isn’t a major destination. Ethiopia has something for pretty much everyone:

Hikers and rock climbers: The rugged Semien Mountains are fast becoming a destination for serious trekking. The more verdant Bale Mountains also offer good hiking opportunities. Rock climbers are beginning to make a foothold in the country, and with many untouched routes there’s plenty of opportunity to be the first on some challenging climbs.

History buffs: Grandiose castles, towering monoliths, and medieval cities help you delve into the past.

Adventure travelers and package tourists: You can rough it on public transportation or fly in comfort from site to site. You can camp or stay in five-star hotels. With facilities for all sorts of traveler, your level of comfort is dictated only by your inclination and the thickness of your wallet.

Budget travelers: Ethiopia is cheap. Even the airfare isn’t bad. I flew Egyptair from Madrid to Addis Ababa for 550 euros ($728) and it’s easy to travel in relative comfort on $20 a day.Students of religion: Ethiopia is the second oldest Christian nation in the world, and has large number of followers of Islam and traditional African religions. For the most part these different faiths get along, despite an embarrassing and atypical religious flame war on this very site. Angry people always make the most noise, but the vast majority of Ethiopians are easygoing and tolerant.

Nature lovers: The southern part of the country offers many safari opportunities with a chance to see rare black-maned lions, elephants, baboons, and much more. If you really want to get up close and personal, go to Harar and feed the hyenas.

Birdwatchers: An estimated 850 species, including scores of endemics, plus bird-themed tours makes this a great destination for the adventurous birder.

Friendly folks of any description: The best aspect of any trip is the people you meet. Ethiopians are open and friendly, and hopefully they’ll stay that way as tourism increases. Communication can be a problem in the more rural areas, but in cities and towns there’s always someone who speaks English or another European language, and everyone is happy to teach you their own language.

With all this, Ethiopia could and probably will be a major destination in ten years. The worst part of their history is behind them and Ethiopians are busy taking their nation to the next level. Now is an exciting time to see it, if only more people knew. Hopefully the government will invest in a campaign to get the nation’s public image out of the 1980s and into the present day.

This is the last installment of our series on travel in Ethiopia. Hope you enjoyed it!

Coming up next: a series on Somaliland, the other Somalia.

Mesa Verde National Park offers new guided tours for 2010

by Kraig Becker on

Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado is preparing to open next Thursday, April 22nd, and to celebrate, the park will be offering several exciting new guided tours. Additionally, the Fair View Lodge, the only hotel within the park’s boundaries, has spring time specials for those who elect to stay on site when they visit.

The most popular attraction in Mesa Verde is the world famous cliff dwellings that were once inhabited by the Pueblo Indians, prior to their move from a hunter-gatherer tribe to a more advanced agrarian society. The park offers a number of great interpretive tours of those ruins, including the three-hour long “Classic Pueblo”, which includes visits to Triple Cities, Square Tower overlook, Sun Point and Sun Temple, The tour also includes a hike to Cliff Palace, the largest cliff dwelling in North America. The price for this archeological and cultural walk through the past is just $35 for adults and $17.50 for children 11 and under.

For something a bit more in depth, check out the “Far View Explorer”, which is five hours in length and includes visits to a number of archeological sites throughout the park, including the Spruce Tree House in the Chapin Mesa area. The cost of this tour is $25 for adults and $12.50 for children, and includes a box lunch.

Finally, the half-day long “700 Years” tour visits Pueblo sites that span the length of the tribe’s history, beginning in 600 AD and running through 1300 AD. Visitors are shuttled throughout the park aboard comfortable coaches, taking short hikes on a variety of trails and visit ancient dwellings. Running four hours in length, the price of this tour is $45 for adults and $34 for kids 11 and under.

To entice visitors further, the park is offering their Spring into Mesa Verde package for travelers who want to spend the night at the Fair View Lodge. $139 gets you a nights stay in a standard room at the lodge and includes two reserved seats on the Classic Pueblo tour. This price reflects a 25% savings over booking the stay and tour independently. To make your reservation, call 866-292-8295 or visit visitmesaverde.com and use the promo code SPRING10.

Hikers rescued from Mt. Doom!

by Kraig Becker on

A Dutch tourist, along with two kiwi hiking partners, were rescued from Mount Ngauruhoe in New Zealand over the Easter weekend after they set out on a hike to the summit too late in the day and without the proper gear. The mountain, which stands 7516 feet in height, served as the basis for the fiery Mt. Doom in the Lord of the Rings films, and the three trekkers are described as avid fans of the blockbuster trilogy.

It seems that Violet Onderwater of the Netherlands met Ryan Hattle and Sam MacDonald on the popular travel site CouchSurfing.com and soon made plans to travel to New Zealand to meet her new friends in person. The trio made plans to make the Lord of the Rings inspired hike to the summit of Mt. Doom, the location of the climactic final scene of the films.

On Saturday, April 3rd, Onderwater and her companions made the road trip to Mount Ngauruhoe, arriving around 1 PM, and setting out for the top in bright sunshine. They reportedly reached the top of the active volcano around 5:30 PM, but on the descent, Onderwater turned her ankle, injuring it in the process. With their progress down the mountain slowed, and foul weather moving in, one of the kiwis used his cell phone to call for help, which resulted in no less than six search and rescue teams being sent out to find the hikers, who were now caught out in the cold rain and wind, with very light clothing on.

Fortunately, the SAR teams found the trekkers fairly quickly, and aside from a sprained ankle, no one was in any great danger. It seems that tax payers may have suffered the most damage, as early estimates put the cost of the rescue operation at a whopping $10,000.

Perhaps they should send the bill to Peter Jackson.
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