National Geographic Traveller UK - Adventure 2019

HOW WILL YOU

TRAVEL NEXT

YEAR? WHAT TO

WATCH FOR 2020

adventureGUIDE 2019

TRENDS

E T H I O P I A

B O R N E O

C A N A D A

Plus

RUN, JUMP OR

SWIM: HIGH-

OCTANE THRILLS

IN THE CITY

F R O M F I R E T O I C E :

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Adventure 2019 5

10 SnapshotPeace and quiet in the Himalayas

10 Big pictureSurf’s up in the United Arab Emirates

12 Adventure matchmakerIdeas for adventure both home and away

15 What’s new in WalesThrilling new openings on home turf

17 BooksGet inspired with these riveting reads

19 FamilyBlockbuster trips for little explorers

20 Where the pros goHere’s where the have been

22 Meet the photographerGreg Funnell shares his tips and tales

24 Author seriesAdam Weymouth on Alaska

26 Urban escapesFast-paced thrills in the city

32 ElementalDiscover adventure at its most unspoilt

50 EthiopiaA rocky ascent in the Gheralta Mountains

62 Future of adventureThe trends to watch for the year ahead

74 Ask the expertsAnswers to all your tricky travel queries

76 Tried & testedThe best gear for getting out in the elements

78 Accessible adventureHow the industry’s becoming more inclusive

82 Meet the adventurerQ&A with skier Stian Hagen

PARTNER CONTENT

48 Banf & Lake LouiseWinter activities in the Canadian Rockies

56 TasmaniaExploring Australia’s wild island state

61 CompetitionWin a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Tasmania

70 Jämtland & TrøndelagFollowing in the footsteps of Viking kings

Adventure2019

Contents

50

ON THE COVER:

Vestrahorn mountain,

Iceland // Getty


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Editor’s letter

On a trip to Svalbard in 2017, I was struck by the

unspoilt beauty of this Arctic archipelago lying

between Norway and the North Pole. It was like

a scene from Narnia: huge, meringue-like peaks as far as

the eye could see, glaciers, icebergs and violet skies

streaked with aurora in a silent, true wilderness. Plus,

I only fell o the snowmobile once — a noteworthy

achievement for me.

When a destination is as untouched as this, adventure

has a special kind of appeal. It’s this raw, pared-back

approach to adventure that inspired this issue’s cover story

(p.32), in which the natural elements are channelled to o er

adventure at its most distilled, from volcanic peaks to lush

jungles, airborne adventures and frozen, polar landscapes.

We also get a head for heights in Ethiopia (p.50), fi nd out

how to get your thrills in the big city (p.26) and take a look

at how the adventure travel industry is shaping up to

become more accessible for all (p.78).

So next time you fi nd yourself snowmobiling through

remote Norwegian islands, take a minute to appreciate

the purity of it all — and try not to fall o .

@connorjmcgovern

CONNOR MCGOVERN, EDITOR

National Geographic Traveller (UK) is published by APL Media Limited, Unit 310, Highgate Studios, 53-79 Highgate Road, London NW5 1TL nationalgeographic.co.uk/travelEditorial T: 020 7253 9906. [email protected]/Admin T: 020 7253 9909. F: 020 7253 9907. [email protected] T: 01293 312 166. [email protected]

National Geographic Traveller (UK) is published by APL Media Ltd under licence from National Geographic Partners, LLC. For more information contact natgeo.com/info. Their entire contents are protected by copyright 2019 and all rights are reserved. Reproduction without prior permission is forbidden. Every care is taken in compiling the contents of the magazine, but the publishers assume no responsibility in the effect arising therefrom. Readers are advised to seek professional advice before acting on any information which is contained in the magazine. Neither APL Media Ltd nor National Geographic Traveller magazine accept any liability for views expressed, pictures used or claims made by advertisers.

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Adventure 2019 7



danielalford.co.uk

@danielalford_

Om Prakash Puri,Nepal Ater two weeks on the Mardi Himal

Trek, my guide, Om, and I had arrived

in the foothills of the Himalayas. We

set out in the early hours and climbed

to the top of a valley. As the sun slowly

rose above the mountains, the valleys

below were looded with a pastel-

orange glow, the ields beneath us

twinkled with dew and the air slowly

began to ill with the sounds of the

forest and nearby village waking for

the day. Mesmerised by the scene

around us, I turned around to ind Om

standing still, facing the sun, his eyes

closed and his face illuminated. He

stood silently, greeting the new day,

completely at peace.

DANIEL ALFORD // PHOTOGRAPHER

SNAPSHOT

Adventure 2019 9


Rub’ al Khali, UAE Anyone who thinks sandboarding is like

snowboarding is delusional — it’s nothing like

snowboarding. You can’t turn on sand. You

can’t stop on sand. You can’t do anything on

sand except go straight down and crash. At

least that’s the way it was for Gleb Osipov as he

hurled himself of of these giant sand dunes in

the middle of the Rub’ al Khali desert outside

Abu Dhabi. I swear I heard bones breaking a few

times, as this sand, unlike snow, is as only a tad

soter than cement. But Gleb just bounced up

ater every wipeout, leaving fountains of orange

sand in his wake, dusted himself of, climbed

up the dune and did it all again. He was a real

trooper. Insane, but a trooper nonetheless.

CHRISTOPHER WILSON // PHOTOGRAPHER

christopherwilsonphotography.com

@wilsonphotographs

10 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

BIG PICTURE


Adventure 2019 11

BIG PICTURE

South Stack lighthouse in

Holyhead, Anglesey

NationwideJoin chef and forager Fraser

Christian on one of his courses

with Coastal Survival, and you’ll

learn how to fi nd tasty morsels

on both land and sea. Each

course is season-dependent:

you could be gathering seaweed

and shellfi sh from rockpools

or staying inland in search

of edible fl owers, seeds and

mushrooms. Next up: follow

Fraser’s lead as he puts a

sophisticated spin on your

foraged ingredients, creating

restaurant-worthy dishes. From

£84. coastalsurvival.com

HOME TURF

LundyThis narrow island o� the North

Devon coast is all looming

cli� s and wildfl ower-strewn

hillsides. Scores of wildlife

can be found on the island,

from Lundy ponies to the cli� ’s

huddling seabirds including

its resident pu� ns, but it’s in

the sea you’ll fi nd some of the

most exciting action. Dive in

and you could be metres from

a basking shark — the world’s

second-largest a� er the whale

shark — or the island’s curious

and inquisitive grey seals. From

£75. bristolchannelcharters.co.uk

AngleseyCli� camping on a portaledge

is an extraordinary — albeit

hair-raising — way to connect

with nature. Bolted to a cli�

edge and dangling above the

void, portaledges were designed

for free climbers attempting

multiday ascents of sheer rock

faces, which is why a night spent

sleeping on one of these fabric

shelves isn’t for the faint-hearted.

Anglesey is the place to try it:

abseil down to your portaledge,

bed down for the night, and wake

to a view like no other. From

£200. gaiaadventures.co.uk

ADVENTUREMATCHMAKERNo matter your ability, there are intrepid experiences to be had across the world, whether it’s making a splash on home shores or fending for yourself in the jungles of South America

WORDS: HELEN WARWICK

ADVANCED

INTERMEDIATE

BEGINNER


MATCHMAKER


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CappadociaNo matter how much you’ve

read about this other-worldly

landscape in central Turkey,

nothing really prepares you for

the sheer size and complexity

of its rust-coloured geological

wonders. For the full-blown

experience, there’s only one

way to truly appreciate this

fantastical landscape and

that’s from above. Take a

thrilling hot air balloon ride,

soaring above the fairy tale

turrets in the honeyed morning

light. From €300 (£268).

hotairballooncappadocia.com

MyanmarBagan’s temples oten steal

the show here, but the

remote islands of the Mergui

Archipelago are every bit as

enthralling. Far of the tourist

trail, these pristine specks of

land have all the beauty of the

neighbouring Thai islands, but

none of the crowds, thanks to

strict regulations. Many are

wild and unnamed, and sailing

trips ofer an easy adventure,

visiting desolate beaches, coral

reefs and the villages of the

elusive Moken people. From

£1,545. intrepidtravel.com

A SHORT HOP

CorsicaBeyond its glittering shoreline,

chic harbours and Franco-Italian

culture, Corsica’s interior is full

of high-tempo adventures. There

are deep valleys, tangled forests,

and hulking mountains to climb,

but canyoning is also a big deal

here, too. Set of on a multiday

route through remote sections of

this rugged isle and you’ll abseil

down rock faces, jump into

pools and scramble down rivers,

bedding down in tents or hotels

along the way. A seven-day

adventure costs from €750 (£671).

altipiani-corse.com/en

Zambezi RiverOne of Africa’s most fabled

waterways promises a real sense

of discovery. On a kayaking

adventure, you’ll encounter

sedate pools and thundering

rapids, glimpse the likes of

crocs and hippos, and pass

villages on the river’s banks.

As darkness falls, you’ll be

back on land, huddled around

a campire, then dozing of in

a tent to the sounds of Africa.

It’s physically demanding, but

you’ll be hard pushed to ind a

more intrepid adventure. From

£2,295. waterbynature.com

IcelandWhere else can you be dropped

into a magma chamber of a

dormant volcano? Iceland ofers

rich pickings when it comes to

adventure, but for an experience

to top any diver’s wishlist, look

to the Thingvellir National

Park and Silfra — a issure in

the earth between the North

American and Eurasian tectonic

plates. It’s technical, and you

need a dry suit certiication, but

these are some of the clearest,

most pristine glacial waters

you’ll ever get to glide through.

From £190. dive.is

GuyanaVenture deep into the untamed

Guyanese jungle — home

to anacondas, caiman and

jaguar — and learn the

basics of survival training on

Bushmasters’ Jungle Survival

expeditions, such as inding

fresh water and ishing for

piranha. Ater ive days, the

expedition leaders bid their

goodbyes, leaving you and

your teammates to fend for

yourselves with just a machete,

bow and arrow, sat nav and

little else. From $2,600 (£2,326).

bushmasters.co.uk

FAR-FLUNG

MATCHMAKER

Adventure 2019 13

theadventurepeople .com

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It’s been a long time since there’s been any

investment in the UK’s mines. But in the last

few years, Wales has seen just that: millions of

pounds have been used to renovate abandoned

slate mines, factories, quarries and pits,

transforming them into a network of huge

adventure playgrounds.

Snowdonia National Park is renowned for its

moors, mountains and valleys, but adventure no

longer has to stop there. In this rugged corner of

North Wales, adventurers can now also take on

the world’s fastest zip-wire, then bounce from

net to net deep in an underground cavern the

size of a cathedral, or catch a wave on pristine

waters inside a reimagined aluminium plant.

Along with being epic fun, and taking

you to some of the country’s most dramatic

landscapes, this burgeoning tourism industry

has seen a greening of Wales’ former industrial

sites. It’s a win-win that’s created hundreds

of jobs, and pumped hundreds of millions of

pounds into the local area. So you can charge

your adrenalin while you help re-charge the

local community.

JUMP TO IT: THREE TO TRY

1 ZIP IT

Travelling at top speeds of

160mph, Velocity 2 is the

world’s fastest zip-wire.

From 500ft above Penrhyn

Quarry, it travels over the

historic mining town of

Blaenau Ffestiniog.

zipworld.co.uk

2 WAVE IT

In the village of Dolgarrog,

you’ll ind a former derelict factory reborn as the world’s

irst indoor surf lagoon, where a 300-metre pool

produces waves every three

seconds. adventureparc

snowdonia.com

3 BOUNCE IT

A web of trampoline nets

are suspended deep in

the old mine shafts of the

slate caverns near Blaenau

Ffestiniog. There’s also an

underground assault course

nearby. zipworld.co.uk/

adventure/bounce-below

WORDS: SARAH BARRELL

WALES

DESTINATION ADVENTURESpending the day down the mines might not sound like a joyful experience, but the re-imagined industrial regions of North Wales have become a magnet for UK adventurers

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Adventure 2019 15


EXPLORERS

Nellie Huang guides

readers through the feats

of over 50 explorers,

showcasing both familiar

and lesser-known

discoverers. RRP: £16.99

(Dorling Kindersley)

THE WORD

WILDEST DREAMS

ON THE ORIGIN

OF SPECIES

These beautiful

drawings of Darwin’s

work bring the theory

of evolution to life for

budding naturalists.

RRP: £12.99 (Pu� n)

THE LOST BOOK

OF ADVENTURE

With tips on things like

how to build a treehouse,

this book is sure to excite

amateur explorers. RRP:

£20 (Frances Lincoln

Children’s Books)

It’s not o� en a book’s protagonist dices

with death in uncharted Bhutanese waters,

but award-winning presenter and naturalist

Steve Backshall does exactly that in his

most recent tome — and then some.

Accompanied by a television series

on BBC Two (four parts) and Dave (10

parts) this year, Expedition is an itinerary

of death-defying challenges that sees

Backshall travel to some of the remotest

and most perilous destinations on the

planet in a fi stful of expedition fi rsts.

It’s the fruit of years of planning and

dreaming — Backshall has been plotting

these remote, inaccessible locations in an

ambitious wishlist for two decades.

And remote these spots are. None of

them, Backshall says, can be found on Google Maps and

some couldn’t even be seen in high-resolution satellite

imagery. Divided into chapters that read like realms of a

dark fantasy world — Desert Fortress, Ghost River, Forgotten

Forest — the book charts Backshall and his team’s pursuit

of unadulterated adventure, including kayaking the world’s

largest � ord in Greenland; delving into Mexico’s dark

and mysterious Mayan underworld; tackling piranhas in

Suriname; and venturing deep into Omani

desert canyons where Backshall and co

were pushed to their absolute limits.

The book speaks loud and clear to

the inner explorer in each of us, but it’s

the starkly human element that makes

Expedition so compelling. Backshall is

frank about the toll his adventures take on

the mind as well as the body, the existential

questions they pose and the tugging of

heartstrings of leaving a young family.

One clear message of Expedition,

however, is that even in these modern

times, the age of discovery isn’t over. In

fact, Backshall believes we’re going boldly

into a new age of discovery, where the likes

of space-age technology and satellites have

breathed life into the expeditions of old, driving a desire to

better understand and share information about our planet’s

most distant, undiscovered places.

Told with unfl inching honesty — and a hearty dose of

old-school exploration — it’s a read that will leave you

pondering those distant, undiscovered places for yourself.

Expedition, by Steve Backshall, is published by BBC

Books. RRP: £20. CONNOR MCGOVERN

In his latest book, one adventurer sets o to chart how the world’s furthest-fl ung corners o er unbridled — and perilous — adventures

BEST BOOKS FOR FUTURE EXPLORERS

BOOKSHELF

Adventure 2019 17


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FAMILY ITINERARIES

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ADVENTURE Ever wanted to discover Simba’s Pride Lands or Mowgli’s jungle landscapes? We’ve picked our top family-friendly itineraries inspired by the silver screen

WORDS: RHONDA CARRIER

Luke SkywalkerYou needn’t travel

to a galaxy far, far away to

see Luke’s home planet of

Tatooine — the 1977 ilm was

partly shot in the Moroccan

Sahara. Families can

discover Taourirt Kasbah

and more on the nine-day

Morocco Family Journey:

Ancient Souks to the Sahara.

From £1,349, excluding

lights. nationalgeographic

expeditions.co.uk

MowgliLast year’s Mowgli:

Legend of the Jungle might

have been partly ilmed in

South Africa, but Kipling’s

original Jungle Book is

set near India’s Madhya

Pradesh. Kids can have their

own animal encounters with

gazelles, leopard hyenas and

Bengal tigers. From £655 per

person, excluding lights.

intrepidtravel.com

SimbaDiscover the real

Pride Lands from The Lion

King on the Serengeti &

Zanzibar Family Safari. As

well as spotting lions and

girafes, you’ll explore local

villages and spend evenings

around a campire, before

heading to Zanzibar to relax

on the beach. From £3,099

for adults and £2,199 for

children, excluding lights.

familiesworldwide.co.uk

Mulan The live-action

remake of Disney’s

animation hits screens

next year, so all eyes will

be on China. The two-week

Pandas & Warriors tour lets

families walk the Great Wall,

see giant pandas, cycle amid

karst scenery and try kung

fu at the Shaolin Temple.

From £2,949, including

lights. exodus.co.uk

Indiana JonesWith the next

instalment due out in 2021,

families can relive Indiana’s

Amazon adventures

from the last ilm on a

16-day Family Adventure

Holiday in Peru, Inca &

Amazon (for ages 12-plus),

discovering the rainforest

and Machu Picchu. From

£3,199 including lights.

responsibletravel.com

Princess ElsaA sequel to Frozen is

due out this year. Discover

the landscapes that inspired

it with the Norway in a

Nutshell tour, which ofers

kayaking, hiking and jord

safaris through Nærøyjord.

From NOK 1,740 (£158) for

trains, buses and jord

cruises; accommodation

and activity prices vary.

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FAMILY

Adventure 2019 19


Using only fully electric Zero motorcycles,

we travelled more than 1,550 miles from

London to the Iberian Pole of Inaccessibility

— the furthest point inland on the Iberian

Peninsula — just southwest of Madrid. Due

to the charging requirements and range of

the motorcycles, we were on the road for up

to 16 hours each day, taking seven days in all.

Our next adventure is to reach another Pole

of Inaccessibility and continue sharing our

fi ndings through social media and VR360.

theturnertwins.co.uk

My excursion through the Numbur Himal in

Nepal had its moments: I failed to achieve

my goal of crossing the 17,420� pass due to

avalanche danger; went 24 hours without food;

and spent a night sandwiched between bear

and snow leopard prints. I fi nally descended

by ropeway to the nearest village for a 14-hour

bus to Kathmandu. I was there for the festival

celebrating Buddha’s birth. The festival and

the spring fl owers were a welcome splash of

colour, a gentle reminder of beauty in a harsh

mountain landscape. lizzyhawker.com

In fi ve months I travelled 5,000 miles in a

circumnavigation of the Arabian Peninsula in

a quest to capture the essence of modern-day

life in the region. I was embedded with Shia

militia; sailed through pirate-infested waters

to the Horn of Africa; and spent Christmas

Day in Bethlehem. The TV series aired on the

Discovery Channel UK this summer, and my

next project takes me to Africa. Now seems

like the perfect time to raise awareness about

the continent’s endangered species before it’s

too late. levisonwood.com

HUGO & ROSS TURNER

ADVENTURERS LIZZY HAWKER

LONG-DISTANCE RUNNER & ADVENTURER

LEVISON WOOD

EXPLORER, AUTHOR & DOCUMENTARY-MAKER

WHERE THE PROS GOFrom Arabia to Iberia, we fi nd out where six adventurers have been exploring and the places that are top of their wishlist

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TRAVEL TALES



My year started with a few trips to the Canaries

and a 155-mile race across Costa Rica before

a ‘bike packing’ trip around Japan. I broke my

foot in March, but was running again by June

so I entered races in the mountains. I started

living in a campervan in the spring and have

been roaming Europe ever since. When the

Northern Hemisphere gets too chilly and the

main racing season ends, I’m hoping to head to

Patagonia, combining a few races with some big

peak adventures. I hitchhiked through South

America years ago and can’t wait to return.

I’ve been training in and around Lugano, in

southern Switzerland. I just love the area’s

Mediterranean atmosphere and amazing

mountain bike trails. First, I went for a long ride

and climbed up Monte Gazzirola, then I took

some of the most fl owing trails back down,

ending it all with an ice cream beside Lake

Lugano. I’m looking forward to a family holiday

in the Maldives at the end of the season but

for me, there’s nowhere like Switzerland — the

alpine scenery o� ers the most spectacular

mountain biking imaginable. nsracing.ch

A� er the Paraclimbing World Championships

in France this summer, I went to Chamonix. It’s

an area that’s o� en overlooked by the younger

generation of climbers. I was blown away

— managing 2,000� climbs underneath Mont

Blanc was amazing. Next spring, I’m heading to

the Ruth Gorge in Alaska’s Denali National Park

with another amputee to try some classic lines

of rock and ice. I aim to do at least one thing a

year that takes me out of my comfort zone, and

as I’m not much of a winter climber, Alaska will

certainly test me. moinmountains.com

HOLLY PAGE

FREERUNNER & ADIDAS TERREX ATHLETE

NINO SCHURTER

WORLD & OLYMPIC CROSS-COUNTRY CYCLING CHAMPION

MAUREEN BECK

ADAPTIVE ROCK CLIMBER

Adventure 2019 21

TRAVEL TALES

Adventure 2019 21


ADVENTURE THROUGH THE LENS

MEET THE PHOTOGRAPHERFrom the lowdown on lenses to sticky situations on assignment, adventure

photographer Greg Funnell shares his tips and tales

HOW DID YOU GET INTO PHOTOGRAPHY?

I love being outside and enjoy learning new skills; I

always relish the opportunity to spend time in the great

outdoors. I also think I’m drawn towards inspirational

people; those who push themselves and push what’s

possible. Photography has become a ticket to some

amazing experiences and learning opportunities.

IF SOMEONE’S INTERESTED IN PHOTOGRAPHY, WHERE DO

YOU SUGGEST THEY BEGIN?

I think it’s always best to shoot what’s closest to you. Find

something that makes your heart beat faster, something

you really want to capture because it inspires you. If it

really truly does this, then that will give you the energy

you need to create great pictures.

WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND IN TERMS OF KIT?

The irst item you need is a good pair of shoes! We

photographers generally spend a lot time on our feet,

so ind shoes that are comfortable and practical. I try to

distribute any weight I’m carrying across my shoulders

and hips — using a harness and belt system keeps

cameras accessible. I normally shoot with DSLRs, but if

I have to spend a lot of time on my feet I might consider

a mirrorless camera as they’re lighter to carry. I tend to

use between 24mm and 70mm lenses on my SLRs, but

if I’m shooting on smaller cameras I try to use prime

lenses such as the 28mm, 35mm or 50mm. Sticking with

one or two focal lengths will give your work consistency

and allow your brain to start ‘seeing’ the frames as it gets

used to those focal lengths. Exposure and shutter speed

are totally dependent on the situation, but try and use

them creatively to give some depth to your photos.

WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR WHEN TAKING YOUR SHOTS?

I’m always ater real moments that tell a greater story.

I’m also always trying to ind creative compositions,

something that’s dynamic and draws the viewer in. I love

trying to create order from chaos: an image with a lot of

elements that shouldn’t work, but does.

OF ALL THE PLACES YOU’VE VISITED ON ASSIGNMENT,

WHERE’S BEEN YOUR FAVOURITE?

I ind some cities incredibly inspiring; the urban world

creates a multitude of opportunities for photos. I’ve also

really enjoyed working in Africa, especially Malawi,

Kenya and Tanzania. Spending time with the Hadza tribe

in Tanzania was a real highlight. Getting to witness a

hunter-gatherer lifestyle irst-hand, and see skills that

have been lost by most other humans on the planet, was a

very humbling experience.

AND DO YOU HAVE ANY OUT-THERE ANECDOTES?

Some of the most memorable experiences of my life have

been on assignment: riding shotgun in an L-39 Albatros

with the Breitling Jet Team was certainly interesting,

as was a journey through the wetlands of northeastern

Argentina with gauchos. But I’ve had my fair share of

mishaps, too: having my gear destroyed by torrential

rain in Sierra Leone, getting stung by a scorpion in

Guatemala, bribing our way through roadblocks in

Senegal, and getting tear gassed in at least three diferent

countries. There’s always going to be risk when you’re

travelling to the parts where the best stories are!

gregfunnell.com

@gregfunnell

PHOTOGRAPHY



CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The Emir

of Kano’s bodyguards in Kano, northern

Nigeria; Maasai tribesman, Mara

Triangle, Kenya; camel trader at a camel

fair, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

PHOTOGRAPHY

Adventure 2019 23


ALASKA

here’s a strong vein of libertarianism running

through Alaska, spanning from left to right, and while

I might have questioned some of the politics, there was a distinct sense of the individual that I couldn’t

help but admire

‘I may never in my life get to Alaska,’

wrote Edward Abbey, ‘but I’m grateful

that it’s there.’

That line worked for me, too — but to a

point. By the time I hit my late 20s, I felt little

choice but to go and see the state for myself.

Where the seed came from is hard to say,

as it so oten is. An article I’d read a couple of

years before made it clear to me that Alaska

was the perfect place to explore the lunacies

of how we thought about our planet: the

scramble to drill for oil while melting ice

freed up new territory. Or, in my early 20s,

a temporary obsession with Jon Krakauer’s

bestselling book Into the Wild, like so many

had in their early 20s (in Alaska, people still

make pilgrimages to that bus). Or seeing

Disney’s White Fang in the cinema, when I

was just seven.

And so I went, for the irst time, in 2013,

and found myself immediately at home in

one of the strangest places I’d ever been. It

was as though the place clicked with some

inner part of me still only dimly understood.

This is not uncommon; only 39% of those

who live in Alaska were born there. The

reasons, I heard from the incomers, are

myriad: they came seeking rumoured

wealth, in gold or oil; and they came seeking

themselves. They were getting out of a

broken relationship or staying one step

ahead of the law. I lost count of the number

of people who told me they’d moved there

because it was as far as they could get from

their family while still remaining in the

United States. People came, they liked what

they saw and they stayed. And then there

were the Alaska Natives, who could trace

their lines so far back that they scratched

the beginning of time. Point Hope, which I

visited on that irst trip, is a strong contender

for the longest continually settled place on

the continent, where its 800 inhabitants still

harpoon bowhead whales from boats made

of sealskin.

But how to explain feeling so at home,

so far away? All great travel writing, I

think, is a result of the author discovering

some unexplored facet of their character

embedded in the place. That irst trip is shot

through with memories. Hitchhiking south

down the Parks Highway, huddled on the

latbed of a pickup in a blizzard. Camping

on the shore of Cook Inlet, looking across

For all its remote and rugged beauty, America’s Last Frontier can ofer powerful lessons in humanity — even if you never visit it at all

at snow-capped volcanoes. Flying so low in

bush planes we could see the faces of moose,

solitary in forests of spruce. The splintering

of candle ice. The irst sighting of a lynx. The

irst taste of wild salmon. And the log cabin

where I stayed for a month in Fairbanks and

was adopted by a sprawling band of dogs and

people, days swimming in lakes and parties

that went on all night. The sun never set, so

why should we?

There’s a strong vein of libertarianism

running through Alaska, spanning from let

to right, and while I might have questioned

some of the politics, there was a distinct

sense of the individual that I couldn’t help

but admire, and along with it, a rugged

hospitality. People were fully formed, as

though each one had been carved out of

the landscape. I learnt to write character in

Alaska, because I was so spoilt for choice.

I learnt to listen, because the stories were

incredible. I cried when I let, and I meant it.

The irst time I went back home, the

resolute certainty I had that there was

nowhere else that I could possibly live was no

longer so acute. More trips and more

research taught me that, like anywhere,

Alaska has its share of problems. And yet I

keep thinking about it, about ways to get

back; about the moment I can take my

daughter on her irst canoe trip; about the

Lost Coast, where I so desperately want to

walk. And how so many of the questions I

want to explore with my work played out in

microcosm. Where the power of people to

afect land, and land to afect people, are

both abundantly clear. Where the indigenous

ight the oil companies for the right to native

lands. Where the barbarisms of colonialism

are all too plain, but where people still pass

on their cultures with pride. All this in a

state that makes up one ith of the US yet

has a population the size of Nottingham. As I

increasingly consider the morality of lying

to such places, even if it’s to write about

climate change, it feels ever further away. But

whether or not I make it back again, I’m

beyond grateful that it’s there.

Kings of the Yukon, by Adam Weymouth, is published

by Penguin. RRP: £9.99.

@adamweymouth

adamweymouth.com

NOTES FROM AN AUTHOR // ADAM WEYMOUTH

AUTHOR SERIES

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The wilderness might beckon, but some of the most exciting adventures can be had within the busy cityscapes we call home. Here are four of the best to get your adrenalin pumping in the urban world

WORDS: JAMES LITSTON & CONNOR MCGOVERN

JUNGLECONCRETE

IN THE



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Urban runningWHAT IS IT? Sightsee at speed by taking a trot

through epic, built-up backdrops

WHERE CAN I DO IT? Taking in sights on the

go has become popular all over the world,

but running tours are a big hit across the

pond. City Running Tours operates in some

of North America’s big-hitters from Toronto

and Philadelphia to Honolulu and New York.

In Washington DC, tick of sights like the

White House and National Mall as well as

lesser-known gems. Learn about the 1968

DC Riots, or pound the pavement in historic

Georgetown, DC’s most historic district.

Similarly, Chicago Running Tours ofers

several group itineraries combining cardio

with the Windy City’s leading landmarks.

The routes (mostly around three miles

long) are themed, giving joggers a choice

of waterfront or inner-city scenes. Choose

from Chicago River & Navy Pier or West Side

Wanderer routes, or discover the city’s more

macabre past on Chicago Tragic Events.

cityrunningtours.com

chicagorunningtours.com

GOOD TO KNOW

Don’t be worried if you can’t

keep up. There are plenty

of designated stops on each

route, and most tours operate

with more than one guide so

groups can split up according

to pace. Still not sure? Consider

a private tour and set your own

pace instead.

Adventure 2019 27


Punching in at one of

the checkpoints

Parkour WHAT IS IT? The art of moving

rapidly and luidly by running,

jumping, clearing and climbing

over physical obstacles.

Generally, parkour is usually a

noncompetitive sport, meaning

that for urban adventurers ater

a more individual pursuit, it’s an

ideal opportunity for building

self-conidence and discipline.

WHERE CAN I DO IT? Jump

Parkour has venues in Coventry

and Leicester where you can have

a go while guided by experienced

coaches, while Parkour UK has

a full list of ailiated venues

nationwide. jump.pk parkour.uk

JUMP

NAVIGATE

Urban orienteeringWHAT IS IT? Urban orienteering maintains

many of the aspects of the classic sport, but

plays them out in towns and cities.

Buildings become signposts in this fast-

paced quest as participants set of with

highly detailed maps to make their way from

one checkpoint to another, ticking of each

one as they go. It’s endurance, sharp map-

reading skills and fast decision-making that

make it an adventure that tests the brain as

much as it does the body.

There’s an element of discovery to the

sport, too. In their mission to reach all the

checkpoints, participants explore hidden

corners, landmarks and shortcuts they might

never have seen otherwise. It’s also a very

inclusive way to discover a city, with clubs

running events throughout the year for all

ages and abilities. britishorienteering.org.uk

Professional

freerunner doing

a backlip


URBAN ADVENTURE


PARKOUR TIPS FROMDENNIS KORRA

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Urban swimmingWHAT IS IT? Exactly that: stripping of and

diving in to urban lakes and rivers. It’s

popular too — Sport England saw a rise

of 80% people taking part in open-water

swimming between 2017 and 2018.

WHERE CAN I DO IT? Some of the best such

swimming in London is on Hampstead

Heath, which has three ponds that are open

for members of the public all year round. Be

prepared — the water is oten pretty chilly.

On the continent, Zurich might have

perfected the art of urban swimming.

Buzzing Seebad Enge is a summer hotspot

on the shores of Lake Zurich, while nearby

SWIM

Strandbad Mythenquai has a beachy shore

and leafy lawns. And you’ll be in some of

Europe’s cleanest metropolitan waters, too.

Berlin also does ine aquatics al fresco,

especially in summer, when its outdoor pools

are perfect for beating the city heat. The

pick is the Badeschif, which loats atop the

River Spree in the city centre, but the pool

deck can get very crowded on a sunny day, so

dedicated swimmers might instead opt for

one of the city’s freshwater lakes: Wannsee,

Krumme Lanke and Schlachtensee are all

local favourites. hampsteadheath.net

zuerich.com visitberlin.de

LEARN THE BASICS

The irst step with parkour is

remembering there’s no right or

wrong, and no rules. Be inspired

by diferent manoeuvres and feel

free to perform them in your own

way. I’d recommend mastering

some basic vaults and precision

jumps, then experimenting to see

what works best for you.

SEE THINGS DIFFERENTLY

There’s a huge sense of

freedom in seeing obstacles as

opportunities. It’s this creativity

and playfulness that got me into

parkour and I still love it.

KNOW YOUR LIMITS

The important thing is to operate

within your capacity while

still pushing yourself beyond

your comfort zone. Sometimes

overcoming a physical obstacle

requires dealing with mental

blocks. Before any jump, I try to

visualise it and I’ll only jump at

height if I know I could do it safely

at ground level.

FACE YOUR FEARS

Fear can be helpful; it protects us

from doing reckless things that

could hurt us. But sometimes it

can hinder us from reaching our

full potential, so when you ind

yourself scared of a situation,

work out if the fear is protecting

you or holding you back. It’s also a

mindset to adopt into daily life!

Dennis Korra is a Germany-based

professional freerunner.

@denniskorra

Lake swimming at sunset

Adventure 2019 29

URBAN ADVENTURE


TAKE THREE... CITIES TO SCALE

1 STOCKHOLM

The Rooftop Tour Stockholm follows

a sky-high track across the Swedish

Parliament in historic Gamla Stan.

Participants are fully rigged in

harnesses and helmets and remain

securely connected to a network of

cables throughout the experience. From

SEK695 (£57.30). takvandring.com

2 COPENHAGEN

The climbing wall at CopenHill is a

little more in keeping with the ethos of

buildering. Opened just this summer,

this is the tallest climbing wall in

northern Europe, meaning it’s perfect

for getting rooftop-high without

breaking the law. From DKK150 (£17.90)

per hour. copenhill.dk

3 TORONTO

If you’ve got a head for heights, try

the EdgeWalk at Toronto’s CN Tower,

the western hemisphere’s tallest

free-standing structure. Attached to

an overhead safety rail with a harness,

you’ll make a 360-degree tour of the

very top at 1,168ft. From CA$195 (£115).

cntower.ca

Tourists climbing

Sydney Harbour Bridge

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Organised climbsWHAT ARE THEY? Those keen to combine

urban explorations with a little elevation can

ind a range of activities and tours that ofer

breathtaking views and set your pulse racing.

One such place is London’s Up at The O2,

where visitors can join a guided climb to

the top of dome and admire views of Canary

Wharf, the Olympic Park, the winding

Thames and historic Greenwich below. Once

you’ve got your breath back, of course.

CLIMB

Sydney Harbour Bridge, meanwhile,

might just be the most iconic urban climb.

BridgeClimb has been running tours of the

famous landmark for thrill-seekers since

1998. Climbs run from dawn ’til dusk, but be

prepared — it’s windy at the top (and high,

at 440t above sea level). If you can keep your

eyes open, however, you’ll be rewarded with

360-degree views of Sydney’s skyline and its

beautiful coastal setting.

In between London and Sydney, there

are plenty of other mountable monuments

around the world, too — such as the 600

steps to Tokyo Tower’s observation deck for

views of Mount Fuji. However, if 600 seems

a little steep, stay marginally closer to the

ground and scale Palma de Mallorca’s gothic

cathedral for the best views in the city (ater

around 200 steps). theo2.co.uk bridgeclimb.

com tokyotower.co.jp catedraldemallorca.org


URBAN ADVENTURE


Your base for an amazing experience!

“We regarded this as the best hotel in Iceland on our trip. We highly recommend it!”

Emma & Adrian (UK) June 2019

www.hotelselja.com | [email protected]


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We distil adventure down to its rawest, most visceral essence — the natural elements of fi re,

earth, air, water, ice and rock — and discover that complete immersion can o� er the most

exhilarating experiences of all

WORDS: FELICITY ASTON, SARAH BARRELL, SAM LEWIS,

ELLIE ROSS & CHARLOTTE WIGRAM-EVANS

Adventure 2019 33


ROROCKI’ve never had a problem with heights. But

clinging to a rock way above the forest fl oor

is changing that. Jelly-legged, I teeter one

foot at a time across iron rungs anchored

into the rocky slab, desperately trying not to

think about the 650� drop below me.

At least the views are good. Far beneath

my shaking feet, a sea of birch, spruce and

maple trees stretches to the horizon. The

silver-smooth Diable River snakes through

the greenery, while mountains dotted with

ski slopes loom in the distance. My vantage

point is unparalleled — and experiencing it

from an exposed mountain edge makes it all

the more thrilling.

I’ve agreed to be clamped to a cli� to try

a via ferrata in Mont-Tremblant National

Park, in Canada’s Quebec province. Literally

an ‘iron road’, a via ferrata is a vertiginous

climbing route of steel staples, cables and

bridges. They originated during the First

World War to help troops travel safely

through the Italian Dolomites, but are

increasingly popular around the world with

adventure lovers looking to tackle otherwise

impassable cli� s and ledges.

“It’s more accessible than regular rock

climbing,” says my guide, Laurie Gravel, as I

slip into a safety harness at the start of our

route, the Grande Virée. “You don’t need any

climbing experience — just a reasonable

level of fi tness and a sense of adventure.”

The 1km-long Grande Virée travels to

the top of the Vache Noire mountain with a

series of metal cables, ladders and bridges.

There’s an easier, 500-metre-long option

— perfect for youngsters (aged eight or

above) or a taster session — but I’m keen to

test myself with this more advanced trail.

The sun is strong as we set o� up a

forest track and reach our fi rst climb, a

two-storey-high rock with metal rungs

hammered into its face. Laurie shows me

ROCK

ONWARDS AND UPWARDSA test of physical and mental strength, scaling a mountain face can take nerves — and gear — of steel, especially when tackled by via ferrata

There are a range of tour operators offering

tailor-made packages to Quebec including Trailfi nders, Wexas and Canadian Affair. trailfi nders.com wexas.com canadianaffair.com

VIA FERRATA:

THE LOWDOWN

how to use my safety gear, which consists of

a harness, energy-absorbing lanyard and two

carabiners. I watch as she scales the ladder,

unhooking and rehooking her carabiners to

move higher up the rock. “You must have at

least one carabiner clipped to the cable at all

times,” she says sternly. “Now you try.”

I climb, starting slowly, but before long I’m

crossing beams over dried-up riverbeds and

wobbling along walkways through the trees.

With no one else in sight, I feel like we have

this little slice of nature to ourselves.

As we climb, pausing between sections

to catch our breath and eat sandwiches,

Laurie points out landmarks. “There’s Mont

Tremblant,” she says, nodding to the tallest

peak, a skiing area in winter that’s covered

in hiking trails in the summer. “And that’s

Mont Toque, which is Québécois for ‘beanie

mountain’,” she adds. “Check it out: it looks

like a little hat because it’s small and round.”

Via ferrata may be easier than traditional

rock climbing, but it’s far harder than I’d

anticipated. The rocks radiate heat and

sweat pours from beneath my helmet. My

legs ache and my hands are sore and smell of

hot metal. It’s mentally draining, too — not

only from fear and adrenalin, but also from

constantly checking I’m clipped in.

As I haul myself up the fi nal rung, I feel

exhausted yet exhilarated. Around me, the

mountains seem somehow larger, more

brooding, as though my immersion in these

surroundings has altered my perception.

A� er fi ve hours of climbing, I set o� down

the mountain, this time on foot. But I’ll still

be on a high. ER

IS IT DIFFICULT?

While via ferrata can be

physically challenging,

it doesn’t require prior

experience. You only

need a reasonable

level of fi tness and a

willingness to scramble

along metal ladders and

bridges embedded into

a mountain.

WHAT KIT DO I NEED?

You’ll need a helmet,

harness and via ferrata

kit (all provided by tour

companies) and sturdy

shoes, like decent

trainers or walking

boots. Gloves and a

small rucksack are a

good bet as they’ll make

the experience more

comfortable, too.

WHERE CAN I DO IT?

In Chamonix, the

relatively new La Via

des Evettes features a

spectacular Himalayan-

style footbridge, while

Peru’s Sacred Valley,

Mount Kenya and the

San Juan Mountains in

Colorado also feature

via ferrata. Honister

Slate Mine in Cumbria

has both an outdoor and

underground version.

Via ferrata in Mont-

Tremblant National Park


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Adventure 2019 35


FIREFIREThe main event in Ecuador’s awe-inspiring

Avenue of the Volcanoes, Cotopaxi is the

smouldering crown of the Andes. The

stratovolcano last erupted in 2015, and

constant ominous unrest means there’s the

ever-present fear of ‘the big one’ wiping out

much of the Ecuadorian capital, Quito. Still,

it’s a red-hot ticket for hikers who can stand

both the two-day trek and altitudes that reach

17,500� . There are various warm-up hikes

around Ecuador’s surrounding volcanic peaks

PEAK PERFORMANCEWhen summited safely, volcanoes o� er an exhilarating glimpse into the depths of the earth. Climbing these smoky summits o� ers a real taste of the intrepid

to test your mettle before attempting this

bubbling behemoth, but should you be up to

it, the hike to Cotopaxi’s perfect conical shape

is rewarded (by some game local operators)

with the chance to mountain-bike down.

Yet the headline here isn’t the joyride, but

the show-stopping, high-altitude views from

the summit. On a clear day, these stretch

for hundreds of miles across the Andes and

Ecuador’s string of volcanoes. This should

more than reward travellers who tackle

Journey Latin America has Active Ecuador

itineraries, which include Andean hikes and several

volcano crater treks, along with an expert-led climb of

Cotopaxi, staying in local lodges. Nine days from

£3,224 per person. journeylatinamerica.co.uk

Cotopaxi’s ‘heart breaker’ route that summits

the snow-capped mountain, usually in the

early hours of the morning — a� er a cup of

coca leaf tea to help counter altitude sickness

— before a sunrise bathes the slopes. SB

FIRE


ELEMENTAL


FOUR TO TRY

1 CERRO NEGRO

The youngest volcano in Central America, Cerro

Negro is one of Nicaragua’s most active. An

hour’s hike is rewarded with epic views where

surfers ride rocks and plumes of white ash on

specially designed boards. But if it’s molten lava

you’re after, Nicaragua has plenty of choice;

Masaya’s surface lava lake and Telica’s steaming

crater both have bubbling magma.

2 KILAUEA

The ever-oozing magma and iery lava lakes that resulted from its massive 1959 eruption

make this peak on Hawaii’s Big Island a truly

novel climb. Kilauea isn’t a monster, with a

modest summit of just 4,090ft, but steep,

jagged rocks can make it a tricky ascent. The

last notable event here was in 2018, when

molten lava reached nearby towns. nps.gov

3 EYJAFJALLAJÖKULL

Notorious since its iery volcanic ash closed much of Europe’s airspace in 2010, an ascent

of this subglacial Icelandic volcano demands

expert guidance. It’s best attempted in summer

and only with guides who know the glacial

terrain and supply relevant technical kit. On

a clear day, you’ll be rewarded with fabulous

5,500ft summit views. inspiredbyiceland.com

4 SAKURAJIMA

Of all Japan’s 100-plus active volcanoes,

Sakurajima, in the Kagoshima Prefecture,

sees multiple, small, daily eruptions including

towering smoke stacks, volcanic lightning and

falling ash. It’s closely monitored, making hikes

to nearby observation points relatively safe,

with trails through spiky black smoking lava

ields. japan.travel

Sunset over

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Adventure 2019 37

ELEMENTAL


WATERWATER

TAKE THREE :

AQUAT IC ADVENTURE S

WATER

Abseiling/canyoning WHAT: A controlled descent using ropes

down a rock face — and even waterfalls.

TELL ME MORE: Abseiling is a useful skill to

learn if you’re planning to go rock climbing

and can also be used to descend waterfalls,

usually part of the mixed activity known as

‘canyoning’. Once kitted up with helmets,

wetsuits and specialised shoes, adventurers

can begin a descent down a slippery surface.

HOW TO DO IT: Head to Costa Rica and abseil

down four waterfalls in the Lost Canyon.

Half day from $99 (£78) per person. Minimum

age: 13 years. costarica.com/activities

Packra� ingWHAT: Hiking and paddling across land and

water with a one-person, infl atable ra� .

TELL ME MORE: Carrying a small lightweight

boat that can self-infl ate — a packra� — on

a trek means you can cross bodies of water

without having to go too o� -piste. Go for an

ultralight ra� : they paddle like a kayak with

the stability of a ra� , and most are infl ated

using an infl ation bag or tube valve.

HOW TO DO IT: A one-day paddle and walk

package in Te Anau in New Zealand’s

Fiordland National Park costs from £88 per

person. packra� ingnz.com

CoasteeringWHAT: Exploring a stretch of coastline

by scramble climbing, rock hopping, cli�

jumping and adventure swimming.

TELL ME MORE: You’ll need full winter

wetsuits to keep you warm and protect you

from bumps on the rocks. It doesn’t have to

be physically demanding — some companies

take children as young as three and adults as

old as 80 — and you’ll also be provided with a

fl otation jacket and helmet.

HOW TO DO IT: A two-hour trip in

Pembrokeshire costs from £45 per person.

celticquestcoasteering.com SL

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP:

Coasteering in Croyde, UK;

packrafting in Howe Sound,

Canada; abseiling down a

waterfall, Costa RicaIM

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ELEMENTAL


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ELEMENTALELEMENTAL


Darkness comes quickly in the jungle. It

snakes around the branches of the acacia

tree, rises from the crevices between buttress

roots and envelops the mushrooms pu� ng

up from the ground like clouds. It fl ows

up the ironwood tree, obscuring the vines

that hold its trunk in their slow, crushing

embrace. It comes without warning, as

though the sun has simply been plucked

from the sky. And it’s only then, when it’s as

black as obsidian, that the jungle wakes up.

I peer hopelessly into the gloom, my eyes

straining for any signs of life emanating from

the makeshi� camp I’d trekked to earlier

that day. My guides may be silent, but the

jungle has turned the volume up to full blast;

cicadas scream, bats squawk and the babble

of a nearby steam is interrupted by deep,

rhythmic belches — giant river frogs. It’s

these monstrous burps that seem to rouse

the group from their a� ernoon kip. Suddenly,

Kajan’s voice roars out, his words escaping

into the night: “Right, frogging time!”

I scramble frantically for my torch. Is this

some kind of bizarre fairytale? Am I being led

out into the wild to kiss frog a� er frog until

I fi nd a prince? My fi ngers fi nd the plastic

switch, and grinning faces suddenly appear

above me: Munati, Rantau, Dali and Kajan,

four members of the Iban tribe that has eked

out an existence from Borneo’s forests for

centuries. Their deep understanding of the

jungle is unmatched.

The amphibians, it turns out, will be

my dinner, not my date. Rantau hands me

a plastic bag and I wade out into a stream

behind him as he regales me with tales of his

frogging prowess. “I held the record in my

longhouse for the most caught in one night,”

he says gleefully. “More than 100.”

In the feeble beam of my torch, I watch

as his hands plunge into the water ahead

WHEN THE

JUNGLE WAKE SBorneo’s jungle feels full of life during daylight, but it’s at night — when its wild denizens are on the hunt for food — that the forest really comes alive

Borneo Adventure offers trips to Batang Ai

National park to visit the Iban tribe at Nanga Sumpa

Lodge and explore the rainforest. Three nights with all

meals from £250 per person, excluding fl ights. borneoadventure.com

of me, and emerge with a frog as big as

teapot. Its bulbous, saucer-sized eyes stare

at me ruefully, before it’s dropped into a bag

already bulging with others.

I splash on, creatures that have been

ensconced in tree trunks all day peering

down at me from the canopy. The paper-

thin wings of a lesser bamboo bat hold me

spellbound, before they unfurl to reveal a tiny,

fang-toothed face, lamp-like eyes aglow. A few

slippery metres further downstream I spot a

jumping spider, busy weaving its web.

The rainforest itself feels more alive in the

blackness, as though the trees have woken up

with the wildlife. Sinewy vines seem intent on

stroking my shoulders, leaves rustle around

my ankles, branches lean out over the stream,

bowing under their own weight. I’m so in awe

of this ecosystem that Kajan has to make

regular U-turns, dashing back to ensure the

jungle hasn’t claimed me for its own.

Unsurprisingly, my bag remains fi rmly

frogless. “No stew for you,” Dali jokes, holding

his bounty alo� like a trophy. “I got 15; Rantau

still beat me, though, he’s on 20. We’ll stew

them with lemongrass and ginger back at

camp,” Kajan says, as we turn around and

head upstream. “A true Iban delicacy.”

Food is the last thing on my mind, however

— I’ve spotted an orangutan nest ahead,

an expertly folded throne of palm fronds

so fresh it might have been vacated only

moments before. Was the great ape watching

me from the trees, just out of reach of my

torch beam? Two more eyes in the darkness,

following my every move. CWE

EARTH

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP:

Early-morning mist over Sabah

rainforest; jungle stream;

river frog

Adventure 2019 41

ELEMENTALELEMENTAL


Staying safe in the rainforest is all about know-how, from where to camp to what to eat

JUNGLE

SURV IVAL GU IDE

WATER

Streams aren’t the only

source of water in the

jungle. Bamboo collects

water in its stem, which

can be accessed simply

by bending the top so

it lows out. Any of the

giant leaves in the jungle

can easily be fashioned

into a makeshit cup to

collect rainwater.

FOOD

Hunting requires

expertise, so your jungle

diet will be mainly

plants, fruit, insects and

ish, frogs, grubs and

termites. Mushrooms

can be lethal, so avoid if

in any doubt. Also, rub

leaves on skin and lips

before eating to see if

there’s any reaction.

EQUIPMENT

The Iban would never

dream of setting of

into the jungle without,

at the very least, a

machete and a lighter. If

a machete is unavailable

to you, a penknife will

suice — a blade is

essential when preparing

food and splicing dry

wood for a ire.

SHELTER

Keeping dry is crucial in

the humid jungle. The

easiest way to build a

basic shelter is to ind

a long straight branch

and lean it against a tree,

propping up shorter

branches down its

length. Finally, cover it

all with leaves and you’re

good to go.

DANGERS

From poisonous snakes

to malaria-carrying

mosquitos, the jungle

can be a perilous place.

Fashion a sturdy stick

into a spear for self

defence. When building

a shelter, look for a dry

clearing — this will keep

you safe from leeches

and falling branches.

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ELEMENTAL


Since 1985, family-owned Tarangire Safari Lodge has attracted many wildlife enthusiasts, and boasts one of Africa’s most stunning panoramic views.

[email protected] | +255 (0) 784 202 777 / 784 305 797 | tarangiresafarilodge.com


Nerves have kicked in. The steep hill before

me — a grassy clitop near Bridport in

Dorset — has taken on a diferent air today.

I’ve walked this stretch of the Jurassic Coast

before, but I’m not here to take in the sea air

or hunt dinosaur fossils; this time I’m here to

admire the white-and-gold clifs from 500t.

Awaiting me, somewhere, is Eddie

Colfox from Sky Safaris. He’s been a hang-

gliding pilot for over 26 years, but I’m

nervous. For me, who’s just signed up for an

introductory paragliding lesson, this seems

like a dangerous sport. Any bravado I have

dissipates like the morning sea mist as I

realise how far it is to the deep blue below.

“Hello, Sam!” bellows a voice from above.

I crane my neck, 100t below where Eddie

sits, waving at me while suspended under

an elliptical-shaped parachute (the ‘wing’),

swinging back and forth as if in a rocking

chair. Ater an efortless touchdown,

he bounds over to shake my hand. I’m

reassured: Eddie’s lown thousands of

tandem lights, escorting everyone from

young kids to nonagenarians. And while it

seems dangerous, tandems tend to fall into

the same insurance category as horse riding,

and I’m relieved to learn the British Hang

Gliding and Paragliding Assocation (BHPA)

regulates the sport and using one of its

credited schools minimises any risks.

“You don’t have to be it,” says Eddie. “Just

able to take three good strides at take-of and

at landing if there’s no wind.” He lays out the

wing and its me with a helmet and harness.

Eddie teaches me take-of and landing

procedures, and he demonstrates how he’ll

steer the wing: pulling the control brakes to

turn right or let, and both to slow down.

AIR

FLY ING H IGH A irst-time paragliding light soaring 600t above the Dorset coast isn’t all about itness or technical ability — it’s a question of mind over matter

I learn how inland paragliding uses

thermals to gain altitude, while coastal lying

relies on sea breezes to force wind over the

clifs to create uplit. As we prepare to take

of, I’m told to look at the horizon. I take a

few steps and within seconds we’re airborne.

I gasp as we ly over the edge of the clif, my

legs dangling like a puppet on a string. I take

a deep breath and wriggle, as instructed, to

get comfortable in my seat and relax as Eddie

— sitting behind me, his legs gripping my

waist — uses the brakes to soar up and down,

turning into the lit to rise to 600t but in ideal

conditions, it’s not unusual to ly at up to

2,000t along this section of the coast.

Despite being a overcast, the views — when

I eventually open my eyes — are breathtaking.

We drit over West Bay towards Golden Cap,

a lat-topped sandstone hill, and the highest

point on the South Coast. Matchstick dog-

walkers peer up from patchwork ields below,

and we admire the markings on seagulls’

wings as they soar beneath my feet.

Eddie’s keen to show me some aerobatics,

but I insist I’m happy cruising at altitude.

Ater landing, he tells me he oten makes

lights, in the UK and the Himalayas, of over

180 miles, lasting up to nine hours.

“I think 40 minutes is enough for now,” I

laugh, still buzzing from my maiden light. SL

Sky Safaris takes passengers weighing 20-115kg,

including children, with parental approval, who can

follow instruction. Disabled (Flyability) tandem lights are available on request. Third-party insurance is

provided with lights, with additional personal insurance available at an extra price from the BHPA.

20-30 minute lights from £95 per person, £170 for two. skysafaris.co.uk

Paragliding over

Bournemouth Bay, Dorset IMA

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AIRAIRAdventure 2019 45

ELEMENTAL


EICE

Q&A

WITH

FEL IC IT Y

A STON Explorer Felicity Aston refl ects on the fragile, frozen environments at the ends of the earth and the challenges they continue to face

FELICITY’S TOP TIPS

TRY BEFORE YOU BUY

Before you splash out on a once-

in-a-lifetime trip to Antarctica, an

adventure in the more a� ordable

Arctic will give you an idea of

what you’re letting yourself in for

when you book an adventure in

the more extreme Antarctic.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK

AECO is an association of cruise

organisations plying European

Arctic waters, while IAATO has

a list of member organisations

operating responsibly in

Antarctica. Be sure to check

in advance and book with

companies that are signed up to

these bodies. aeco.no iaato.org

SNAP AWAY

Bring a good compact camera

with you. While brilliant, the big

DSLRs mean you’ll be fumbling

around in your bag with your

gloves on and risk missing that

fl eeting wild encounter. Most

people travel to polar regions for

wildlife and there’s nothing more

annoying than missing it!

THE POLAR REGIONS PUT THE HUMAN RACE

INTO PERSPECTIVE. For me, it’s their sheer

size and age. You could say the same thing

about jungles and deserts, but it’s the other-

worldliness of the Arctic and Antarctica that

a� ects people like nowhere else. There’s

something spiritual about them — nobody

comes back from Antarctica unchanged.

IT ALMOST FEELS LIKE SETTING FOOT ON

ANOTHER PLANET. A lot of people who

travel to the ice are doing so with the heroic

explorers in mind, hoping for a taste of

that sense of exploration. It’s a place to test

yourself, to prove yourself.

WILDLIFE PLAYS A HUGE ROLE IN PEOPLE’S

EXPERIENCE OF THE POLES. But polar bears,

for example, are harder to see due to melting

sea ice. In Svalbard, they’re staying on land,

as they were born and raised on land. We’re

seeing staggering generational changes in an

incredibly short space of time.

GREENLAND, ICELAND AND SVALBARD ARE

REAL, ACCESSIBLE ARCTIC DESTINATIONS.

There’s also Siberia, which is di� cult to get

to because of political obstacles, but it’s truly

exciting. Its remote, northeastern reaches

feel like a fi nal frontier and the place is just

enormous: mighty rivers, lakes that freeze

over, whole mountain ranges the locals don’t

even know the name of.

BUT THE ARCTIC CHANGING REALLY FAST.

At the extreme end of adventure tourism,

you could say that time is running out for

skiing to the North Pole; in a single-fi gure

number of years it won’t be possible. Skiing

from land to the North Pole was last done in

2014, and it’s widely believed it’ll never be

possible again.

AS FOR ANTARCTICA, THERE’S A DEBATE THAT

KEEPS RAGING ON. Should we close it o�

to everyone (except scientists) or make it

accessible to as many as possible? I think it’d

be extremely di� cult to make people care

about a destination they could never visit. It’s

a powerful thing when you see people travel

there and become determined to go home

and make a change.

TO VERIFY THAT CHANGE IS HAPPENING, YOU

NEED TO RETURN AGAIN AND AGAIN. Five to 10

years ago, you could see whole glaciers that

today have receded right back, and islands

that were ice-locked are now true islands

once again. You really don’t have to travel too

far to see for the changes. But there’s never

one clear, black-and-white answer. But if you

travel to the polar regions, then you’ll see

for yourself how quick and dramatic these

fundamental changes are.

Felicity Aston MBE is an explorer, expedition

leader and former climate scientist. IMA

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ELEMENTAL


FOLLOW TRAILS

NOT ROADSFind your next summer adventure with our treks

in the Dolomites, Northville Lake Placid and

the Eiger to name a few To fi nd out more,

visit mountaintracks.co.uk

or call 020 8410 3449

To � nd out more, visit

skiclub.co.uk/freshtracksor call 020 8410 2022

Treks start from £1,350

PROGRESS WITH FRESHTRACKSLearn from the best, improve your technique and stay at one of our awesome Freshtracks chalets in Flaine and Chamonix this winter.

freshtracks

Top image ~ Ross Woodhall


BEYOND THE SLOPESWith frozen lakes, dramatic mountain trails and clear skies, Banf National Park

is the ultimate all-round winter destination

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BANFF NATIONAL PARK

Skating on Two Jack Lake

PARTNER CONTENT FOR BANFF NATIONAL PARK


Getting there: Multiple airlines,

including American Airlines,

Air Canada and British Airways,

ly direct from Heathrow and

Gatwick to Calgary. Banf

and Lake Louise is a scenic

90-minute drive from Calgary

on the Trans-Canada Highway.

americanairlines.co.uk

aircanada.com ba.com

The chill factor

Banf and Lake Louise

have endless ‘no-skis-

required’ opportunities

for adventure, but a

trip to this part of the

world should also be

about taking it easy

and chilling out. Here

are three top picks for

slowing down after an

active day:

Take a dip. Revive

travel-weary and ski-

tired limbs in the Banf

Upper Hot Springs.

Geothermally heated

waters reaching up to

47C mean it’s always

swimsuit weather here.

Sample the inest

lavours. Banf’s

burgeoning foodie

scene means you’re

never far from a cosy

dining room and world-

class cuisine. Try The

Grizzly House for its

legendary fondue.

Relax and unwind.

Trade the apres-

ski hangover for an

invigorating treatment.

The spa at Fairmont

Chateau Lake Louise

ofers more than 20

treatments and services,

each designed to leave

you blissfully refreshed.

Essentials

World-class ski resorts, breathtaking surrounds and one of the longest ski seasons — running from early November until mid-May — make Canada’s Banf and Lake Louise the stuf of any skier’s powdery dreams. However, come winter’s irst snowfalls, inding your feet in this region of the Rockies — a mere 90-minute drive from Calgary — doesn’t necessarily have to involve strapping them into a pair of skis. When you’ve inished barrelling down the mountain, there are plenty more activities you can try for a change of pace in the region.

Explore the Rockies by dog sledThere are few creatures as enthusiastic about snow as Alaskan huskies — and when you’re out with a pack of them, that enthusiasm is infectious. Rooted in Canadian tradition, dog sledding was originally used as a means of transport by the Inuit people and early settlers. Today, it’s one of the most exhilarating ways to explore Banf’s wide, open spaces while tapping into the region’s rich cultural heritage. You can leave the panting to the pups and bundle up in a pile of warm blankets to be ‘chaufeured’ along the slopes of the Rockies. Alternatively, or you can take the wheel, so to speak, and try your hand at mushing your highly trained team. Kingmik Dog Sled Tours ofers options ranging from its popular 30-minute Narnia tour to the unforgettable full-day Great Divide tour, which combines dogsledding, snowshoeing and sightseeing around Lake Louise.

Join a moonlit snowshoe tourWith the warm Chinook winds sparing the area some of the season’s bite, Banf’s cool, dry winter days are made for taking to the snow — and so are its nights. While nature’s brilliant white blanket demands attention from dawn to dusk, the skies take their turn to dazzle after dark; the thick swathe of the Milky Way seems to relect the glimmer of the snow and, on the right nights, ghostly auroras waltz across the sky. This is when it’s time to swap your skis for snowshoes. With senses heightened by the dark, and only the satisfying crunch underfoot to be heard, Lake Louise Ski Resort’s moonlit snowshoe tour allows guests to immerse themselves in the tranquillity of the northern night. Lasting for 90 minutes, the tour includes a guided walk, head lamp and snowshoe rental, and refreshments — plus some of the planet’s most spectacular stargazing thrown in for good measure.

Skate on a frozen lakeA major summer draw card, the lakes dotted around Banf National Park remain just as inviting when the temperatures drop to their winter lows. If you’re looking to have the ice to yourself, Vermilion Lakes, Lake Minnewanka, Johnson Lake and Two Jack Lake are nature’s perfect rinks when conditions are right. More popular, and ideal for skaters of all ages, Lake Louise is lauded as one of the most beautiful ice skating spots in the world. Floodlights illuminate the well-maintained rink late into the night, so you can skate under the stars before warming up in the heated shelter.

Dog sledding,

great divide trail

PARTNER CONTENT FOR BANFF NATIONAL PARK

To plan your autumn holiday to Banf and Lake Louise, visit banlakelouise.com/fall


A HEAD

FOR HEIGHTSIn Ethiopia’s northernmost region, the precipitous Gheralta Mountains are a formidable frontier. But hewn into them are ancient, inaccessible

churches that make a challenging ascent all the more rewarding

WORDS: JOSEPHINE PRICE

ETHIOPIA



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Adventure 2019 51


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ETHIOPIA


This is the part I call ‘too late to turn back’.

Stretched lat like a starish across a sheer

rock face, I edge onwards, patting my hand

along the wall to ind the next hand grip,

seeking a dash of comfort in the fact that it’s

well worn — this route has been moulded by

those who came before me.

I’m but one of thousands who’s tackled the

climb to Abuna Yemata Guh, which is itself

one of a hundred or so rock-hewn churches

hidden in northern Ethiopia’s rugged

Gheralta Mountains. I’m following in the

handholds of pilgrims and climbers; locals

and travellers. Only the devoted would tackle

this. I’ve just got to have a little faith, I tell

myself — that’s what spurs everyone else on,

ater all.

“We’re crazy in Ethiopia,” Tewe, my guide,

yelps as he clambers higher and higher.

Perhaps he is. As the head of the Gheralta

Guides Association in nearby Megab, he

oten does this climb twice a day. Several feet

below him, meanwhile, I pause to breathe

— something I’m increasingly forgetting how

to do as we climb — and continue my ascent.

Though regular visitors clamber up with

ease, travellers oten climb this rock face

wrapped in ropes and harnesses. However,

Tewe has deemed me ‘young’ and ‘it’

— something I rebuke as having no link to

my climbing prowess, nor my courage. So,

I’m freeclimbing under the watchful eye

of a group of very patient scouts who point

out the next handgrip, then foothole, then

handgrip again until, ater a few precipitous

boulders at the top of the rock face, the most

hazardous section of ascent is over.

Now there’s just a narrow walkway

between me and the church. Faith must be

what propels people at this stage too. On one

side, centuries-old sandstone worn smooth

by passing hands; on the other, a sheer

drop to the valley below. Tewe walks ahead

unaided, unfazed. Just behind him, I cling to

the wall like a gecko, shuling timidly along

the sheer pass.

But my persistence is paying of.

Stretching out before me are views of the

Gheralta Mountains and the lat plains that

sprawl at their feet — a dusty landscape

that’s oten likened to the red desertscapes

of the southern United States. Two hours

away is Mekele, the nearest city and regional

capital, but until then there’s nothing but

vast, empty, unspoilt wilderness.

Further south in Ethiopia, Lalibela — with

its rock-hewn churches believed to date

to the 12th and 13th centuries — is better

known partly as it’s more accessible. Here

in Tigray, in northernmost reaches of the

country, however, only the determined

reach these churches, hidden away in the

mountains like ancient treasures.

But of all Tigray’s rock-hewn-churches,

Abuna Yemata Guh steals the show, its

reputation as one of the most inaccessible

well earned. I’ve climbed up to three

churches so far in this region, but none has

T H E R E ’ S A N I N T E R N A L B A T T L E

R A G I N G I N S I D E M E : O N O N E

S I D E , M Y I N N E R S U R V I V A L I S T I S

T R Y I N G T O M A K E M E T U R N B A C K

W H I L E T H E A D R E N A L I N - F U E L L E D

F I G H T E R U R G E S M E O N . H E A D

A N D H E A R T A R E I N T U R M O I L .

PREVIOUS PAGES:

Sandstone mountains in

Tigray region; priest at

Abuna Yemata Guh

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP

LEFT: View from Korkor

Lodge; skull marking

the entrance to a burial

chamber; Daniel Korkor

church; Tewe hiking

along the riverbed

Adventure 2019 53

ETHIOPIA


UP HIGH

SIMIEN MOUNTAINS

Scale the ‘roof of Africa’ with

hiking and camping adventures in

this wildlife-illed national park.

Base yourself at Limalimo Lodge

and proit from expert advice, a

comfortable bed and unparalleled

sunset views. limalimolodge.com

DOWN LOW

DANAKIL DEPRESSION

At over 300t below sea level,

this place is oten touted as the

hottest on the planet. Conditions

are tough, but it’s worth visiting to

hike the Erta Ale volcano, explore

the kaleidoscopic sulphur lakes

and watch the sun set over the

salt lats. ethiotravelandtours.com

SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN

LAKE TANA

The largest expanse of water

in the country is speckled with

campsites and islands that

are home to centuries-old

monasteries. It’s a sacred spot in

Ethiopia and an important one in

Africa as the source of the Blue

Nile. toursbylocals.com

Getting there

Ethiopian Airlines lies direct to Addis Ababa daily while Qatar, Emirates and Lufthansa offer indirect lights via Doha, Dubai and Frankfurt. Ethiopian Airlines lies daily from Addis Ababa to Mekele, from which it’s a two-hour drive to Megab, where tours depart. Average light time: 7h30m.

When to go

November to April is the best time to visit with temperatures averaging 25C. The rainy season stretches runs from July to August, though the Ethiopian Highlands are much drier than the rest of the country. September sees the area full of wildlowers after the rains.

ESSENTIALS

IMAGINE TRAVEL organises tailor-made trips to Ethiopia from £4,200 per person for seven nights. This includes four nights at Korkor Lodge, all other accommodation, transfers, domestic and international lights, and some experiences. imaginetravel.com

ETHIOPIAN ADVENTURESTHREE MORE TO TRY

tested me quite like this. And yet, despite its

perilous access, it turns out to be the busiest.

At the other churches, we don’t meet a single

faranji (foreigner) — a word we come to know

well as the Ethiopian children run from

their houses shouting it, so scarce are well-

trodden tourist trails in these parts. But here

on Abuna Yemata, I’m not alone as I tackle

the ascent. I meet Americans, Germans and

French on my way up.

Ducking through the church’s tiny wooden

door, I’m greeted by a cool, fresco-covered

space. This quiet, majestic place of worship,

believed to be the highest such site in the

world, is here thanks to Father Yemata, a

priest who carved it from the rock in the

ith century, supposedly to ind divinity in

isolation. As I admire the frescoes that have

adorned the walls for hundreds of years, I

feel part of his vision: part of the mountain,

removed from the noise of life.

The air is dry when I return to ground

level. Marmots whistle in the wind and

tall cacti stand deiantly in the hostile,

parched setting. But I haven’t come here

for adventures on terra irma. Here, days

are spent clambering up and down these

ediices following in the footsteps of age-old

local traditions.

Tewe and I tackle another ascent, this

time to the loty plateau where the monastic

churches of Maryam and Daniel Korkor sit.

Skulls taken from burial chambers mark the

entrance to Daniel Korkor where we meet a

nun draped in yellow who, along with two

monks, is one of the three people who’s

made the plateau their permanent home.

Wrapped in yellow, she points to her small

eyes; Tewe tells me she can hardly see these

days. Her modern-day aid to monastic life

— a solar lamp — has run out and we’re here

to bring her a new one. There are muttered

thank yous and handshakes before she

stands up to test out the new device. She’s

barely more than four feet tall once she

unfurls herself; more than 70 years spent up

here on her haunches has warped the shape

of her spine. I watch the little beam of light

dance across the creases of her yellow-shawl-

clad shoulders as she disappears into her

cave for the night.

We take our cue to head back down the

from the sun as it sinks slowly over the

horizon. As we follow the fading light, a

stream of locals cloaked in white passes

us in the opposite direction, making the

strenuous journey to the churches for a

midnight service.

Back at Korkor Lodge, where family-

style dining brings together the area’s few

international visitors, we sit and look up

at the seemingly impenetrable mountains.

From down here, as we share stories and

plates of injera latbread, all seems silent on

the silhouetted peaks, although I think I can

just see a lash of yellow.

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Josephine pauses on

the way up to Abuna Yemata Guh


ETHIOPIA


YOUR UGANDADiscover

WWW.V IS I TUGANDA .COM @V IS I TUGANDAUK #MYUGANDA

T H E P E A R L O F A F R I C A


Tasmania’s natural richness comes in many forms: pristine landscapes in all shades of green, tranquil waterways and

curious wildlife that thrives in this unique environment. However you approach its unspoilt beauty, adventure

awaits in Australia’s island state

Words: Lee Cobaj

WILD&

TAME

Mrs Hunt’s Cottage,

Maria Island

PARTNER CONTENT FOR TOURISM TASMANIA


It feels like I’ve fallen headirst into the realms of a

children’s storybook.

A wisdom of wombats is mowing the grass around us,

mobs of Tasmanian pademelon (small, kangaroo-like

creatures) leap past and a kookaburra sings from an old

gum tree. Blue skies arch above us as we rest on the grassy

edge of sea clifs, on the lookout for humpback whales.

“It is surely hell on earth,” says my guide Di Hollister,

paraphrasing an 19th-century description of Tasmania.

“The swans are black when they should be white, and devils

cry out in the woods at night.”

“Just awful,” I reply with a smile.

We’re on Maria Island, which lies in the bright blue

Tasman Sea, a 30-minute ferry ride from Triabunna on the

east coast of Tasmania. European explorers irst set eyes on

the island in 1642; settlers arrived in the late 18th century,

eking out a living as whalers and sealers, while establishing

smallholdings, prisons and penal colonies. Various

industries came and went over the following century: wheat

and sheep farmers; Chinese abalone ishermen; an Italian

silk merchant with aspirations as a hotelier; and a cement

works, its old silos still sitting at the end of the pier like giant

exclamation marks. Every venture was unsuccessful and

short-lived, and nature now reigns supreme in this southern

wilderness. Today, Maria Island is a national park without

a permanent population, and visitor numbers are restricted

to just a few ferry-loads of sightseers a day in the summer,

and a handful of outdoorsy types who come year-round to

explore its beaches and bush trails with award-winning,

family-run, Maria Island Walks.

I’ve arrived just after the summer crowds have cleared

and a few weeks before the chill of winter sets in. It feels

like we have the island to ourselves — just me, Di and

our walking guide, Georgie Currant. I’m bowled over by

the natural beauty that surrounds us: glorious beaches,

fragrant forests of eucalyptus, ruled clifs, tranquil

reservoirs and bountiful wildlife. On the crossing from

Triabunna, I eyed fat, shiny seals bobbing in the bay and

enormous sea eagles circling overhead. Within ive minutes

of stepping of the ferry, I cooed over a mother and baby

wombat, both entirely unperturbed by my presence. I’ve

since seen dozens of the furry cannonballs, as well as

kangaroos, wallabies, possums and a colourful cast of pink

robins, yellow-throated honeyeaters and Cape Barren geese

with pearl-grey bodies and sherbet-green beaks.

As the daylight begins to fade, I’m blessed with a crisp,

bright evening for my irst night on Maria Island. The

moon appears — seemingly upside-down, having come from

the Northern Hemisphere — and is so luminous we don’t

need our torches to wander across the ields. Di points out

constellations as we go: the Southern Cross, Alpha Centauri

and Orion’s Sword, which points upwards rather than

downwards at this end of the earth.

The next morning we head to Riedle Beach, a streak of

diamond-white sands and azure seas, and the irst beach

I’ve seen in years without even the tiniest scrap of plastic

on it. What we spot instead are the clear pawprints of

Tasmanian devils — an endangered species, released

onto the island in the 1970s and now thriving, free from

predators, car accidents and disease. If I see nothing else

of Tasmania, my time on this Edenic isle alone will have

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Complete immersionI’m told that Maria Island is Tasmania in microcosm

— and if that’s the case, then Di is Tasmania personiied. A

veritable frontierswoman at 72 years old, her eyes are the

colour of the water at Riedle Beach and, just six months on

from a double knee replacement, she’s outpaced me every

step of the way on our hikes around Maria. She grows

her own vegetables, brews her own ginger beer, promotes

environmental causes and has an in-depth knowledge of

every bud, bloom, bird and beast we pass. She drives like

a pro, too, dodging a masked white owl in the middle of

the road on the long drive through the night to our next

stop in Derby, a former tin-mining town in the northeast of

Tasmania.

It’s home to the Blue Derby Pods Ride, where I fuel

up on a feast of local sourdough and butter, pumpkin,

hummus and salad ahead of a beginner’s lesson in mountain

biking. Set up in 2017 by 20-something Tassies Steve and

Tara Howell, Blue Derby Pods Ride combines three-day

mountain biking tours with spectacular food and wine, plus

accommodation in one of four wooden pods, which rise out

of the mossy forest like newly germinated seeds.

Come bedtime, I feel like an elf living deep in the heart

of the forest. Four years ago, this clever endeavour never

would have worked as there was virtually no reason for

travellers to visit this corner of the island. But in 2015, the

Blue Derby — a network of nearly 50 miles of world-class

mountain bike trails — opened and was immediately lauded

as the pinnacle of mountain biking in Australia. Soon after,

the Enduro World Series headed here, and Derby was

irmly on the map.

The biking tours are lexible and can accommodate

anyone from seasoned riders to novices like me. “We want

you to ride the way you’d go out and ride with friends,”

Steve tells me as we whirl downhill through mounds of

ishbone ferns, past tangles of myrtle and under the thick

branches of macrocarpa trees. Botanically speaking, it’s a

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LEFT, FROM BELOW:

Bennett’s wallaby; Blue

Derby Pods; Blue Derby

mountain bike trails



dream. Exercise-wise, however, my backside hurts and the

combination of fresh air, adrenalin and a new challenge

means I retire to my pod exhausted, yet contented in a way

that only a complete immersion in nature can achieve.

All aboard the ArkNature — both wild and tame — comes thick and fast in

Tasmania. Flocks of green rosellas, a parrot native to the

state, swoop overhead on the drive out of Derby through

Scottsdale, with its rolling green hills and ields of apricots,

cherries and poppies. An overnight stay at Currawong

Lakes, a luxury lodge and ly-ishing retreat tucked away in

Tasmania’s remote eastern highlands, brings a bevy of black

swans, hundreds of fallow deer and Tasmanian devils, their

screams like something from a Wes Craven ilm.

From Currawong, we head west via the beautifully

preserved towns of Launceston, Bothwell and Hamilton into

Mount Field National Park, one of 19 protected parklands

in Tasmania. It’s another vision of pastoral beauty, all fern

walks, waterfalls and glassy salmon ponds; there are paint

charts of greens made by the willows and swamp gums,

the latter the tallest lowering plant in the world. It’s here

that Liam and Fiona Weaver run Tassie Bound Adventure

Tours, leading small groups of kayakers on ‘Paddle with the

Platypus’ trips through the park’s sylvan waterways.

“I reckon there are more platypus on these three miles of

river than anywhere else in Australia,” says Liam, as Di and

I pull on our lifejackets. And sure enough, as we glide down

the River Derwent, we spot more platypus than humans,

rising and falling in the water like tiny Loch Ness monsters.

But my closest encounter with Tasmania’s wildlife comes

at the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary, where I suspect the

staf are inventing curiously-named animals to make fun of

me. Bettong, quokka, echidna — surely all ictional?

“We’re the Noah’s Ark of Australian wildlife,” founder

Greg Irons tells me as I stroke Millie the baby wombat.

I learn that most of the animals taken in here have been

orphaned or injured. “We’re the last stand for prehistoric

species; species you won’t ind anywhere else in the world;

species we still know little about.”

There are creatures such as eastern quolls, a marsupial

extinct on the mainland; the Tasmanian tree frog and, of

course, the Tasmanian devil, whose population has fallen

by 90% since the late 1990s due to facial tumour disease.

Greg’s aim is to rehabilitate and restore populations and

get rewild as many animals as he can. In the meantime,

visitors are allowed to interact with many of the animals in

ways that won’t stress them. I hand-feed kangaroos, watch

Randall the echidna slurp up ant mush with his long tongue

and ofer eucalyptus leaves to a rather bored-looking koala.

If Tasmania is hell, like Di says, then I plan on being very,

very bad indeed.



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Getting there and around

Qantas and Emirates codeshare

lights from various UK airports

to Hobart, via Dubai and Sydney

or Melbourne.

Average light time: 25h30m.

Tasmania is made for road trips;

drivers must be over 21 and hold a

valid driving licence.

When to go

The warmest months are

December-February (around

20C). Spring is bright but

windy and autumn ofers crisp,

sunny days with fewer crowds.

Short winters (June-August)

can see temperatures between

anywhere between 3C and 11C.

EssentialsFOUR MORE NATURAL ESCAPES

Gone ishing

Tasmania’s irst trout were introduced in

1864, having been delivered from Britain on

the Norfolk ship. Today’s bronze beauties are

descended from that original batch and are

considered to be the purest of the species

in the world. Stay at Currawong Lakes and

don your waders with instructor Roger for

a meditative session casting, catching and

releasing ish while white-bellied sea eagles

soar above. currawonglakes.com.au

All aloat

Founded by Robert Pennicott, the irst person

to circumnavigate Australia in a rubber dinghy,

Pennicott Wilderness Journeys ofers a full-

throttle adventure around the Tasmanian

coast. Wrap up warm and take in sea caves,

clifside waterfalls, walls of Jurassic dolerite

and freestanding sea stacks, all while passing

Australian fur seals and locks of giant albatross.

Be sure to look south; the next landmass is

Antarctica. pennicottjourneys.com.au

Wine and wombats

At the conservation-led Bangor Vineyard

Shed, a short drive from the state capital of

Hobart, visitors can drop by for a twilight bus

and walking tour to spot wombats, one of

Tasmania’s most charismatic critters. After

learning about the area’s unique ecosystem,

guests will return to the restaurant for dinner

— washed down, of course, with glasses of

refreshing Tasmanian Chardonnay and mid-

bodied Pinot Noir. bangorshed.com.au

Penguin parades

This far south, it’s no surprise that penguins can

be seen on Tasmanian shores. The lightless

birds make landfall on the northwest coast,

where Bicheno Penguin Tours runs evening

excursions to a private rookery. Watch as the

creatures emerge from the sea and make their

way uphill to their nests. Penguin numbers

vary according to the season, with September

to March being the best time to see them.

bichenopenguintours.com.au

Tasman Island and

Cape Pillar


To ind out more, visit discovertasmania.com.au


Competition closes on 31 October 2019. The winner must be a resident of the UK & Ireland aged 18 & over. Full T&Cs at nationalgeographic.co.uk/competitions.

TASMAN IA

Competition closes on 31 October 2019. The winner must be a resident of the UK & Ireland aged 18 & over. Full T&Cs at nationalgeographic.co.uk/competitions.

TO ENTER, HEAD TO:

NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.CO.UK/COMPETITIONS

Win a trip of a lifetime to



View of Edinburgh from Salisbury Crags


THE FUTURE OF

With travellers passionate about topics such as sustainability and ‘under-touristed’ destinations, we look at some of the biggest adventure trends to watch for 2020

WORDS: ANNA HART & BEN LERWILL

ADVENTURETRAVEL


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‘Adventure’ was once a byword for extreme

endurance. We’d be forgiven for thinking

that unless we had six months of work and

a sherpa, adventure was out of reach. But

travellers are now embracing smaller-scale,

achievable adventures right here at home or

in European destinations.

British adventurer Alastair Humphreys

is credited as the face behind the

microadventure, something he describes

as ‘an adventure that is short, simple, local

and cheap — yet still exciting, challenging

and rewarding’, and launched the Year of

Microadventure challenge in 2015.

And it’s caught on since. This year also saw

the launch of a new outitter, MakeMyDay,

ofering adventures in cities such as London,

Edinburgh and Amsterdam.

“Travellers want adventure opportunities

in their own backyards,” says founder Nick

Boulos. “They want chances to experience

their environment in bold new ways.”

This might be biking through Perthshire,

or paddleboarding in Amsterdam, but the

promise of a microadventure is that you can

still have out-there experiences and make it

home in time for tea. alastairhumphreys.com

makemyday.travel AH

MICROADVENTURES

Adventure 2019 63


Bathsheba Park,

Barbados

CLEAN & GREEN

Ditch the detergent-heavy toiletries

and plastic utensils for alternatives

such as bamboo toothbrushes and

cutlery, biodegradable wipes and

eco-friendly shampoo bars — all

much kinder to the environment

when you’re out in the sticks.

KEEP IT LOCAL

Wherever you are, try and eat

local produce as and when you

can. Not only will this help support

local farmers, businesses and

communities, but you’ll also be

keeping food miles to a minimum.

HANDS OFF

Treat nature with the respect it

deserves. Designated paths aren’t

to be veered of as you’ll risk

disturbing the nearby lora and

fauna, and although they might

make pretty souvenirs, leave shells

and fossils on the beach where you

found them; they make up part of a

delicate ecosystem.

BOTTLE IT

A given on any adventure, bringing

a reusable water bottle on your

travels is one of the easiest ways

to cut down on waste. A bottle

with a ilter is a good idea if you’re

heading somewhere where water

quality is an issue. For our pick of

the best bottles, turn to p.76.

TOP TIPSTO MINIMISE

YOUR IMPACT

TRAVEL SUSTAINABLY

One of the surest signs of progress is that

looking back, we ind ourselves mildly

ashamed by our past travel habits. Adventure

travel experiences used to prioritise personal

challenges and individual thrills, with little

thought of the impact on the surrounding

communities and environment. Today,

there’s a real thirst for sustainable adventure,

bound up with myriad ethical concerns

including supporting local businesses,

plastic consumption, community outreach

and cultural sensitivity.

“Let’s be honest: to be truly sustainable,

travellers wouldn’t stray far from home,

but that’s just not realistic,” says Juliet

Kinsman, founder of bouteco.com, a portfolio

of independent, environmentally conscious

boutique hotels. “Instead, travellers are

thinking about who we’re giving our money

to, where it’s going and how our actions and

that of our accommodation choices could be

kinder to people and places.”

Responsible travel is no longer about

booking a hotel with ‘eco’ in the title

and hoping for the best. Modern-day

adventurers spot tokenism a mile of, and

are instead applying an ever-broadening

and evolving deinition of sustainable

travel to their adventure trips. “Sustainable

travel celebrates landscapes, indigenous

cultures and histories so that a better world

awaits future generations,” says Kinsman.

“We’re demanding more from hoteliers and

operators on issues like single-use plastic,

water bottles and water consumption. I

always ask what a property or camp is doing

to address water shortages — do they have

low-low showers or low-consumption

toilets, and are they using gray water where

possible and collecting rainwater?” AH


FUTURE OF ADVENTURE


Blue Lagoon,

Iceland

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TRIPS THAT

TRANSFORM

BEST FOR…

DISCONNECTING

Do The North offers a

ive-day, self-guided adventure in Sweden’s pristine Saint Anna archipelago. Don’t expect any creature comforts — you’ll head out to sea with just a burner phone

for emergencies, a map and a compass. You’ll return having not glimpsed a screen for days. From SEK6,900 (£590), excluding lights. dothenorth.com

BEST FOR… INNER

ADVENTURES

Those seeking true transformation should put The Place Retreats in Bali’s Seminyak right at the top of their wishlist. The lush hideaway promises to leave guests emotionally detoxed and physically recharged. Eight days from £3,100, excluding lights. theplaceretreats.com

BEST FOR… REGAINING A

SENSE OF WONDER

Flashpack’s small group tours for solo

adventurers in their 30s and 40s have shaken up the group

tour market, and their nine-day gorilla-tracking adventure in Rwanda is guaranteed to leave an impression — coming face-to-face with some of our closest animal relations is a life-changing experience. From £3,749, excluding lights. lashpack.com

BEST FOR…

CONSERVATION

This summer, Airbnb launched its ‘Adventures’ channel, and for animal lovers, the three-day sea turtle conservation adventure in Costa Rica makes a meaningful addition to an itinerary to the land of ‘pura vida’. From £112, excluding lights. airbnb.co.uk

Everyday life can have a numbing efect on

our senses. It’s this that’s driven the desire for

adventures of a ‘transformative’ nature — eye-

opening trips that reinvigorate, jolt us out of a

benumbed state and send us home as improved

versions of ourselves.

Luxury adventure travel outit Black Tomato

was an early pioneer in the transformative

adventure movement. This year, the company

launched a portfolio of seven new trips geared

around ofering travellers new perspectives on

subjects like family relationships, wellbeing

and professional development, with immersive

itineraries in destinations such as Mongolia,

Cuba, Peru and Iceland — the latter ofering a

chance to learn entrepreneurial lessons from the

country’s economy ater the 2008 crisis.

“I’ve always seen travel as a vehicle for

producing answers to a lot of questions,” says

Black Tomato co-founder Tom Marchant.

“We all face challenges in our daily lives and

it’s hard to ind a solution when we’re in the thick

of it. We wanted to identify those communities

and cultures that have really interesting takes on

these fundamental human building blocks.”

According to a 2017 study by the Adventure

Travel Trade Assocation (ATTA), adventure

travellers are beginning to put transformative

experiences at the top of their list. In fact, ATTA

found it to be the main motivating factor when

booking travel. Reasons cited for this shit in

attitudes include a desire for ‘personal growth

and challenge’ and ‘expanded horizons’.

“We’re living in an age where people are

much more open than they ever used to be

to embracing opportunities that truly better

themselves,” says Marchant. “The role travel

plays in helping them along on that journey is

only going to grow.” blacktomato.com

adventuretravel.biz AH

TRANSFORMATIVE ADVENTURE

Adventure 2019 65

FUTURE OF ADVENTURE


Roseberry Topping, near Great Ayton,

North Yorkshire


FUTURE OF ADVENTURE


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Just You’s eight-day Undiscovered

Georgia trip includes a walking

tour of the capital Tbilisi, a

cooking class in Kakheti, a walk

in the Greater Caucasus, trips to

four medieval monasteries and

the Prometheus Cave Natural

Monument, and a day of activities

in the Martvili Canyon. From

£1,949 per person, which includes

lights, four-star accommodation,

most meals and the services of a

tour manager. justyou.co.uk

ICELAND

UK-based Girls on Travel

specialises in trips for solo

women travellers, in group sizes

of between four and 12. The New

Year’s Eve Iceland break includes

a Northern Lights tour and a

soak in the Blue Lagoon. From

£1,240 per person, which includes

accommodation in twin shared

rooms, B&B, a New Year’s Eve

dinner, and all transport, tours and

activities. Excludes international

lights. girlsontravel.co.uk

ITALY

Riviera Travel has an eight-day

Walking in the Tuscan Hills for

Solo Travellers group itinerary,

which includes guided walks

as well as the chance to visit

some of the region’s cultural

highlights, including time in Siena

and Perugia. From £1,329 per

person, which includes lights,

accommodation, half-board

meals and the services of a tour

manager. rivieratravel.co.uk

THREE TO TRY:UNACCOMPANIED

ADVENTURES

Macs Adventure has a number of self-guided

walking holidays suitable for solo travellers, including

the Cleveland Way itself. The nine-day, eight-night trip

itinerary throughout the summer season (April to

October) and covers 110 miles with baggage transfer

included from £635. Accommodation can be added for

an extra fee. macsadventure.com

They call it the Yorkshire Matterhorn. I’ve

been walking towards the sharp-tipped hill

of Roseberry Topping for more than a day,

surveying it from afar like Frodo eyeing

Mount Doom. Now I’m inally at its summit,

looking out across a swathe of Northern

England, a view so far-reaching I can pick

out diferent weather systems. At the base of

the slope sits the farm where Captain James

Cook lived as a boy. His regular ascents of the

hill are said to have inspired him to travel.

I’m three days into a solo week-long hike

along the magniicent Cleveland Way, the

109-mile long National Trail which marks its

50th anniversary this year. The irst few days

skirt the densely atmospheric North York

Moors, with a brief diversion to Roseberry

Topping, while the second half traces the

high clifs of the North Sea coast. The overall

route follows an upturned horseshoe shape,

meaning you inish only 30 miles from where

you started — but that’s not the point. It’s

about where it takes you.

I’m walking this trail at a selish pace.

If I want to spend 20 minutes sitting on a

moorland rock trying to spot curlews, that’s

my call. If I want to veer of-route to check

out a waterfall, I will. And if I want to arrive

at my overnight accommodation in time

to watch Pointless — hypothetically, you

understand — there’s not a soul to stop me.

I’m not the only one who’s realised the

joys of going it alone. A 2019 travel trends

report from online booking platform

Klook showed the number of solo travellers

using its services had grown from 31% to

38% in one year. It doesn’t appear to be a

generation-speciic trend, either. A May 2018

study by Booking.com showed that 40% of

baby boomers had taken a solo trip in the

previous 12 months, while a late 2017 report

from US-based Princeton Survey Research

Associates International concluded that 58%

of millennials enjoy travelling alone.

The appeal of unaccompanied travel is

manifold. It brings the freedom to dictate

your own plans, for a start. It can also

bolster self-conidence in a way that few

other solo activities can match — when you

successfully negotiate the cloud-snagged

passes of the Andes or the remote peaks of

the Pyrenees, then your world shits slightly.

The great beyond becomes not just more

exciting, but more accessible.

Solo travel doesn’t have to mean

independent adventure, of course. Joining an

escorted tour group as a single traveller can

SOLO ADVENTURE

be just as rewarding, providing a ready-made

set of new acquaintances and serving up a

tried-and-tested itinerary.

Here in Yorkshire, I’m covering between

10 and 22 miles a day. This is my third

end-to-end National Trail, all of which

have been solo walks. They ofer the simple

pleasure of following signposts across some

of the quietest, shapeliest corners of the

UK map, letting your thoughts ramble and

your worries loosen. Each year, a reported

80,000 of us complete a National Trail. The

Cleveland Way was only the second of these

long-distance paths to be founded when it

opened in 1969, but there are now 15 oicial

National Trails on the British mainland,

linking rural rights of way.

I spend almost four days crossing the

North York Moors. At times it’s a heart-illing

expanse of sunshine and skylarks, and at

others it’s moody, clouds ghosting across

chilly hills. The entire plateau is blanketed

in purple heather, a habitat for red grouse. As

I’m here in spring, they’re everywhere, the air

illed with their ‘go-back! go-back!’ squawks.

I disobey, happily striding on.

The other thing about solo travel is that

you oten ind yourself chatting with total

strangers — passing walkers, bar staf, other

travellers. Solo adventure lets you be as

inquisitive and garrulous as the mood takes

you. And on those days when all you want to

do is order a drink and stick your nose in a

book, that’s your prerogative too.

Janice Waugh, author of The Solo Traveler’s

Handbook, once wrote: ‘I’ve got lots of people

I could travel with. But there’s something

special about going by yourself. There are

things that happen that just don’t happen

when you’re travelling with other people.’

I spend the second half of the trail

following a coastal big dipper of crests

and bays. My path rises and dips through

smugglers’ villages and penny-arcade towns,

but when I reach Whitby, with its famous

gothic abbey, I somehow walk a mile in the

wrong direction in search of my B&B. If I’d

had a travelling companion, that might not

have happened. Call it character-building. BL

EYEWITNESS

Adventure 2019 67

FUTURE OF ADVENTURE


Mount Mulanje, MalawiGO NOW:

OFF-PISTE

DESTINATIONS

MALAWI

Remote castaway islands,

crowd-free safari parks

and a brilliant music

festival in the shape of

Lake of Stars, Malawi

is one of East Africa’s

most rewarding, unspoilt

destinations. Faraway’s

small-group tours take in

waterfalls and plateaus,

and even a luxury safari.

Prices start at £2,950

for an 11-day adventure,

including lights. wearefaraway.com

DOMINICA

The Caribbean’s best-

kept secret was dealt a

cruel blow by Hurricane

Maria, but the island has

rallied, and today offers

rich rewards. Hiking

to boiling lakes and

mangrove swamps on

rugged coastline await

intrepid travellers. Secret

Bay eco-resort offers a

scuba/snorkel package,

plus accommodation,

for £2,200 for three

nights, excluding lights. secretbay.dm

LADAKH

Scaling Everest and

hiking Nepalese trails is

one of travel’s ultimate

adventures, but recent

images of mountainside

crowds have challenged

perceptions. A less-

trodden route, taking

in the scenery of the

Indian Himalayas,

is through Ladakh.

Intrepid’s 11-day Hike,

Bike & Raft trip starts at

£1,003, excluding lights. intrepidtravel.com

GREENLAND

Want to really veer off

piste? Board a Zodiac

expedition from the

northerly shores of

Canada’s Bafin Island along the Western

shores of Greenland.

Drift among icebergs

and whale-spot, in this

remote, wildlife-dense

corner of the globe.

Exodus’s 20-day Best

of the Western Arctic

expedition starts at

£9,300, excluding lights. exodus.co.uk IM

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UNDERTOURISM

From Amsterdam to Angkor Wat, destinations

have been grappling with ever-growing hordes

of visitors, and are also having to consider crowd

control like never before. Tourism can be a force

for economic good, but factors like Instagram-

led mass travel, cruises and cheap package deals

have ushered armies of tourists into delicate

destinations. Downbeat headlines about the social

and environmental consequences of overtourism

in destinations like Barcelona, Venice, Dubrovnik

and even Mount Everest has made travellers think

long and hard about where and when we place our

tourism footprint.

This growing awareness of overtourism is good

news for global adventurers, however, who look for

under-the-radar destinations where our tourism

dollar and presence will be appreciated. Travellers

seek places where we feel like part of an economic

solution rather than part of an environmental

and sociological problem. Intrepid Travel recently

published a Not Hot List for 2019 highlighting

Asian itineraries and beyond-the-obvious

destinations, including Sumatra and Bukhara.

The concept of undertourism means

considering des tinations that might have been

knocked of the travel map ater economic issues

or natural disasters; or unsung corners of the world

that ofer a peaceful, but exciting alternative to

congested streets and hiking trails elsewhere. It

also means thinking about when we travel, and

looking at shoulder seasons or low season travel,

which not only keeps the costs of travel down, but

also helps build a more stable year-round economy

in the local community. intrepidtravel.com AH


FUTURE OF ADVENTURE


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STEP BY STEP

Threading across the Swedish region of Jämtland, St Olav’s Way ofers a blend of adventure and

serenity, following in the footsteps of Viking kings

Words: Marco Barneveld. Photographs: Frits Meyst

JÄMTLAND & TRØNDELAG

PARTNER CONTENT FOR WELCOME TO JÄMTLAND & TRØNDELAG


Dark green ferns and thick mosses

glow in the sunlight, while a young

stream threads quietly through

the grass. To the right, ine reeds and tiny,

colourful lowers pop up from the wetlands,

while in the distance, the last patches of

snow cling to the mountains separating

Sweden from Norway.

The air is clean and clear. All is tranquil

here on St Olavsleden (St Olav’s Way). The

northernmost pilgrim’s trail in the world, it

starts in Selånger, a small Swedish village

on the east coast, by the Baltic Sea, and then

runs 360 miles west to Trondheim. There,

in Nidaros Cathedral, pilgrims will ind the

resting place of Olav II Haraldsson, after

whom the route is named.

My guide, Putte Ebby, tells me that Olav

would’ve enjoyed the same view when he

marched through here, on the way his inal

battle in Stiklestad, just across the border.

“This is where his ships landed in 1030,”

he explains. We’re admiring the ruins of

Selanger’s church, which was built in the

12th century to honour the Viking king. But

On four wheels

If hiking or biking seems

too strenuous, why

not take a ‘bilgrimage’?

Taken from the Swedish

word ‘bil’, which means

‘car’, tackling sections

of St Olavsleden (it’s

not possible to drive

the whole route) from

behind the wheel is a

great alternative.

PREVIOUS PAGE: Cross at Gällö,

Bräcken municipality

ABOVE: Storsjön lake

I’m puzzled by Putte’s comment, as there’s

no sea in sight.

“The landscape has changed a bit,” Putte

smiles. “The sea once came to where we’re

standing. The main harbour was right here

at the time, where St Olavsleden starts.”

Over the ensuing millennia, the trail

had faded into obscurity, until 2012, when

Sweden and Norway joined forces to revive

it. Today, it runs through vast forests, over

mountains, across pastures dotted with red

wooden barns and along glimmering lakes.

It would take about a month to complete the

entire walk, so tackling a section at a time is

a much less daunting prospect.

For many people, wandering along

the path is as much about undergoing

an inner journey as it is about enjoying

the spectacular scenery. While walking

the trail, I come across a Belgian named

Hedwig who’s on an 18-day hike of the

route. She’s sitting against her backpack

under a tree, enjoying a sandwich and

stretching her toes, her walking shoes

placed in front of her.





Kayak: Explore the

Nidelven River. Tours are

ofered for families and

adult groups, and night

trips are even available

for a unique experience.

trondheimkajakk.no/en

Getting there: Fly from the UK to Östersund or Trondheim. Alternatively, ly to Oslo or Stockholm for onward local trains or lights. Average light time: 5h.

Essentials

MODERN PILGRIM

“This journey ofers me a sense of

calmness and time for relection,” she says.

“It disconnects me from the stresses of

everyday life for a while, allows me to think

and experience a real sense of presence in

nature. It evokes inner peace within me.”

In the old days, a pilgrimage was

sometimes the only way to travel in this

part of the world. Free travel was

forbidden for ordinary folk, and a letter

from the church verifying a pilgrimage

gave one freedom to roam. In other cases,

walking the trail served as penance for

sins committed, with stamps needed to be

collected at speciic points along the path

to prove one had done the whole route.

There were even ‘professional pilgrims’

who’d walk the path for wealthy people

who didn’t want to do penance themselves.

Modern-day pilgrims can still collect

stamps proving their journey — get

enough stamps and you’ll receive a

certiicate at the Nidaros Cathedral

in Trondheim.

Around 700 pilgrims walk or bike St

Olavsleden every year, and locals who

live along the trail like to extend their

support. Tommy Nordwall is a retired

army lieutenant who ofers cofee to anyone

passing his house. St Olav’s Way runs past

his porch, from which a wide variety of

lags are waving in the summer breeze.

“My neighbours along the trail tell me

which countries the pilgrims coming our

way are from,” he says. “I then put out their

lag to welcome them. We get people from

everywhere — even from countries as far

away as Nepal and Namibia.”

I’m descending a well-maintained gravel

road into Norway. The mountain road

between Skalstugan in Sweden and Sul

in Norway encompasses a wide variety of

terrain: from birch forests to rocky slopes

and conifer thickets. But the one thing

uniting these disparate landscapes is a

pervading sense of tranquillity. If you’re

looking for peace of mind, this is truly the

place to come.

Set of on some 21st-

century adventures

in the Jämtland &

Trøndelag region

LEFT: Storsjön lake with the city

of Östersund in the background;

cattle in a ield on the trail; signage along St Olavsleden

BELOW: Trondheim

History: Among the

exhibits at outdoor

regional museum Jamtli

is a tapestry dating

back over 1,000 years.

jamtli.com/en

Food & drink: The

Edible Country initiative

lets you forage for your

own herbs, catch ish

and cook over a stove

in the great outdoors.

adventuresweden.com

Two wheels: Åre

Bike Park’s 35 miles of

winding trails, include

mountain routes, fast

single-tracks and

thrilling downhills.

aresweden.com/en

Adventure:

Rypetoppen

Adventurepark has

climbing trails, treetop

traversals and zip-lines.

rypetoppen.no/en


To plan your own St Olavsleden, visit adventuresweden.com trondelag.com stolavsleden.com


The Shah-i-Zinda,

Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan is the ideal

destination to combine a mix

of culture and adventure. Its

past alone is enough to inspire a

sense of exploration: it sat right

at the heart of the ancient Silk

Road, which ran from Europe all

the way to China. Finally, ater

years of relative isolationism, the

Central Asian country is sharing

its treasures once again.

I’d suggest starting your trip

in Tashkent, the capital, for

a taste for the culture. Soviet

and modern architecture meet

here, but be sure to ride the

ornately decorated Tashkent

Metro (where photography has

only been permitted since 2018),

and visit the Central Asian Plov

Centre to try multiple variations

of Uzbekistan’s national dish.

From there, domestic

transport’s a breeze: you can

reach the UNESCO World

Heritage cities of Samarkand and

Bukhara by high-speed train. The

mosques and madrasas (Muslim

schools) are strikingly beautiful

and are a star attraction, but

ASK THE EXPERTSNeed advice for your next adventure? Ater recommendations, tips and guidance? Look no further — our experts have all the answers

so too are the marvellous

mausoleums, bath houses,

caravanserais and palaces.

Tourists oten overlook

Uzbekistan’s natural wonders in

pursuit of its cultural treasures.

I’d therefore also recommend

including the Nuratau-Kyzylkum

Biosphere Reserve in your

itinerary for some adventure.

It’s a truly unspoilt wilderness

where the Nurata Mountains

make for scenic hiking; you can

swim in Lake Aydarkul; and

ride a camel through the desert

to evoke the Silk Road of old.

At night, there’s nothing like

checking into a yurt camp and

bedding down under canvas,

enjoying stargazing in clear, dark

skies and Kazakh folk songs

around the campire.

Lastly, it’s easier than ever

before to discover Uzbekistan as

there are direct lights twice a

week from Heathrow to Tashkent

with Uzbekistan Airways and as

of February 2019, all EU nationals

can visit without a visa.

SOPHIE IBBOTSON

What insurance do I need if I’m going ice climbing?

It depends on the policy, but

some do include ice climbing

as standard. Read the terms

and conditions carefully as it

may come with restrictions

such as height limits. There

are high risks associated with

ice climbing, so it’s important

to take out a winter sports

insurance policy that covers

ice climbing as standard,

and as such will provide full

medical assistance if you have

an accident. Choose a policy

ofering £10m cover for medical

expenses, including rescue.

SportsCover Direct specialises

in insurance for active travellers.

You can get an ice climbing

insurance quote online

for immediate

cover, but — as is

usually the case

— it’s well worth

shopping around

for the best

cover for your

individual

needs. sports

coverdirect.com

NAOMI LEACH

I’m considering a solo trip to Uzbekistan that combines cultural highlights with some adventure. What advice do you have for someone who’s never been before?

ASK THE EXPERTS



Galápagos sea lions

ABOVE: The Roaches, Peak District National Park

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SOPHIE IBBOTSON, Uzbekistan

Tourism Ambassador to the UK

SUE BRYANT, cruise editor, The

Sunday Times

NAOMI LEACH, acting editor,

Which? Travel

NATALIE BERRY, editor-in-chief,

UKClimbing

HELEN WARWICK, freelance

travel writer

THE EXPERTS

For many, visiting the Galápagos

is a life-changing experience.

An expedition cruise is the best

way to explore these islands,

with trips ashore for hiking,

kayaking and snorkelling amid

incredible wildlife: sea lions,

marine and land iguanas, blue-

footed boobies and sea turtles.

All operators are responsible;

they’re bound by the strict rules

of the Galápagos National Park.

You could sail in style: a 10-night

fl y-cruise including two nights

in Quito and seven on the smart

Celebrity Xpedition costs £6,419,

all-inclusive, departing 19 March

2020. But nature is the star in

these parts, so you’ll see the same

places on a budget. Journey Latin

America o� ers a nine-night tour

I’ve never climbed before, but want a trip that teaches me the basics. Where do you recommend in the UK?

The UK is home to a wide variety

of rock types, from gritstone

outcrops to coastal climbs. For

beginners, there’s no better place

to start than the Peak District.

The abundance of short (40-50� -

high) roped climbs and boulders

close to roads make it a highly

accessible and comfortable

environment to learn the ropes,

so to speak. The gritstone walls

of Stanage Edge are the site of

many classic climbs, with routes

to suit all abilities. Textured and

grippy, gritstone is the ideal rock

type for beginners.

If you’re looking for something

more adventurous, head to

North Wales. Tryfan — a rhyolite

mountain in Ogwen Valley — is

close to both the road and the

Gwern Gof Uchaf campsite, but

o� ers long, low di¡ culty climbs

up to 625� . Start on the smaller

outcrop Tryfan Fach (Little

Tryfan) for shorter routes.

Details of beginners’ courses,

instructors and indoor climbing

walls throughout the UK can be

found in UKClimbing’s directory

at ukclimbing.com/listings

NATALIE BERRY

I don’t want to fl y, so where’s a good place to go with a three-month-old for a bit of adventure?

Luckily, a three-month-

old is easy to transport, so

adventures aren’t completely

o� -limits. Consider a couple

of weeks road-tripping in a

campervan: make your way

to Brittany and head south,

crossing the Loire in Nantes

and on to Bordeaux. Along

the way, you’ll fi nd plenty of

campsites, plus woodlands,

rivers and meadows. Book

through Motorhome Republic

— a two-week rental for three

in September, with pick-up

and drop-o� in Caen, starts at

€1,872 (£1,674).

Closer to home, the drama

of the Lake District always

stirs adventurers and the

huge variety of walks means

it’s easy to snuggle your baby

up in a sling and head out on

di� erent hikes each day. Base

yourself in a lodge at Limefi tt

Park — a serene park in the

Troutbeck Valley surrounded

by hill trails and pubs with

roaring fi res. Two nights from

£290. motorhomerepublic.com

lakedistrictlodgeholidays.co.uk

HELEN WARWICK

I’d like to go on an expedition cruise in the Pacifi c for a responsible encounter with wildlife. Are there any cruises or operators you recommend?

from £3,867, including fl ights from

and two nights in Guayaquil, and

seven nights on the 16-passenger

MV Cachalote Explorer, with all

activities included. Excludes

international fl ights.

If you’re a� er encounters with

marine life, Mexico’s Sea of Cortez

o� ers opportunities to spot

dolphins, humpback whales and

basking sharks. Sail with UnCruise

Adventures, which focuses on

sustainable expeditions by

small ship. A week’s all-inclusive

cruise, with fl ights, on the Safari

Endeavor, costs from £4,850,

departing 21 February 2020.

celebritycruises.co.uk

journeylatinamerica.co.uk

mundyadventures.co.uk

SUE BRYANT

ASK THE EXPERTS

Adventure 2019 75


ADVENTURE GEAR

TRIED & TESTED

With a lifetime’s worth of kit out there, it’s diicult to know what to tackle irst. We road-tested plenty of gear and whittled it down to a dozen favourites to accompany your next adventure

WORDS: MATTHEW HAMPTON

BACKPACKS JACKETS

BEST FOR DAY TRIPS

Osprey Syncro 20Osprey packs are always loaded

with intelligent features, such

as the LidLock helmet carrier on

this Syncro 20, which makes it a

good choice for cyclists as well as

walkers. An internal frame keeps

the weight of your back, helping

with airlow, and the packaway

rain cover is a handy bonus.

RRP: £90. ospreyeurope.com

BEST FOR TOUGH TREKS

Act’teryx Alpha FL 45The Alpha is everything a

hardy Alpinist could need.

A minimalist 45-litre tube of

ripstop nylon, it swallows all

your gear, leaving room on the

outside for ropes, axes and

crampons. Grazing the scales at

just 670 grams, it’s also perfect

if you’re planning to travel light.

RRP: £160. arcteryx.com

BEST FOR WET WEEKENDS

Aquapac Wet & Dry Waterproof BackpackUsed by emergency services

worldwide, Aquapacs come in all

sizes and are rated from splash-

proof to fully submersible.

Larger packs are also available,

but this Wet & Dry backpack is

so versatile it could even work

for your daily commute, too.

RRP: £79.99. aquapac.net

BEST FOR BAD WEATHER

Mammut Nordwand Advanced Hooded Hardshell The Nordwand combines

the best Gore-Tex fabric

with clever tailoring,

keeping you dry and

warm without impeding

any movement. It’s also

available in both men’s

and women’s sizes.

RRP: £499. mammut.com

BEST LIGHTWEIGHT JACKET

Picture Amparo Picture stands out for its

commitment to sustainability,

using recycled polyester and

organic cotton across its

range. This lightweight jacket

has a durable waterproof

coating, taped seams and

packs down into a pocket.

RRP: £99. picture-organic-

clothing.com

BEST FOR TRADITIONALISTS

McNair Merino Mountain ShirtNot only does wool

look great, but it’s also

lightweight, breathable

and warm. This mountain

shirt was designed with

snowsports in mind, but

is also a great everyday

jacket. RRP: £335.

mcnairshirts.com

TRIED & TESTED



BEST FOR OFF-GRID

LifeStrawIf you’re heading out to the

back of beyond, a puriier is

quite literally a lifesaver. The

two-stage ilter means you can

drink straight from streams

and even ponds, and for each

one bought, LifeStraw helps

inance clean water projects in

developing countries.

RRP: £54.95. lifestraw.com

BEST FOR KEEPING WARM

Hydro Flask Cofee FlipCold latte? No thanks. Save

your brew from becoming an

unintentional iced cofee with

this smart sippy cup in a range

of bright colours. It keeps drinks

warm for up to six hours, or

chilled for up to 24 hours, and

comes in three sizes, dependent

on your thirst. RRP: from £17.30

for 350ml. hydroflask.com

BEST FOR AESTHETICS

Sigg Original Almost too pretty to be used

outdoors, Sigg bottles are a

classic piece of Swiss design:

chic but practical. Made from

lightweight aluminium or

stainless steel, they really do

last forever and the more scufs

and scratches they pick up, the

better they look. 750ml.

RRP: £24.99. sigg.com

BOOTS BOTTLES

BEST WATERPROOF BOOT

Adidas TERREX Free Hiker GTXDesigned for the toughest of

conditions, this new boot makes

the most of Adidas’ sporting

pedigree. It’s robust enough to

deal with long-distance hikes,

but stylish enough to wear in the

city. Most importantly, BOOST ™

technology means your toes will

always stay dry. RRP: £200.

adidas.co.uk

BEST MEN’S BOOT

Danner Mountain 600Equally at home in the city or on

the trail, the Mountain 600 is the

only boot you’ll ever need — and

the sturdy leather uppers and

sole (also Vibram) mean you’ll

have them a long time. Danner’s

proprietary lining material also

keeps your feet nice and cosy, no

matter what the weather’s like.

RRP: £125.51. global.danner.com

BEST WOMEN’S BOOT

Scarpa Kailash Plus GTX Combining nubuck leather

with a Gore-Tex lining, the

sot appearance of the Kailash

belies its hardy nature: these

boots were made for walking,

but it certainly doesn’t hurt that

they look good too. The chunky

Vibram sole will see you it for

miles over technical terrain.

RRP: £215. scarpa.co.uk

Check out our

guide to choosing

your boots at

nationalgeographic.

co.uk/travel

TRIED & TESTED

Adventure 2019 77


ACCESSIBLE ADVENTURE



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For Carrie-Ann Lightley, abseiling in the

Lake District wasn’t exactly top of the list

of activities she was planning to tackle any

time soon. As a wheelchair user, there are

certain adventures it’s easy to write-of as

non-starters. Although, in this case, the

barriers were more mental than physical.

“I’m not the most adventurous person,”

says Carrie-Ann, who works for the

AccessAble accessibility guide and also

provides advice for disabled travellers on her

personal blog. “I was a bit reluctant.”

But the Calvert Trust in Keswick

specialises in making outdoor activities

— whether that’s sailing, canoeing,

orienteering or abseiling — accessible by

ixing harnesses and ropes so clif faces can

be tackled without leaving the wheelchair.

“I loved it so much that we did it again

straight away,” says Carrie-Ann, who also has

cerebral palsy. But for her, it wasn’t so much

the special equipment that was impressive,

but the attitude of the staf. “Nothing was too

much trouble,” she says. “They found a way to

make everything accessible.”

It’s this attitude that is at the heart

of the accessible travel concept, which

can be loosely deined as making tourist

destinations, products and services available

to all, irrespective of disabilities and physical

limitations. For adventure travel and outdoor

activities, this involves a fair bit more than

installing ramps or audio descriptions.

The good news is that there are plenty

of people in the industry prepared to

make accessible adventure travel work.

Scores of small operators are putting in the

efort. Dalslands Aktiviteter in Sweden, for

instance, has opened up horse-riding to

disabled guests, while Galapagos Islands

Adventure in Ecuador helps wheelchair

users into the water to snorkel, and trains

At long last, the travel industry is becoming more accessible, with tour operators and organisations making intrepid travel more inclusive than ever

before. Whether it’s a physical disability or a visual impairment, adventure doesn’t have to be of-limits

WORDS: DAVID WHITLEY

ACCESS

ALL AREAS

guides to provide more detailed descriptions

of wildlife for visually impaired travellers.

In Nepal, Four Season Travel & Tours is

developing wheelchair-accessible trails in

Pokhara and Dhulikhel.

It’s a pattern seen in various countries

where operators are prepared to adapt their

approach. The Santa Barbara Adventure

Company in California ofers well-

established electric kayak tours suitable

for guests with disabilities, but had a new

challenge when a blind couple wanted to

book a surf lesson. However, guide Pablo

Chalott says it was an opportunity to learn.

“As soon as I started the safety talk, I

realised this was going to be tricky,” he says.

“I got them to feel the parts of the board,

showed them where the sweet spot on the

surboard is, and did my best to explain the

mechanics of suring. We talked about the

ocean, what it would feel like, and what do if

they fell of their board.”

Testing the limitsFor travellers with disabilities but

adventurous tastes, the operators are there.

The problem is inding them. However,

both coordination between sectors and

consumer awareness are arguably bigger

obstacles than product adaptation. In

New Zealand, initiatives like Makingtrax

are a good indication of what the future

has in store. The scheme brings together

several accessible-friendly operators from

across the country, whether they specialise

in whitewater rating, tandem skydives,

kayaking or canyon swings. It functions as a

sort of membership collective, collecting the

relevant operators together in one place.

Another route is to book through

specialist operators. Most concentrate

on resort holidays and city breaks, but


Adventure 2019 79

LEFT: Hiking the Inca

Trail, Peru, with Wheel

the World


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NEW MEXICO

Routes Bicycle Tours & Rentals

has taken a tailormade approach

to its tours for customers on the

autism spectrum. Tandem bikes

are also part of the ofering for

those with physical disabilities.

routesrentals.com

SOUTH AFRICA

Stormsriver Adventures has

opened up its Tsitsikamma

Canopy Tour, on which disabled

customers can slide around the

zip-wire course attached to a

guide. There’s also a dedicated

‘touch and feel’ experience for the

visually impaired. stormsriver.com

AUSTRALIA

Parks Victoria has introduced

initiatives such as beach

wheelchairs, accessible canoe

launchers, TrailRider all-terrain

wheelchairs and information

sheets for children on the autism

spectrum. parkweb.vic.gov.au

PORTUGAL

Tobogã, in northern Portugal’s

Peneda-Gerês National Park,

started ofering accessible

canyoning tours in 2010, and

has expanded the programme

to include trekking and suring.

adventureaccessibletours.pt

OUT IN THE FIELDHOW THE INDUSTRY

IS ADAPTING

others, such as Enable Holidays, ofer more

adventurous itineraries, which could range

from paragliding to suring.

Seable, for example, has a irmer focus

on active holidays. Director Damiano La

Rocca says: “We found there was a real gap

— especially when it comes to blind and

partially sighted travellers.”

While specialist equipment was

sometimes required, Seable’s main focus

has been on training open-minded local

operators, and having ‘chaperones’ to

facilitate the holidays. “The chaperone stays

with the guests throughout the holiday.

They’re the guiding eyes — sometimes a

support, sometimes a friend.”

As an example of how things are done

diferently, Damiano chooses Sicily’s Mount

Etna. “Chaperones will describe the scenery,

but they’ll also pick up the lava rocks and

encourage guests to feel the ground. It’s

about involving all the senses.”

Richard Wheatley, a stand-up comedian

from London who’s partially sighted, has

gone to Cyprus, South East Asia and Italy

with Seable. He says the logistics of travelling

are key. “If you haven’t planned it, you end up

blundering around. The advantage is having

the planning done for you.”

Skiing was one of the options Richard tried

in Italy, and found it was an unexpectedly

sensory experience. “If I go running, I’m in

contact with the ground for enough time to

know how fast I’m going. On skis, the sound

is the only indicator.”

Leaving the comfort zone like this is a

key part of adventure, according to Carrie-

USEFUL RESOURCES

wheelchairtravelling.com

accessable.co.uk

tourismforall.org.uk

MORE INFO

Carrie Ann Lightley.

carrieannlightley.com

Calvert Turst. calvert-trust.org.uk

Dalslands Aktiviteter.

dalslandsaktiviteter.com

Galapagos Islands Adventure.

go-gia.com

Four Season Travel. go-nepal.com

Santa Barbara Adventure Company.

sbadventureco.com

Making Trax. makingtrax.co.nz

Enable Holidays. enableholidays.com

Seable. seable.co.uk

Intrepid Travel. intrepidtravel.com

Wheel the World.

gowheeltheworld.com

Enable Travel. enabletravel.com

Utracks. utracks.com

Responsible Travel.

responsibletravel.com

Ann. “A lot of people out there want to push

boundaries and test limits,” she says.

Visit England estimates that people with

health conditions and impairments (and

their travelling companions) spend around

£12bn on trips in England each year. A decent

chunk of that market wants more than bus

tours and hotels with wheelchair access.

Bigger operators are waking up to the

fact that accessible adventure travel is an

opportunity waiting to be tapped. Case in

point is Peak DMC, a wing of the Intrepid

Group, the world’s largest adventure

company. It has recently started partnering

with Wheel the World, which ofers trips

aimed at wheelchair users in ive countries.

Other big players are venturing in,

too. Enable Travel, which is opening up

accessible trekking in India, is part of Cox &

Kings, and walking tour specialist UTracks

is launching a Camino walk for the visually

impaired in 2020. Responsible Travel is

revamping its whole website with the explicit

aim of making sure travellers can work

out what they can and can’t do. CEO Justin

Francis believes the accessible adventure

travel market is likely to boom as operators

get their heads around what’s needed.

“The main concern we’ve seen is operators

worrying they won’t be perfect,” he says.

In the next few years, this approach is

likely to change, as smaller operators join

forces to promote themselves, and larger

operators have greater conidence in catering

for travellers with disabilities who want to

step out of their comfort zone. It’s possible to

do it — it’s just a case of working out how.

Tetraplegic/quadriplegic

lying, New Zealand




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MEET THE ADVENTURERSkier Stian Hagen looks back at his adrenalin-fuelled career and shares his tips for budding expeditionists

I WAS TAKEN OUT

IN THE MOUNTAINS

BEFORE I COULD WALK.

I grew up in Oslo and

my father worked for

the Norwegian Alpine

Club, so I was always

out in the peaks. I was actually carried to the

summit of Norway’s second highest mountain

before I was a year old. We had a big collection

of mountain adventure books at home, too,

and I remember reading books about polar

crossings and climbing mountains as a kid. I

even have memories of using a carpet in the

living room as a dog sled, fi lling it up with

canned food from the pantry and pretending

to go to the North Pole.

I NEVER PLANNED TO BECOME A PROFESSIONAL

SKIER. IT JUST KIND OF HAPPENED. In the early

1990s, very few people could make a living

from skiing, especially in Europe. I went to

Chamonix for a season when I was 18 and

somehow I’m still here 25 years later.

THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY STANDOUT

ADVENTURES IN MY CAREER. I’ve always been

drawn to trips where I can combine my

passion for the sea with my passion for skiing.

I once sailed from Bodø in Norway across the

Arctic Ocean to Jan Mayen, a tiny volcanic

isle between Iceland and the North Pole. We

landed on the island in a dinghy, then climbed

to the peak before skiing back down. It turned

out that this was the highest unclimbed point

in Norwegian territory, although I didn’t fi nd

out until years later.

MORE RECENTLY, I SAILED TO ANTARCTICA.

A� er setting o� from Ushuaia on the southern

tip of South America, we crossed the Drake

Passage to the Antarctic Peninsula and sailed

around the region for three weeks, climbing

peaks and skiing. It was my favourite trip of

all time, and I’d love to go back. Antarctica is a

truly special place.

THE WORST THING IS LOSING FRIENDS IN THE

MOUNTAINS. When you’ve been in the game

as long as I have, it’s unavoidable. There have

been times when I’ve thought about quitting

and living a normal life, but I always seem to

fi nd a reason to keep doing what I love.

I HAVE TWO SMALL KIDS NOW, WHICH IS A HUGE

RESPONSIBILITY. As a result, I’m now even

more careful than I was in the past. Being

away for long periods of time gets harder

and harder, but luckily I live in a place where

adventures are right outside the door. I have

a black book of ideas for future expeditions,

some of which I’ll probably never get to do

— but I can always dream.

IT’S HARD TO SAY WHAT ADVENTURES WILL

LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE. There’s a lot that

has been done already, so I think the way

forward is to do it in better style and with

less impact on the environment.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I DID IN MY

CAREER WAS GETTING MY EDUCATION AS A

MOUNTAIN GUIDE. It’s the number one reason

I’ve been able to do what I do for as long as I

have; I knew I’d be able to do something I’m

passionate about as soon as any sponsorship

deal ended. Train hard, but remember that

life goes on a� erwards. I have a lot of friends

who struggle with injuries sustained in their

younger years. Life is long, so make sure to

plan for the future.

@hagenstian

Q&A



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Documents

National Geographic Traveller UK - Adventure 2019