keeping a New Year's resolution has never been easier!
2013 adventures
13
g n i z a m a s e r u t n e adv Amy Marwick has 13 must-do adventures for 2013 – keeping a New Year’s resolution has never been easier!
Picture : Caves Branch
Bike-ology: cycle in France for the Tour de France’s 100th birthday
Picture: Marmot Tours
1 Cycle the Tour de France This year will see the 100th edition of the legendary Tour de France, so grab your lycra and a helmet and head across the channel for a cycle mission. The first Tour de France took place in 1903, when 21 riders out of 60 completed the 2,428km race, which had just six (mammoth) stages. There’s been a race every year since bar the two World Wars, and 2013’s 100th edition of the race starts on 29 June. We’re not necessarily suggesting you enter, although if you do we’ll be shouting for you. Instead, check out the route at www.letour.fr, pick a section that appeals and do it in your own time. Alternatively, if you need a little motivation, Marmot Tours is running a six-day cycle tour in the Pyrenees, with the opportunity to complete two stages of Tour de France and time to soak up the atmosphere before watching some of the race itself. The trip will take place between 3-10 July; see www.marmottours.co.uk.
2 Cave in Belize
Splash out! Caving in Belize’s Waterfalls Cave
20 January/February 2013 www.adventuretravelmagazine.co.uk
The abrupt ending of the Mayan Long Count calendar on 21 December 2012 sent the world into a panic. The conclusion of the calendar, however, is also interpreted as the end of one cycle and the beginning of a new one. So how about celebrating our continued existence by visiting the heart of the Maya civilistaion, Belize? Belize is an adventure paradise. It has its
! 3 1 for 20
2013 adventures
own barrier reef, jungles, rivers for rafting and kayaking and the largest cave system in Central America. Caves Branch adventure company runs caving, kayaking and hiking tours deep in the jungle, and its Waterfall Cave Expedition includes rock climbing up cascading waterfalls, plunging into rock pools and climbing through ancient Mayan ceremonial chambers. And after a long day exploring, you get to spend the night in a luxury tree house. See www.cavesbranch.com.
4 Hike the Tiger Leaping Gorge The Tiger Leaping Gorge is a canyon in Yunnan in southwestern China, named after a mythical tiger that apparently jumped the width of it to escape a hunter. There’s a stunning 22km hike down the gorge, in the shadow of snow-covered peaks like Jade
Picture: Ciaran Collins
Sometimes we hate spreading the word about an up-and-coming area or activity so keep this a secret: Montenegro boasts some of the most rugged terrain in Europe, and mountain biking there is on the up, with trails constantly being improved. Located in southeast Europe, bordering Croatia, Montenegro has a beautiful Adriatic coastline which sometimes eclipses the scope for activity in the country’s mountain ranges. But with peaks above 2,000m it’s perfect for biking up rocky ridges, down winding forest paths and across wildflower meadows, and there are trails to suit all levels. The Montenegro Mountain Bike Guide has details of more than 1,700km of bike trails and it’s available on Amazon, or adventure company Black Mountain has mountain bikes to rent and offers tours and fully packaged holidays. “Discovering Montenegro was truly fantastic and I can only compare it to a holiday I had in New Zealand,” says Sharnie McCooke from Newcastle, who went mountain biking with Black Mountain. See www.montenegroholiday.com.
Picture: Andrew Atkinson
3 Mountain bike in Montenegro
Don’t look down: canyoning in the Alps
Peaceful: kayaking Clew Bay, County Mayo
www.adventuretravelmagazine.co.uk January/February 2013 21
2013 adventures
‘Montenegro boasts some of the most rugged terrain in Europe, and mountain biking there is on the up’ would flood the first major bend in the river. Spring is the best time to do the hike, so you can witness the Yangtze river at the height of its turbulence, thundering and frothing through the gorge. The walk will take around two days and there are various guesthouses along the trail. Take a bus from Lijiang to the start of the route; maps showing distances and guesthouse locations are available from the ticket office.
5 Kayak in Ireland
Picture: Visit Finland
Combat the unlucky 13th year of the 21st century with some luck of the Irish and pick up a paddle for an adventure holiday close to home. Ireland’s coastline boasts cliffs, caves and coves that are ideal for exploring by kayak. Newport and Westport on the west coast make ideal bases for sea kayaking in
Rock on: Cape Town’s Table Mountain
and around Clew Bay (see Adventure Islands, www.theadventureislands.com, for sea kayaking holidays and courses) and the river Barrow in County Carlow is mostly flat, offering easier touring, but with some fast flowing sections too. Or if you want white water, check out the Avonmore in County Wicklow or Deele Drumkeen river in Donegal. See www.irishwhitewater.com for in depth river summaries, with put-in points and hazards.
6 Climb Denali The 6,194-metre Denali in Alaska is the highest mountain in North America, and the first ascent of the main summit was on 7 June 1913, marking the centennial as 2013. It’s the third most prominent mountain in the world, looming spectacularly over the surrounding plains, and it’s the coldest mountain outside of Antarctica, due to its northerly position. Denali is also one of the Seven Summits – the seven highest mountains on each of the continents – and it’s a good starting point for anyone wanting to progress to climbing 8,000m peaks. Adventure Peaks runs 27-day expeditions there, with prices starting at £5,395, and the company’s director Dave Pritt describes it as one of the most spectacular mountains on earth. See www.adventurepeaks.com.
7 Canyon in the Alps
Caption Solar maxim: to gospot here... Aurora
The Alps of northern Italy and Switzerland are ranked among the world’s foremost destinations for canyoning, so much so that guidebook company Cicerone has released a new guidebook, Canyoning in the Alps, dedicated to the area, with additional routes in Slovenia and Austria. So don your wetsuit, helmet and positive attitude and prepare to launch yourself down narrow drops into
Picture Cassie Ligh, Hike Table Mountain
Dragon Snow Mountain and Haba Snow Mountain, past knee-trembling precipices and terraced farmland. But you’ll need to be quick, as the Chinese Government has proposed to build a dam in the gorge that
sparkling pools, slide down rock chutes and dangle from a rope in the middle of waterfalls. “Choosing a favourite route is tough,” says Canyoning in the Alps author Simon Flower. “If pushed, I’d have to say Lodrino – it’s a canyoner’s paradise of stunning, incised scenery and high water. Photogenic too. It’s not for the faint-hearted though!”
‘Don your wetsuit, helmet and positive attitude and prepare to launch yourself down narrow drops into sparkling pools’ The guidebook can be bought at www. cicerone.co.uk for £25, or check out Outdoor Interlaken, which runs canyoning expeditions in Ticino, Switzerland, including a trip to Lodrino. See www.outdoor-interlaken.ch.
8 Hunt for the Northern Lights Scientists have identified 2013 as the peak of the current solar maximum, supposedly meaning that the Northern Lights will be extra vivid and more regular this year (we think they said that in 2012 too, but great news that we get another chance). Aurora Borealis, or the Northern Lights, is that galactic phenomenon that projects a magnificent light show into the skies around the magnetic North Pole. The dancing lights occur due to collisions between electrically charged particles from the sun that enter the earth’s atmosphere. Drawn
www.adventuretravelmagazine.co.uk January/February 2013 23
to the earth’s magnetic fields around the poles, the particles ionise which releases the visible bright lights. “Experts are predicting another winter of fantastic solar activity and there have already been some incredible sightings of the Northern Lights across Scandinavia,” says Suzel Taber-Shaw, managing director of Taber Holidays, which has introduced three new adventure-based trips to Finnish Lapland, Norway and Iceland for 2013 Northern Lights tracking. See www. taberhols.co.uk.
Picture: Jose Molina, KE Adventure Travel
2013 adventures
9 Climb Table Mountain It’s the 510th anniversary of the first ascent of Table Mountain, the 1,084m flat-topped landmark that overlooks the city of Cape Town in South Africa. It was first climbed in 1503 by Antonio de Saldanha from Portugal, but if that sounds a long time ago, consider that Table Mountain is older than all other mountain major mountain ranges in the world. It also boasts a diverse range of flora
‘This is a forgotten landscape, wreathed in mystery, magic and folklore’ and landscape, with the craggy north face giving way to lush blankets of forest on the east and south sides. There’s great hiking and even more rock climbing, with around 900 routes on the mountain. Watch out for the erratic weather though, in the form of the ‘tablecloth’ of cloud that regularly sits on the summit – supposedly the smoke from a smoking contest between the devil and a pirate (well, according to the legend). There’s also a cable car up, but that’s for wimps. “If you appreciate nature, enjoy being active outdoors, like a challenge or prefer the road less travelled, then the best way to experience Table Mountain is on foot,” says mountain guide Riaan Vorster. His company Hike Table Mountain (www.hiketablemountain.co.za) offers guided hikes up all of the routes up the hill.
10 Walk the length of Scotland Scotland’s first ever end-to-end walking route, running from Kirk Yetholm in the Scottish Borders (the northern terminus of the Pennine Way) to Cape Wrath, the most north-western point on the British mainland, opened in October 2012, so if you walk it now you’ll be one of the first to do so. “I wanted to walk through my own country of birth, simply to get to know it
Spectacular Bolivia – now with flights from Gatwick
better, to weigh up aspects of its character and culture, to remind myself of its history and factions, its nuances and its remarkable diversity of landscape,” says Cameron McNeish, founder of the 705km trail. The guidebook Scotland End to End costs £20 from Mountain Media: www.mountainmedia.co.uk.
11 Climb Kilimanjaro Kilimanjaro is Africa’s highest mountain and the highest freestanding mountain in the world, but if you want to see it with its iconic snowy white peak, you should get moving. The snow on the top of the mountain has been reported as diminishing in thickness and area since 1800s, and experts at the United Nations Environment Programme fear it could disappear within the next decade. Jeremy Gane, director of Gane and Marshall Kilimanjaro and safari operators, agrees there’s a risk. “Kilimanjaro’s snowfields, located virtually on the Equator, amazed the first European explorers of the 1880s and they continue to cause wonder for today’s mountain climbers. Given the gradual but seemingly unstoppable climate changes, it seems likely that the icecap will soon disappear so seize the opportunity to climb this wonderful mountain as soon as possible.” Gane and Marshall runs a variety of trips up the mountain, including a longer trek that incorporates Africa’s fourth highest mountain Mount Meru. See www. ganeandmarshall.com. Or try EWP (www. ewpnet.com) and Private Kilimanjaro (www.privatekilimanjaro.com).
12 Hike the Transylvanian Alps Arcing across central Romania, the Carpathian Mountains, or Transylvanian Alps as
24 January/February 2013 www.adventuretravelmagazine.co.uk
they’re also called, hold great hiking – especially while the country’s authentic charm remains intact. “Romania’s Carpathian Mountains offer some of the most rewarding walking in Europe,” says Mark Wright, MD of Walks Worldwide, a company that offers a number of treking holidays in the area. “There are ridge walks in the mighty Fagaras, the jagged peaks of Piatra Craiului or the rolling hills of Maramures. This is one of the last parts of Europe where you can explore villages that follow age-old traditions, set in landscapes of outstanding natural beauty.” The mountains stretch across 1,500km, making them the second longest range in Europe, and they’re home to brown bears, wolves, chamois and lynx. Check out www. walksworldwide.com for a range of options, and there’s also a Cicerone guidebook, The Mountains of Romania by James Roberts, which outlines paths and mountain huts.
13 Mountain climb in Bolivia One of South America’s top adventure playgrounds, Bolivia, has become more accessible from the UK thanks to Air Europa (www. aireuropa.com) launching flights there from Gatwick in December 2012. The flights go via Madrid to the wonderfully named Viru Viru International Airport in Bolivia’s second city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra – it’s far easier to fly here than the capital of La Paz as it’s much lower in altitude. Bolivia is home to everything from 6,000m peaks to surreal salt flats to rainforest so you’re never going to be stuck for something to do. We like the look of KE Adventure Travel’s Bolivia Climber trip, taking in three peaks in the Corderilla Real range of the Andes – see www.keadventure.com. ■
13
g n i z a m a s e r u t n e adv Amy Marwick has 13 must-do adventures for 2013 – keeping a New Year’s resolution has never been easier!
Picture : Caves Branch
Bike-ology: cycle in France for the Tour de France’s 100th birthday
Picture: Marmot Tours
1 Cycle the Tour de France This year will see the 100th edition of the legendary Tour de France, so grab your lycra and a helmet and head across the channel for a cycle mission. The first Tour de France took place in 1903, when 21 riders out of 60 completed the 2,428km race, which had just six (mammoth) stages. There’s been a race every year since bar the two World Wars, and 2013’s 100th edition of the race starts on 29 June. We’re not necessarily suggesting you enter, although if you do we’ll be shouting for you. Instead, check out the route at www.letour.fr, pick a section that appeals and do it in your own time. Alternatively, if you need a little motivation, Marmot Tours is running a six-day cycle tour in the Pyrenees, with the opportunity to complete two stages of Tour de France and time to soak up the atmosphere before watching some of the race itself. The trip will take place between 3-10 July; see www.marmottours.co.uk.
2 Cave in Belize
Splash out! Caving in Belize’s Waterfalls Cave
20 January/February 2013 www.adventuretravelmagazine.co.uk
The abrupt ending of the Mayan Long Count calendar on 21 December 2012 sent the world into a panic. The conclusion of the calendar, however, is also interpreted as the end of one cycle and the beginning of a new one. So how about celebrating our continued existence by visiting the heart of the Maya civilistaion, Belize? Belize is an adventure paradise. It has its
! 3 1 for 20
2013 adventures
own barrier reef, jungles, rivers for rafting and kayaking and the largest cave system in Central America. Caves Branch adventure company runs caving, kayaking and hiking tours deep in the jungle, and its Waterfall Cave Expedition includes rock climbing up cascading waterfalls, plunging into rock pools and climbing through ancient Mayan ceremonial chambers. And after a long day exploring, you get to spend the night in a luxury tree house. See www.cavesbranch.com.
4 Hike the Tiger Leaping Gorge The Tiger Leaping Gorge is a canyon in Yunnan in southwestern China, named after a mythical tiger that apparently jumped the width of it to escape a hunter. There’s a stunning 22km hike down the gorge, in the shadow of snow-covered peaks like Jade
Picture: Ciaran Collins
Sometimes we hate spreading the word about an up-and-coming area or activity so keep this a secret: Montenegro boasts some of the most rugged terrain in Europe, and mountain biking there is on the up, with trails constantly being improved. Located in southeast Europe, bordering Croatia, Montenegro has a beautiful Adriatic coastline which sometimes eclipses the scope for activity in the country’s mountain ranges. But with peaks above 2,000m it’s perfect for biking up rocky ridges, down winding forest paths and across wildflower meadows, and there are trails to suit all levels. The Montenegro Mountain Bike Guide has details of more than 1,700km of bike trails and it’s available on Amazon, or adventure company Black Mountain has mountain bikes to rent and offers tours and fully packaged holidays. “Discovering Montenegro was truly fantastic and I can only compare it to a holiday I had in New Zealand,” says Sharnie McCooke from Newcastle, who went mountain biking with Black Mountain. See www.montenegroholiday.com.
Picture: Andrew Atkinson
3 Mountain bike in Montenegro
Don’t look down: canyoning in the Alps
Peaceful: kayaking Clew Bay, County Mayo
www.adventuretravelmagazine.co.uk January/February 2013 21
2013 adventures
‘Montenegro boasts some of the most rugged terrain in Europe, and mountain biking there is on the up’ would flood the first major bend in the river. Spring is the best time to do the hike, so you can witness the Yangtze river at the height of its turbulence, thundering and frothing through the gorge. The walk will take around two days and there are various guesthouses along the trail. Take a bus from Lijiang to the start of the route; maps showing distances and guesthouse locations are available from the ticket office.
5 Kayak in Ireland
Picture: Visit Finland
Combat the unlucky 13th year of the 21st century with some luck of the Irish and pick up a paddle for an adventure holiday close to home. Ireland’s coastline boasts cliffs, caves and coves that are ideal for exploring by kayak. Newport and Westport on the west coast make ideal bases for sea kayaking in
Rock on: Cape Town’s Table Mountain
and around Clew Bay (see Adventure Islands, www.theadventureislands.com, for sea kayaking holidays and courses) and the river Barrow in County Carlow is mostly flat, offering easier touring, but with some fast flowing sections too. Or if you want white water, check out the Avonmore in County Wicklow or Deele Drumkeen river in Donegal. See www.irishwhitewater.com for in depth river summaries, with put-in points and hazards.
6 Climb Denali The 6,194-metre Denali in Alaska is the highest mountain in North America, and the first ascent of the main summit was on 7 June 1913, marking the centennial as 2013. It’s the third most prominent mountain in the world, looming spectacularly over the surrounding plains, and it’s the coldest mountain outside of Antarctica, due to its northerly position. Denali is also one of the Seven Summits – the seven highest mountains on each of the continents – and it’s a good starting point for anyone wanting to progress to climbing 8,000m peaks. Adventure Peaks runs 27-day expeditions there, with prices starting at £5,395, and the company’s director Dave Pritt describes it as one of the most spectacular mountains on earth. See www.adventurepeaks.com.
7 Canyon in the Alps
Caption Solar maxim: to gospot here... Aurora
The Alps of northern Italy and Switzerland are ranked among the world’s foremost destinations for canyoning, so much so that guidebook company Cicerone has released a new guidebook, Canyoning in the Alps, dedicated to the area, with additional routes in Slovenia and Austria. So don your wetsuit, helmet and positive attitude and prepare to launch yourself down narrow drops into
Picture Cassie Ligh, Hike Table Mountain
Dragon Snow Mountain and Haba Snow Mountain, past knee-trembling precipices and terraced farmland. But you’ll need to be quick, as the Chinese Government has proposed to build a dam in the gorge that
sparkling pools, slide down rock chutes and dangle from a rope in the middle of waterfalls. “Choosing a favourite route is tough,” says Canyoning in the Alps author Simon Flower. “If pushed, I’d have to say Lodrino – it’s a canyoner’s paradise of stunning, incised scenery and high water. Photogenic too. It’s not for the faint-hearted though!”
‘Don your wetsuit, helmet and positive attitude and prepare to launch yourself down narrow drops into sparkling pools’ The guidebook can be bought at www. cicerone.co.uk for £25, or check out Outdoor Interlaken, which runs canyoning expeditions in Ticino, Switzerland, including a trip to Lodrino. See www.outdoor-interlaken.ch.
8 Hunt for the Northern Lights Scientists have identified 2013 as the peak of the current solar maximum, supposedly meaning that the Northern Lights will be extra vivid and more regular this year (we think they said that in 2012 too, but great news that we get another chance). Aurora Borealis, or the Northern Lights, is that galactic phenomenon that projects a magnificent light show into the skies around the magnetic North Pole. The dancing lights occur due to collisions between electrically charged particles from the sun that enter the earth’s atmosphere. Drawn
www.adventuretravelmagazine.co.uk January/February 2013 23
to the earth’s magnetic fields around the poles, the particles ionise which releases the visible bright lights. “Experts are predicting another winter of fantastic solar activity and there have already been some incredible sightings of the Northern Lights across Scandinavia,” says Suzel Taber-Shaw, managing director of Taber Holidays, which has introduced three new adventure-based trips to Finnish Lapland, Norway and Iceland for 2013 Northern Lights tracking. See www. taberhols.co.uk.
Picture: Jose Molina, KE Adventure Travel
2013 adventures
9 Climb Table Mountain It’s the 510th anniversary of the first ascent of Table Mountain, the 1,084m flat-topped landmark that overlooks the city of Cape Town in South Africa. It was first climbed in 1503 by Antonio de Saldanha from Portugal, but if that sounds a long time ago, consider that Table Mountain is older than all other mountain major mountain ranges in the world. It also boasts a diverse range of flora
‘This is a forgotten landscape, wreathed in mystery, magic and folklore’ and landscape, with the craggy north face giving way to lush blankets of forest on the east and south sides. There’s great hiking and even more rock climbing, with around 900 routes on the mountain. Watch out for the erratic weather though, in the form of the ‘tablecloth’ of cloud that regularly sits on the summit – supposedly the smoke from a smoking contest between the devil and a pirate (well, according to the legend). There’s also a cable car up, but that’s for wimps. “If you appreciate nature, enjoy being active outdoors, like a challenge or prefer the road less travelled, then the best way to experience Table Mountain is on foot,” says mountain guide Riaan Vorster. His company Hike Table Mountain (www.hiketablemountain.co.za) offers guided hikes up all of the routes up the hill.
10 Walk the length of Scotland Scotland’s first ever end-to-end walking route, running from Kirk Yetholm in the Scottish Borders (the northern terminus of the Pennine Way) to Cape Wrath, the most north-western point on the British mainland, opened in October 2012, so if you walk it now you’ll be one of the first to do so. “I wanted to walk through my own country of birth, simply to get to know it
Spectacular Bolivia – now with flights from Gatwick
better, to weigh up aspects of its character and culture, to remind myself of its history and factions, its nuances and its remarkable diversity of landscape,” says Cameron McNeish, founder of the 705km trail. The guidebook Scotland End to End costs £20 from Mountain Media: www.mountainmedia.co.uk.
11 Climb Kilimanjaro Kilimanjaro is Africa’s highest mountain and the highest freestanding mountain in the world, but if you want to see it with its iconic snowy white peak, you should get moving. The snow on the top of the mountain has been reported as diminishing in thickness and area since 1800s, and experts at the United Nations Environment Programme fear it could disappear within the next decade. Jeremy Gane, director of Gane and Marshall Kilimanjaro and safari operators, agrees there’s a risk. “Kilimanjaro’s snowfields, located virtually on the Equator, amazed the first European explorers of the 1880s and they continue to cause wonder for today’s mountain climbers. Given the gradual but seemingly unstoppable climate changes, it seems likely that the icecap will soon disappear so seize the opportunity to climb this wonderful mountain as soon as possible.” Gane and Marshall runs a variety of trips up the mountain, including a longer trek that incorporates Africa’s fourth highest mountain Mount Meru. See www. ganeandmarshall.com. Or try EWP (www. ewpnet.com) and Private Kilimanjaro (www.privatekilimanjaro.com).
12 Hike the Transylvanian Alps Arcing across central Romania, the Carpathian Mountains, or Transylvanian Alps as
24 January/February 2013 www.adventuretravelmagazine.co.uk
they’re also called, hold great hiking – especially while the country’s authentic charm remains intact. “Romania’s Carpathian Mountains offer some of the most rewarding walking in Europe,” says Mark Wright, MD of Walks Worldwide, a company that offers a number of treking holidays in the area. “There are ridge walks in the mighty Fagaras, the jagged peaks of Piatra Craiului or the rolling hills of Maramures. This is one of the last parts of Europe where you can explore villages that follow age-old traditions, set in landscapes of outstanding natural beauty.” The mountains stretch across 1,500km, making them the second longest range in Europe, and they’re home to brown bears, wolves, chamois and lynx. Check out www. walksworldwide.com for a range of options, and there’s also a Cicerone guidebook, The Mountains of Romania by James Roberts, which outlines paths and mountain huts.
13 Mountain climb in Bolivia One of South America’s top adventure playgrounds, Bolivia, has become more accessible from the UK thanks to Air Europa (www. aireuropa.com) launching flights there from Gatwick in December 2012. The flights go via Madrid to the wonderfully named Viru Viru International Airport in Bolivia’s second city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra – it’s far easier to fly here than the capital of La Paz as it’s much lower in altitude. Bolivia is home to everything from 6,000m peaks to surreal salt flats to rainforest so you’re never going to be stuck for something to do. We like the look of KE Adventure Travel’s Bolivia Climber trip, taking in three peaks in the Corderilla Real range of the Andes – see www.keadventure.com. ■
