Adventure Travel for Everyone
“No guts, no glory” is the adventure traveler’s mantra. Trips for hardcore hobbyists or coaster-loving families aren’t hard to find. Just set your sights on a far-flung locale and brand yourself an adventurer.
KAYAKING IN CRETE
Crete is Greece’s largest island and known for terrain as varied as it is beautiful. The Northwest Passage has an eight-day kayaking trip along the coast of southern Crete, giving visitors a chance to paddle through the blue waters of the Libyan Sea, explore remote towns, take scenic hiking trips, eat local fare and jump off a cliff.
A skill rating system determines which adventure best suits your ability. “Our guides help you learn a new sport or become comfortable in the outdoors,” said Keith Heger, program director for the Northwest Passage.
Cost: $2,995
HANG GLIDING IN RIO
The resplendent statue of Christ the Redeemer is a Rio de Janeiro icon, but that region of Brazil also has incredibly lush landscapes and myriad waterways. There’s no better way to see it all than from above.
Rio Hang Gliding’s professional pilots take passengers on a soaring adventure over the city’s main attractions including Ipanema, Copacabana, São Conrado Beach and of course the Dois Irmãos.
“Rio de Janeiro has that blessed geography with mountains reaching straight out of the Atlantic Ocean up to almost 3,000 feet,” said master pilot Konrad Heilmann.
Cost: $189
ALPINE COASTER
Thrill-seekers love the Alpine Coaster, operated by Glacier 3000 at 9,842 feet above sea level between the village of Gstaad and the Les Diablerets mountain range in Switzerland.
Riders have a view of more than 24 peaks as they reach speeds of nearly 25 mph and loop around steep curves and over waves that impart weightlessness.
“Generally we have great feedback from the clients who talk a lot about the scenery where the Alpine Coaster is built,” said Bernhard Tschannen, CEO of Glacier 3000.
Cost: $9.44 for one ride or $37.76 for five
BIKE TOUR
You don’t have to be a world-class athlete to pedal the steep cols and winding streets of the Tour de France, which begins July 2.
HC Bike Tours puts riders in the saddle before the peloton arrives for a portion of a Tour stage on multi-day guided tours for advanced cyclists who can climb.
“Normally there are many thousands of fans along a road, so you can feel the atmosphere of the tour for real,” said Aigars Paegle, CEO and founder of HC Bike Tours.
Riders who sign up for the tour watch the race in a designated viewing area, and at night stay in selected hotels. An eight-day tour takes riders through the Pyrenees, a seven-day tour goes though the Alps.
Cost: Pyrenees tour is $3,490; Alps tour is $3,990
SKI TOURING
Powderpuff to double-black-diamond skiers can take a multi-day ski tour when winter comes to the Alps. Zuba Ski’s guides take ski enthusiasts through mountain landscapes without the headache of crowded slopes and lift lines on “haute route” multi-day alpine hut-to-hut tours.
“We cater to all levels of ski touring,” said Mike Crompton, co-founder of Zuba Ski. “You truly experience the mountains at their most majestic and wild.”
Cost: Prices vary by starting point (France, Italy, Switzerland), skill level, length of trip.
–DON JERGLER
Tribune Content Solutions Writer
