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Walking Tours Around the Globe

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trekking and walking toursExperience the culture of the country while getting up close and personal to local life on the trails on trekking and walking tours.  Walking allows you to see and experience things you would otherwise miss.  Following are some walking/trekking tours. Active adventures get you closer to your destination.

China – Walk the Great Wall – $1549 CAD ($1372 US approx), 10 days. Explore Beijing’s Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square, trek along the Great Wall, sleep in watchtowers and in rural villages, enjoy a traditional tea ceremony and tai chi lessons (6 days of trekking).

Italy – Walking in Tuscany – $1249 CAD ($1107 US), 7 days. Enjoy day hikes in the stunning countryside, taste local specialties, savour home-cooked meals, relax at the authentic countryside accommodations (4 local hikes).

Iceland – Trekking – From $3049 CAD ($2701 US), 10 days. Explore the ever-changing geographical wonderland of Iceland, trek along the sides of volcanoes and across a frozen glacier, camp behind the mountains amongst a secluded campsite along the Laugavagur Trail, search for thermal springs in Iceland’s fertile landscapes (5 days of trekking).

Nepal Adventure – From $1449 CAD ($1284), 10 days. Explore the sights in old Kathmandu and Bhaktapur, search for tigers in Chitwan National Park, trek the foothills of the Annapurna Range, marvel at the mountain landscapes (3 days of trekking).

Spain – Walk the Camino de Santiago – From $1549 CAD ($1372 US), 8 days. Lugo to Santiago de Compostela. Complete the last 100km of the pilgrim’s trail and complete your “compostela”, walk through small villages and towns, enjoy hearty and well-cooked Spanish food, walk into the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela (5 days of trekking).

Thailand – Northern Thailand Experience – $1299 CAD ($1151 US), 12 days. Explore magnificent temples and palaces, trek through remote hilltribe villages and meet local people, bathe and feed an elephant, sleep on a floating rafthouse, learn about the somber history of Kanchanaburi and the infamous Burma Railway (3 days of trekking).

Chile – Trekking the Full Torres del Paine Circuit – From $3599 CAD ($3189 US), 12 days.  Soak up the stunning scenery of Torres del Paine National Park, watch the ice floes of the Grey Glacier, trek through incredibly diverse scenery through the mountains, visit the best of cosmopolitan Santiago (9 days trekking).

Peru – Machu Picchu – various tours 7 days+ (typically 4 days trekking).

For information on these and other tours around the globe, Contact Us or use the form at the side of this page.

Northern White Rhino Almost Extinct

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Big 5 Safari TanzaniaAnother rhino species, the Northern White Rhino is almost extinct and only 6 remain on the planet.  Kenya’s Suni, a male northern white rhino, from Ol Pejeta Conservancy, has died. This leaves only 6, with only 1 of them being male.

Poachers are killing rhinos of all species at an alarming rate. During the past few years, the Western Black Rhinoceros became extinct.   These majestic animals are killed for their horn, which is made of keratin, the same stuff that comprises your finger nails.  Traditional Asian medicine touts powdered rhino horn as an aphrodisiac and medicine for other ailments.

There are 5 sub-species of rhinoceros – black and white rhinos in Africa, and Indian, Javan and Sumatran in Asia.  There are only a few dozen of the latter 2 species remaining, and only a few thousand of the other 3. A century ago, there were 500,000 rhinos across Africa and Asia.  The decline in numbers is due to greed and nothing else.

Kruger National Park has just arrested 14 people for poaching in their world renowned game park a few days ago. The good news is that poachers are getting caught, and tossed into jail.  Kenya is making strides in tracking poachers using drones and dogs, among other techniques. The bad news is that poaching continues.

What can you do? Follow organizations like International Rhino Foundation or Save the Rhino, share in social media, march in rallies to raise awareness and support conservancies if you can.

Altitude Sickness

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Altitude SicknessHigh Altitude and Altitude Sickness:
High Altitude climbing may bring on altitude sickness, the reaction of the body adjusting to decreasing amounts of oxygen. Normally, the higher the altitude, the less oxygen available for the body to carry on normal functions.  Altitude sickness most commonly occurs from above 2,800 metres (9,200 ft) but this is different for everyone.

There is simply no way of knowing your own susceptibility prior to being at altitude thus it is vital you monitor your own health. Symptoms may be mild and subside/go away after a day’s rest, or if it is ignored it could lead to death. If the body is unable to adjust to altitude these symptoms will persist and, if they are left untreated, altitude sickness may progress to High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE) or High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE). Both can be fatal if ignored. More on HACE and HAPE.

Symptoms:

  • Headache
  • Loss of appetite
  • Disturbed sleep or drowsiness
  • Irritability
  • Fatigue
  • Nausea/vomiting
  • Dizziness
  • Swelling of hands, feet & face

Avoid Altitude Sickness:

  • Avoiding alcohol, tobacco and substances that can interfere with good delivery of oxygen to the body or cause dehydration.
  • Eating small, frequent meals high in carbohydrates.
  • Drinking plenty of water – at least 4 litres per day
  • Taking it easy or have a rest. Walk at a slower pace than you would at sea level and avoid overexertion.
  • Check with your health care provider to see if Diamox would be appropriate for you to take while climbing. See below.
  • If possible, don’t fly or drive to high altitude. Start below 10,000 feet (3,048 meters) and walk up. If you do fly or drive, do not over-exert yourself or move higher for the first 24 hours.
  • Hike high and sleep low. You can climb more than 1,640 feet (500 meters) in a day as long as you come back down and sleep at a lower altitude.

Read more about High Altitude Climbing and Altitude Sickness.

 

Granny 103 year old Orca

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103 year old Orca GrannyGranny, the 103 year old Orca, also known as J2, is the oldest known orca, or killer whale, alive. The average lifespan of a wild female orca is 60 – 90 yrs.

Granny, along with her pod, made her annual return to her home waters in British Columbia just in time for Mother’s Day this year. It was the first time that the pod of resident whales had been spotted in the area this spring. The pod normally spends the summers in the waters between the mainland and Vancouver Island now known as the Salish Sea.

As the oldest known orca, Granny is used in arguments against keeping whales in captivity, due to the reduced lifespan of whales in captivity. The average lifespan for captured orca is 20 to 30 years.

Stories such as travelling 800 miles in a week are used to counter arguments by sea parks that whales do not need a large area to swim in.According to animal welfare advocates, long-distance swimming is integral to orcas’ psychological health and well-being. Certain aquariums are known to give misinformation to visitors, to justify what they do.

I had the privilege of seeing Granny 2 years ago, when she was escorting her 6 week old great (great) grandchild. It was thrilling! There are many whale watching companies in BC, and I seem to always use Steveston Seabreeze Adventures.