Travel
Archive
My friends and I are planning a backpacking trip to Utah, but we're at a loss as to where to go. We're looking for a three- to four-day trip, so something in the range of 18 to 25 miles or so, give or take. If possible, we'd love to spend some time in slot canyons, but that's not really the focus. Landon H. Boulder, CO
I'm going on a two-week backpacking trip in the Grand Canyon this summer, and I was wondering what kind of fabrics I would want to stick with as far as shorts and shirts go. The last thing I want is to be uncomfortable. Are there any fabrics that I should completely avoid? What would you recommend? Kristen Grant Park, IL
What kind of outdoor adventures can I find in Morocco? I'm visiting in September and would like to have a little fun while I'm there. Joe L. Littleton, CO
CHUCK THOMPSON developed a serious thirst for rain, so we sent him to one of the wettest places on earth: India's southwest coast‚ during the water-bomb peak of the summer monsoon
There's no better place to escape your own success than on a river in Texas Hill Country. Just ask Taylor Kitsch.
Nothing beats a great live show, especially when you’re enjoying it under the sun or the stars. Presenting the 15 best outdoor music festivals in North America. Because summer is the time to play the field. Sasquatch! Bonnaroo The Roots Picnic Telluride Bluegrass…
My husband and I are looking to escape the city for four nights and five days. We want to cp, hike, and kayak, preferably in the southwest. We are not climbers, but flying in and out of Las Vegas looks practical given our short stay. What do you suggest? Alex A. Washington, DC
I looking for a wheeled duffle/backpack with the option to carry on my back (I think). However, I DON'T like the zip-on daypack feature. I have checked out REI and Eagle Creek and can't find what I looking for. I traveling for two weeks and won't be doing any trekking. Any ideas? Elizabeth Portland, OR
Next year, I would like to climb Kilimanjaro with my brother to celebrate his 30th birthday. Can you recommend any tour organizers who have a particularly good reputation for treks up Kilimanjaro? We are hoping to cp instead of staying in huts and will probably select a moderately intense route up the mountain.
To find the emptiest hideouts in seven iconic parks, we called on the guys with the keys to the back door: the rangers and staff.
I'm planning a one- to two-week road trip up to northern Washington, possibly Canada. Do you have any suggestions of good places to cp/stay and interesting things to do? Any goods hikes and or bike rides? Tim O. San Luis Obispo, CA
The embattled director of the Central Asia Institute responds to allegations of financial mismanagement and that he fabricated stories in his bestselling book Three Cups of Tea.
I looking for the quintessential duffel bag. I want it to be large, but no larger than 100 liters. I looking for a bag with shoulder straps, like those found on a backpack. The bag will be used for car camping, airplane travel, and international travel. Lockable zippers would be nice. A bag that is weatherproof is also important. I have in mind The North Face Base Camp Duffel Bag or the Black Diamond Huey Duffel Bag. Thank you very much for your help! Arek Ashland, WI
I'm a beginning mountaineer looking to tackle a few mountains this summer. What are some challenging peaks in the United States? Beau R. Rochester, NH
I put raisins on my cereal. Should I just put sugar on my cereal and cut out the raisins? Bill Garfield Hanover, New Hampshire
It's year ten of the REVOLUTION. Venezuela's oil riches are vanishing, and el presidente's "Yankee devil" rhetoric has created the world's most hostile environment for Homo turisticus. PATRICK SYMMES goes looking for adventure, and comes back with a tale that will haunt him forever.
My sons are serious cyclists in their twenties and want to do a bike trip with Mom and Dad in Alaska this summer. Can you recommend something challenging for them that won't kill us? P S. Highlands Ranch, CO
Go to Argentina and find the best steak on earth, we told him. It was a dream assignment for our favorite swashbuckling gourmand—until he found himself staring into el ojo de la vaca.
But don't worry, we've stacked the deck in your favor. Welcome to Expedition Planning 101. Your assignment: Read the tips on gear, first aid, and food; pick one of our five ready-to-roll itineraries; and then get out the door. Just remember to be humble—Ma Nature won't be intimidated by your trash-talking buddies.
Yukon Quest champion Sebastian Schnuelle talks about eating vacuum-packed McNuggets, cooking for canines, and taking on Lance Mackey.
A couple of friends and I want to take a spring break trip sea kayaking. Although we own play boats, we would need to rent sea kayaks. We are college students, so we need to keep the cost at about $1,200 or so for the whole week. We would prefer the East Coast, but if costs and/or weather make this difficult, we would try some West Coast flavor, too. What do you suggest? Lucas Benton, AR
How do you swing a great job in the islands? Ask these five guys, all of whom have figured out how to balance a career with the relaxed lifestyle of the Bahamas.
Your survival plan for South by Southwest, the annual film-and-music bonanza taking place this month: (1) MAKE A PLAN. With hundreds of bands playing over five nights, picking your spots can be tough. Big names reliably play Stubb’s Bar-B-Que (stubbsaustin.com), and be sure to check out…
Conveniently, 2009 marks both the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of The Origin of Species. This has fur-and-feather nerds everywhere aflutter. But the occasion should also be cause for celebration among adventure travelers. After all, before the British naturalist's obsession with Galápagos…
We are thinking of visiting a friend in Nicaragua this winter. Is Nicaragua a safe travel destination? And can you recommend some good, active side trips from Bluefields? y San Marcos, CA
We tried to stop our man from revealing the dirty secrets of travel writing. Alas, he refused to be muzzled.
Travel to Sin City is facing its biggest slump since 9/11: In the past year, Vegas merchants have seen a 6 percent drop in sales. What this means to you: Airfare is cheap, and there will be fewer mountain bikers than normal in Bootleg Canyon, one of the country’s least-appreciated…
First I heard seals. Then coyotes. Then I opened my eyes to a full-frontal view of the Golden Gate Bridge. Such is life at Cavallo Point, a 46-building resort on a renovated army base in the Golden Gate National Parks that opened last July. The first hotel to start up…
The first Filson bag I ever saw was in the callused hands of a wrangler in Grand Junction, Colorado. The next million hung from the shoulders of ad designers, junior corporate lawyers, and artfully disheveled fashion writers in Manhattan’s East Village. That’s right: Bags by Filson, makers of refined hunting-and-fishing…
Getting far, far, far away from it all is easier—and cheaper—than you think. Presenting seven adventure-packed Caribbean island escapes. The Over-Under SABA, NETHERLANDS ANTILLES Netherlands Antilles (Philip Oblentz/Digital Vision/Getty) The most challenging part of a trip to Saba, a five-square-mile volcanic island 28 miles southwest of St. Maarten, is…
As Kenya’s hoteliers have discovered, few things can derail tourism like news of violencein this case, the clashes thatfollowed the country’s disputed December 2007 presidential election. Kenya’s tourism industry is still recovering, but outfitters have been running trips since March. And according to Craig Sholley, senior director of the African…
For years, adventure-travel outfitters have used so-called exploratory trips to work out kinks in new offerings. Veteran guides suss out routes, lodging options, and, say, the local yak-butter tea, then refine the itinerary before it shows up in next fall’s catalog. But as it turns out, some high-end travelers actually…
Do you have any suggestions for a family itinerary of Glacier National Park this spring? We have a girl who is nine. Rosalind M. Oak Park, CA
Ah, Mexico. Land of hot sand, cheap beer, and a foolproof cure for seasonal affective disorder: endless adventure.
Ski tourists flock to the Haute Route of France and Switzerland. But ROB STORY and his buddies wanted more, so they skinned, pisted, off-pisted, and got pissed all the way across the westernmost Alps—with a little help from 59 lifts and Hunter S. Thompson.
My wife and I spent last New Year's Eve cross-country skiing in Yellowstone with a fantastic outfitter. This year we'd like to do something similar near Missoula or maybe Idaho. Can you recommend an outfitter and guide service that operates in these places? Mike F. Washington DC
Ah, Mexico. Land of hot sand, cheap beer, and a foolproof cure for seasonal affective disorder: endless adventure.
Greg Mortenson's school-building program in Central Asia dates back to 1993, when the banged-up K2 survivor made a pledge to the Himalayan villagers who took him in. Fifteen years and Three Cups of Tea later, it's both a powerful example of a great idea and a chaotic, ongoing adventure. KEVIN FEDARKO hits the rough road with Mortenson in Afghanis
It held off for more than 9,000 years, but when southern Chile’s Chaitén Volcano erupted in May, it showered ash clear to the Atlantic Ocean. If you followed the news, you know that the town of Chaitén, five miles away, was virtually leveled by ash-swollen rivers. You might have heard…
Out on the far edge of the Alaska frontier, a man can hide his sins. Robert Allen Hale—a.k.a. Papa Pilgrim—bought a homestead outside the remote town of McCarthy where he imprisoned his family and conned the world with tales of a simpler life. But for the 15 children living the nightmare, the only choice was escape.
Where in the United States can I stay overnight in a tree? Alice Massillon, OH
Still, traversing the rugged and remote Olympic Peninsula is doable, thanks to inflatable boats called packrafts—and a bit of ingenuity
Expat conservationist John Cain Carter, a former elite Army soldier who did a tour in Iraq, is anything but typical. Same goes for his plan, which calls on ranchers to preserve Brazil's wild west. Can he have it both ways and still save—and survive—the Amazon?
The goal: To rank the continent's top ski destinations. The deciding factors: Snow quality and terrain. The judge: Marc Peruzzi, intrepid Colorado-based ski reporter, former Outside staffer, and editor of Skiing magazine, 2003-2008.
November's Down Under epic, Australia, is the classic story of an aristocratic woman (Nicole Kidman) who falls for a rough-edged cowboy (Hugh Jackman), but making the film wasn't so predictable. Australian director Baz Luhrmann, 46, whose previous film (2001's Moulin Rouge!) also starred Kidman, had his entire crew of 300 trucked hundreds of mil
My wife and I have finally decided to take the trip of a lifetime and splurge on an African safari. What options should we explore if budget isn't an issue? Eric M. Omaha, NE
Gone Missing: Vanished in Papua NAT: A view of Agats, population roughly 2,000, the main trading hub of the Asmat region. The village is one of the region’s largest and most technically advanced, though it’s hard to tell that from the photo. TIM: Agats became our respite, an…
For my first TV project, I traveled to New Guinea for the Travel Channel to investigate a deadly mystery and swim with sharks, crocodiles, and snakes. Which was a lot less scary than getting in front of the camera.
Ever fantasized about building a restful escape, with your bare hands, in some untrammeled back of beyond—and it all coming together just as you'd planned? Moron.
They may not have solved the mystery of his disappearance. They may not have been there when the wreckage was finally found. But goshdarnit, these Canadian adventure racers might just have invented a new sport in the process: extreme jogging for good.
Text The Brazilian Amazon The River of the Dead runs near the Carters’ fishing camp of Rancho Jacobá.The Brazilian Amazon John Carter with a dead jararacucu do brejo snake in the front yard of Fazenda Santo Antonio.The Brazilian Amazon The Kamayurá village consists of a series of traditional thatch-roof huts.The…
I don’t like guided fishing trips much. They feel canned. But for fish like the ones found in northwestern Colorado’s Yampa Valley, exceptions must be made. The area is best known for the Steamboat Ski Resort, but in recent years it’s also become a fly-fishing destination, especially in…
Everest is shrinking—in status, at least. In the past few years, companies like Nepal Helicopter have been ferrying passengers to Base Camp, allowing well-heeled "climbers" to skip the slog up to 17,600 feet. Cheating? Perhaps. But there are times when a shortcut is worth a little shame. Consider these La-Z-Boy adventures.
In early August, after 11 climbers died on the world’s second-highest peak, people wanted to know: Has the Everest circus migrated to K2? MICHAEL KODAS pieced together the events from eight of the survivors and has a straight answer: Sort of.
What's the best spring break itinerary for an adventurous family (with boys ages nine and 11) in the Grand Canyon area, with hiking and/or whitewater included? Debbie B. bler, PA
