Always one to take on a challenge, Intrepid’s Susie Edgewater decided to trek to Everest Base Camp. Here’s how she prepared pre-trip, but will her hard yards be enough to help her reach her goal?…
“As a general rule, the more you train the easier it will be. But now sitting at my desk on the day before I leave I ask myself: am I ready and have I done enough training?The hardest part was trying to balance work, a social life and a respectable amount of exercise in one day. With only 3 months to prepare for my Nepal trek, it didn’t give me long to get in shape. I chose a combination of aerobic training, leg strength exercises and loads of walking, but will I have the recipe for the perfect fitness regime?
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Just because Kilimanjaro is one of the world’s most accessible high summits doesn’t mean it’s a walk in the park to reach Uhuru Point. To earn this climbing certificate you’ll have to rise to the challenge, as Candy Warrick discovered the hard way…
“Trekking Kilimanjaro, in a word: amazing! Sure, it was difficult at times, particularly on the steep ascents, but it was definitely achievable. I made it to the summit at 5895 metres (19,340 feet) above sea level, even though I was a little unfit and hadn’t physically prepared in advance (note to self if I try something like this again!).
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It’s hard to top the experience of wandering along a wall that stretches for 6000 km (3700 miles) and has sections over 2500 years old. Standing tall atop this magnificent structure was Shelley Seale, who enjoyed getting well off the regular tourist route in China…
“I hiked slowly through the fall foliage in the woods surrounding the Shuiguan Mountains, about an hour outside Beijing. Vivid orange and yellow leaves swayed with the breeze in the branches around me as I picked my way carefully along the rocky path. My footsteps were the only sound I could hear. Suddenly, there it was. Emerging through the trees was a rock wall just in front of me. I peered up at the top of it, 30 feet (9 metres) above my head.
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There are many inspirations to be found in this great trekking tale by Deborah Kahn, but two things stand out: 1. if you are thinking of Nepal, travel responsibly, and 2. enter our weekly competitions, because people really do WIN…
“Speechless does not come easy to me. However, that’s exactly what I was when I opened the email telling me that I had won the ‘Win-a-trip’ Annapurna Sanctuary competition. So much to organise, my life turned into a whirlpool, but once in Nepal it was all worth it.
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Winning an Intrepid Lima to Cuzco trip for himself and 10 friends was the beginning of a once-in-a-lifetime adventure for Joseph Wee. With flights and transfers included as a part of their Facebook prize, Joseph and his posse touched down in the Peruvian capital, ready and raring to go for eight days of exploration and fun…
“Day 1: The fatigue and tiredness after 40 hours of travelling disappeared almost instantly when I landed in Lima. Each friend that I’ve chosen to join me comes with a different purpose. As for me: it will be the greatest reunion and adventure of all time.
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In 1835 Charles Darwin described the Galapagos Islands as a “living laboratory”. Fortunately centuries later the islands are still a haven for unique flora and fauna, but there is a growing threat – tourism. In an effort to protect the native animals, new cruising restrictions will come into effect in 2012, but more can be done to travel responsibly in the region.
Intrepid’s Active Galapagos is a great example, because you stay on the islands and support communities by dining in local restaurants, rather than just running up a tab on the boat. And as Sean Kennaway discovered, your wildlife encounters will still be amazing…
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Kilimanjaro is one of the world’s classic mountain climbs, but only 70% of trekkers get to reach the highest point, Uhuru Peak. 90% make it to the crater rim, but as Claudine Haber discovered, even that is no walk in the park…
“Dora knocks on my door, she is holding a list of things I must take for the climb. I scan the list and show her each item. There are some things I don’t have, so she takes me to the storage room where a menagerie of clothing, glasses, trekking gear are housed. I gather what I think I might need. She gives me a sack to put my items in. When all is complete, I am ushered to a briefing session that gives us a run down of the ins and outs of this fascinating mountain and tips on how to survive. So here I am, Heidi-like plaits, boots, wooden climbing stick, Wina’s blanket (I promised to take it to the top) and ready to yodel up a mountain without a goat.
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What’s big, blue-grey in hue and has had a growth spurt of 70cm in one day? It’s New Zealand’s Franz Josef Glacier, or Ka Roimata o Hinehukatere as its known in Maori. Sally Everett explains why exploring this 12km (7.5 mile) long glacier is a very cool experience…
“With the unfamiliar icy white ground crunching as I walked, it took a while before I was prepared to trust my crampons to save me from sliding down Franz Josef Glacier. But with every step and word of encouragement from our local guide, my confidence increased and my focus turned to the incredible beauty of the stark frozen landscape.
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Recently Intrepid Express was in search of second best travel tales and this winning story from Collin Littlewood confirms why taking the trail less travelled can be the highlight of any classic journey…
“My travel experience comes from what some might consider to be the ‘second best’ journey to Machu Picchu. Rather than join the 500 tourists a day on the classic Inca Trail, I chose to be a part of an adventure, which among the other amazing experiences of the Lima to La Paz trip, included trekking an Andean Inca Community Trail in the vicinity of Machu Picchu.
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