Hiking, Trekking, and Adventure Travel Blog | Ryder-Walker Alpine Adventures

Our blog has moved!

2016-12-14T13:42:00.000-08:00

Please visit our new digs:

www.ryderwalker.com/blog

Fall Colors in the High Country

2016-10-04T08:51:00.002-07:00

Ryder-Walker's managing director, Eileen Burns, couldn't have timed this past weekend's hike above Telluride more perfectly. She writes, "Photos from hikes this weekend. I hit the peak as today the wind is blowing hard and it is raining leaves."

Risqué!

This is a nice view looking back over Telluride and the San Juans. Notice the ski area and its runs snaking through the trees.

It's no coincidence that we schedule our inn-to-inn Telluride hiking tour during the last weekend of September each year. Do you jump for joy when you see colorful autumn leaves? If the answer is yes, then this trip is for you.

Goodbye Terese. We'll Miss You!

2016-09-29T11:49:00.001-07:00

This was the day that Terese Broderick fell to earth and changed our lives forever.

Terese wore a lot of hats at the Ryder-Walker office. She answered phones, she sold a TON of trips, she wrote proposals, she made hotel reservations, she assembled tour packages, she responded to thousands of emails, and she helped develop the new reservation software that is going to make our lives infinitely better. Terese was also our "social coordinator" and she set a high bar. (Good luck to the person that has to fill her shoes!) When she wasn't putting up with a cranky email program, she dealt with an even grouchier computer. The list of her responsibilities is lengthy. What really matters, though, is the positive light that she brought to our little office high in the San Juan mountains of southwestern Colorado.

Terese made us laugh, she made us smile, and she brought us sunshine no matter the weather. Our guests loved her, and we're going to miss her dearly. Today is Terese's last day. She's leaving to write new chapters in her life, and we wish her well. Terese, good luck to you! Come back and visit us often. You'll always have a home at Ryder-Walker Alpine Adventures.

These are a few of our favorite photos from Iceland

2016-08-11T13:21:00.001-07:00

That's a wrap! Our Iceland hiking tour wrapped up yesterday. First impressions: Our trip leader Barbara 'Babsi' Glanznig says, "Wow! We had picture perfect weather, endless opportunities to see wildlife really close and happy guests!"

Some of her favorite wildlife encounters were the puffins, whales and dinner next to an Arctic Fox!

We don't have a picture of the fox, but we do have a shot of Babsi snacking on some dried fish.

Seriously. This trip had some great hiking.

The crew went off the beaten path.

But the reward was worth it. Natural hot springs abound in Iceland, so why not?

Of course the scenery was spectacular.

A special thanks to our group for taking part in Ryder-Walker's first-ever guided hiking tour in Iceland. We're definitely going back! Next year's dates are July 21-28, 2017.

For more photos of Iceland, check out our Facebook page. To get your name on the list for next year's Iceland trip, click here.

Images of Iceland by Barbara 'Babsi' Glanznig.

Training for the Tour du Mont Blanc

2016-08-02T09:56:00.000-07:00

This photo comes from our guests Alicia and Susan. They're currently training for a private guided Tour du Mont Blanc. Alicia writes:

I thought you would get a kick out of the attached photo. A group of us going on the TMB trip completed the West Maroon Bells trail from Aspen to Crested Butte and back! 23 miles in 2 days!! Good training!!

Some of us wore the RW hat and loved the quality and breathability. Thank you for the gift.

Susan Kurtz and I are in the photo.

Thanks again for all your help and we are all very excited for the trip!!

Alicia Guerra

Thank you Alicia! Click here for a fun thing to do on your last day. ;-) Bonne journée!

Hiking Hacks: Replacement Trekking Pole Tips

2016-07-29T16:16:00.000-07:00

New trekking poles usually come with protective tip covers. The covers are great for protecting your gear during travel and storage, but they're meant to be removed for hiking, so they usually end up lost or misplaced. Buying replacement tips can be next to impossible, or expensive for what you get, so here's a quick and easy hack for making your own.

Cost

Less than $2.00

Time

5-10 minutes, (not including the drive to the hardware store).

Skill Level

Easy

Materials

6-8 inches of vinyl or polyethylene tubing (available at your local hardware store).

Scissors, or a knife for cutting the tubing.

Step 1. Take one of your trekking poles to the hardware store and locate the section that sells vinyl tubing. It's usually in the plumbing section and most stores carry large spools of it.

Step 2. Find your diameter. Eyeball the tubing that will fit over the tip of your trekking pole. Stick the tip of your pole into the end of the tubing, and choose a diameter that fits snugly and won't fall off. Make sure to insert your pole all the way to the basket. For my poles, I used .5 inch diameter tubing. It goes on easy, but fits snugly against the pole basket. Note: Vinyl tubing is the clear, flexible stuff. Polyethylene is the cloudy, stiffer tubing (photo #1). Try them both and see what you like. I've found that the stiffer polyethylene does a better job of staying on, but it's harder to put on and take off.

Step 3. Buy a six inch or foot-long section of tubing. Most hardware stores sell the tubing by the foot. It's not expensive. My local store sells vinyl tubing for $.79/ft and polyethylene for $1.29/ft.

Step 4. Slide the first pole into the end of the tubing. Mark an extra half inch or so from the end of your trekking pole, and make the cut. On my poles it works out to a tip cover that is 2.25 inches long. You can also cut right at the tip for a clean look.

Step 5. Do the same with the second pole. You're done!

Note: These are NOT to be used as replacements for the rubber tips used by skate skiers or hikers on ecologically sensitive terrain. These are just protective tips for travel and storage.

Do you have a hiking hack that you'd like to share? Please share it on our Facebook page or in the comments below.

Here's the Quietest Corner of the Alps

2016-07-21T15:36:00.000-07:00

Phyl Newbeck and Bryan Harrington recently completed our self guided Matterhorn Trek and sent us these photos. Their trek began in the village of Cervinia, Italy, and finished one week later in the famous resort town of Zermatt, Switzerland. While Zermatt is certainly on the map, the path they chose took them through one of the quietest corners of Italy and Switzerland.

One of the coolest things about this trip is that Phyl and Bryan got to see the Matterhorn from both the north AND the south sides (1st and 2nd photos). It's a really special thing to do.

The snow was deep this year, (even in late June/early July), which added a fun adventure component to their hiking tour.

You'll notice that there aren't a lot of people in these photos. The trails in this part of the Alps are remote and rarely traveled. The trails are so remote, in fact, that we don't offer this trip as a self-guided option unless we feel confident in our guests' hiking experience and ability.

The Matterhorn Trek is a challenging hike, and luggage transfer isn't practical, so you have to be in good shape and comfortable traveling light. That said, the hotels are wonderful, and the solitude and abundance of wildlife are superb.

Do you think you'd like our self guided Matterhorn Trek? Give us a shout.

Thanks to Phyl and Bryan for sending these images!

Our Guests Soar Above Chamonix

2016-07-08T14:40:00.004-07:00

Our Tour du Mont Blanc wrapped up on a high note. The entire group finished the last day's hike with a parasailing descent into the town of Chamonix, France. What style! The whole team went for it," says trip leader Dave Gruss.

Those of you that have hiked the TMB or the Haute Route have most likely noticed the parasailors that launch from the top of Le Brevent lift. The parasailors literally run off the side of the mountain until the wind pulls them away. They go a little bit up, then down, down, down, (around 3,000 feet down) to the village of Chamonix, France. It looks like so much fun!

Here's a shot of our team gearing up.

The last breaths before commitment.

And we're off!

I love the fact that the parasail has the word Patagonia emblazoned on it. Dave Gruss, the one who shot these photos, put together Ryder-Walker's first hiking tour in Patagonia. The trip ran this past spring, and everybody raved about it.

Would you like to go hiking in Patagonia, or trekking and parasailing in the French Alps? Get your name on the list.

How Will 'Brexit' Affect European Travel?

2016-06-30T12:31:00.000-07:00

Here's a little tongue-in-cheek humor. I think it's a compliment, actually. We grabbed this photo in a cozy pub just off of the Rob Roy Way hiking trail. It was one of those perfect, movie-set pubs with stone walls, hand-hewn wooden beams overhead, a warming hearth, pewter mugs on the mantel, and pints of Real Ale flowing from a hand pump at the bar. Heaven!

Seriously though, how will last week's historic U.K. vote to leave the European Union, (known as 'Brexit'), affect foreign travel?

For the short term, only one thing has changed, and that's currency. The British Pound suffered a huge loss against other major currencies following the vote. This means that foreign travel just got significantly MORE expensive for U.K. travelers, and much LESS expensive for everyone else heading to the U.K. It's for this reason, that we recently discounted our U.K. hiking tours.

Wait! Shouldn't we leave the price the same, since the U.K. just became more affordable? We could have, but it now costs us less to run hiking tours there, so we're passing the savings on to our guests. It's a win win. Our guests get to travel to England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland more affordably, and the bump in tourism gives our U.K. friends a much-needed infusion of cash. We're all doing our part.

As for moving between countries, nothing has changed. British citizens can still live their lives and travel across borders as before, and the same rules still apply for everybody else. Americans, Canadians, Australians, French, Spanish…can all visit the U.K. like they've always done, only cheaper. Remember, last week's vote was just the first step in a lengthy process. In order to officially secede from the EU, the U.K. has to engage in a complicated process of negotiations with EU member countries before they are officially "divorced." During the negotiations, they'll have to sort out a whole host of details including trade and tariff agreements, rules on immigration, banking, the status of British citizens living abroad, etc. Technically, they have two years to hash this stuff out, but there is some debate right now as to when the clock should start ticking. Technically, the U.K. has to invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty in order to officially abandon the E.U. Some law experts say, however, that last week's vote triggered Article 50 and the clock is now ticking.

Regardless, it's going to take a while before we see what the long term travel effects will be. There is some speculation that airfare to and from the U.K. will become more expensive because airlines like British Airways will lose their airspace privileges in the EU. And what about rail travel between the U.K. and the rest of Europe? Like everything else, transportation contracts will have to be renegotiated. Of course, if the British Pound stays historically low, then it will hopefully offset any increases in transportation prices for visitors to the U.K. We anticipate that currency values will fluctuate quite a bit over the coming months as 'backdoor talks' and negotiations ensue.

Outliers: There is a petition going around for an EU referendum re-run (a re-vote). Apparently, it already has 4 million signatures. Is there a chance that they can back out of this? The former British prime minister David Cameron stated repeatedly that last week's referendum would be binding. The world will just have to wait and see.

In the meantime, we're offering a discount on our Rob Roy Way and Costwolds Way hiking tours. Don't let this historic opportunity pass you by. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are still as beautiful as ever, and the Real Ale is equally delicious. If you've been on the fence because of expense, then don't delay. NOW is the time to visit the U.K!

Muggin' in Croatia

2016-06-17T11:10:00.003-07:00

This group photo comes from our guest Paula Tymitz. Paula and the rest of the crew are currently hiking in Croatia with Ryder-Walker trip leader Ken Fuhrer (far right). Ken put the Croatia trip together a few years ago, and it's been a hit ever since. Of course, why wouldn't it be popular? Our Croatia trip has sandy beaches, palm-fringed promenades, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and satisfyingly rugged hiking trails. It's a #CrowdPleaser!

You can read the full Croatia itinerary by clicking here.

Photo cred: Paula Tymitz

Catch the 2016 Tour de France in Switzerland

2016-06-15T11:56:00.000-07:00

The 2016 Tour du France rolls across a key stage of the Hiker's Haute Route and Tour du Mont Blanc this summer. It also finishes in Berne, Switzerland, a popular city break for many of our guests. If you're hiking or traveling independently in one of these areas in late July, then this might be a great opportunity to catch a stage of the biggest bike race on earth.

HHR + TMB= TDF.

Stage 17 of the Tour crosses the famous HHR and TMB hiking trails on Wednesday, July 20, 2016. The race will roll out of Berne, Switzerland around noon. Then the race heads south through Zweisimmen; over the Côte de Saanenmöser; past the village of Château-d'Oex; over the Col des Mosses; and down to the villages of Aigle, Bex and Saint Maurice. The peloton joins up with the HHR and the TMB when the cyclists sprint into Martigny and really pour on the gas for the 12.6 km climb (8.2% grade) over the Col de la Forclaz. The Col de la Forclaz is a popular overnight stop for our guests on both hiking tours, but the cyclists won't sip cocktails with any hikers. Rather, they'll tuck into the drops and maximize their speed down sharp switchbacks to the tiny village of Trient, Switzerland, another popular stop on the Hiker's Haute Route and Tour du Mont Blanc. Trient will fly by like a blurry fence post on an airport runway, then it's a drag race up the final climb to Finhaut-Emosson, a 10.4 kilometer climb with an 8.4% grade.

It's interesting to note that the last time a race followed this route, it destroyed the peloton, and riders straggled across the finish line in ones and twos. It should be a great stage.

Other opportunities to see Le Tour in Switzerland.

Stage 17 begins in Berne, Switzerland, but Stage 16 finishes in Berne two days earlier, on Monday, July 18. It's a short and steep cobbled climb to the finish, perfect for punchy riders like Swiss cyclist Fabian Cancellara. Cancellara's home sits just a few kilometers away in Wohlen bei Bern. A Swiss cyclist on home roads? It's hard to imagine that he won't try something special.

Tuesday, July 19 is a rest day for the cyclists and they'll stay in Berne. There will be a TON going on in town. The cafés will be going crazy, music will be playing and the cycling teams will be going for easy spins along nearby roads. There will also be a great opportunity to see the infrastructure and crazy carnival atmosphere that surrounds the race.

Berne is the capital of Switzerland, and a really fun city to explore. It's also a popular changeover for trains heading between Zurich and the Berner Oberland. If you're in the area, or even just passing through between July 18 and 20, then make some time in your schedule to check out the Tour. It really is the greatest bike race on earth.

Recap:

Monday, July 18, 2016. Tour de France finishes in Berne, Switzerland (late afternoon).
Tuesday, July 19, 2016. Tour de France rest day in Berne. A very festive atmosphere in town.
Wednesday, July 20, 2016. Tour de France departs Berne around noon. Tour de France crosses the Hiker's Haute Route and Tour du Mont Blanc to finish in Finhaut (late afternoon).

Photo: The Maillot Jaune ascending the slopes of the Port de Balès during the 2014 Tour du France | Pyrenees, France
By Chris Pranskatis

Livin' the Dream!

2016-06-10T09:14:00.003-07:00

Here's another photo from our eight-day guided hiking tour in Lofoten, Norway which wrapped up yesterday. The views on this trip are AMAZING!

Photo Cred: Staffan Björklund
staffanbjorklund.com

Photos from Norway

2016-06-07T08:01:00.005-07:00

Ryder-Walker trip leader Staffan Björklund shot these photos of our guided Norway hiking tour which is going on right now. Many of the hikes are water accessible only, which makes for great solitude. We really do go off the beaten path on this trip! There are no real trails to speak of, so we just point the compass and go.

Ok. Norway's Lofoten Islands may not be the warmest place on the planet during this time of year, but honestly, there's no place I'd rather be. There's something magical about traveling in northern latitudes during late spring/early summer.

Only when you've traveled in the North, can you appreciate how wonderful that moss feels. It's Mother Nature's carpet and it feels SO good.

We're ON vacation. Let's relax for a while!

You can read our full Norway itinerary by clicking here.

Photos by Staffan Björklund.

Europe Airfare On Sale

2016-06-03T10:40:00.002-07:00

Here's your chance to go hiking in Europe!

From United Airlines:

Save on travel to iconic European destinations when you book by June 7.

Whisk yourself away on the vacation of your dreams for less with our Europe fare sale. Book by June 7, 2016, for travel between August 23, 2016, and March 31, 2017 to save on the ultimate European getaway.

Yes!

Find Your Flight

This Hiking Trail is Really Beautiful!

2016-05-27T14:18:00.002-07:00

This photo comes from our guest George Stroud. He took a two week self-guided hike through the Berner Oberland last year.

George writes, "This year we have Peter designing a week exploring the Matterhorn and then on to Croatia for a mystery trip as I really do not know what to expect—which is really good."

It sounds really good to us too!

Do you have photos that you'd like to share? Please send them our way, or post them on our Facebook page. See you on the trail.

Photo: Hiking in the Berner Oberland, by George Stroud.

Photos From Our Cotswolds Hiking Tour, England

2016-05-04T13:30:00.000-07:00

Eileen Burns sent these photos from our brand new Cotswolds hiking tour which wrapped up successfully last week. Eileen writes, "Stonehenge was a magical experience at the end of a marvelous trip. Saw a double rainbow come out twice!"

Here's a shot of Snowshill Manor and Gardens. Snowshill Manor is a traditional Cotswolds manor house located in the village of Snowshill, Gloucestershire, and it's listed on the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest. The house is filled with all sorts of treasures, and as you can see, they have beautiful gardens too.

Below: Another beautiful Cotswolds home with a moat around it. There are only a few homes left like this in England. This is a private home belonging to a friend (Rosalie) of Ryder-Walker trip leader Rogan O'Herlihy's mum. Our group enjoyed the exclusive privilege of a private tour.

The bluebells were out all over the Cotswolds.

This is our fearless trip leader, (and Cotswolds native) Rogan O'Herlihy explaining the trail signs and the green, circular Cotswolds Way icon on the signs.

And in case you're wondering, yes, the phones do have a dial tone so bring change if you need to make a call whilst out on the trail :)

Eileen jumped for joy when she was able to visit Shakespeare's birthplace and childhood home, a 16th-century half-timbered house in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Broadway Tower, in Worcestershire, is the second-highest point of the Cotswolds. The tower's base sits at 1,024 feet above sea level.

Of course, what would the Cotswolds be without sheep, and in particular, cuddly lambs? They were everywhere along the hike and sooooo precious!

And last, but certainly not least; here's a shot of our guest Sherrie Vollmar hiking in the Malvern Hills. It is said, that a line drawn due east from Worcestershire Beacon (the highest summit in the Malverns at 1,395 feet above sea level) will hit no higher point until the Ural Mountains of Russia.

You can read the full Cotswolds hiking itinerary by clicking here. Images and photo descriptions by Ryder-Walker managing director, Eileen Burns.

The Vagabond Summer—Adventures in the Dolomites, Cinque Terre and Beyond

2016-04-27T09:08:00.003-07:00

A big THANK YOU to our guests Liz and Chris for sharing their blog. They traveled through Italy for three weeks last summer including 8 days on our self guided Italian Dolomites Trek.

Liz and Chris blogged throughout their entire vacation including during the Dolomites hike. Liz says that at the time, they wrote it as a way to stay in touch with their families and share photos, but in hindsight it has become a wonderful memorial of the trip.

Here's the link to their blog.

http://thevagabondsummer.tumblr.com/

The last post of the trip is first, so you can either read it backwards chronologically, or scroll down and keep clicking on "older" until you get back to the beginning of the trip.

If you'd like to see a self-guided Dolomites hike from a guest perspective, then this a great read. We particularly enjoyed the sections on the Cinque Terre and Lake Como regions, though we were a little jealous of the Ferrari test drive! Side note: We offer self-guided hikes in the Cinque Terre and Lake Como region too.

Thanks again to Liz and Chris for sharing this.

Do you have a travel blog that you'd like to share, or memories from a past Ryder-Walker hike? Please send them our way.

Photo cred: Chris and Liz

http://thevagabondsummer.tumblr.com/

Need a fix? We're posting hiking photos every day.

2016-03-24T13:07:00.001-07:00

Would you like to see where we go? Reminisce about old trips? Relive fond memories? Be sure to visit our Facebook page. We've been posting hiking and travel photos every day. Some photos are silly, like this one of RW head guide Ken Fuhrer hoisting the cheese during our picnic lunch in Italy.

Other photos capture the grandeur of the mountains and the many adventures that we've enjoyed during more than three decades of organizing tours.

Like this photo, taken during a private hiking tour through the Alpstein region of Appenzell, Switzerland. Or this one of our group making the final push over the Sefinafurgga after a 4,000 foot climb from the Swiss alpine village of Griesalp.

Take some time out of your day and have a little fun. Wander over to our Facebook page, enjoy the photos, and hit that like button if you haven't done so already.

By the way; how many wheels of cheese do you think Ken Fuhrer digested during his twenty years of employment with Ryder-Walker? We'll do the math and post the answer on Facebook. Stay tuned…

We're also on Instagram.

Photo cred: Ken Fuhrer | Appenzell, Switzerland

More Photos From Patagonia

2016-03-18T12:09:00.004-07:00

There is a reason that we use the phrase "Hiking Argentina's Lake District" when referring to our Patagonia hiking tour. Looking at these photos, you might think we were boating around Norway, Iceland or Montenegro. In fact, we hire a boat to access the exceptional hiking around San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina. The lake in the background is called the Lago Nahuel Huapi and it's HUGE.

We use to the boat to access some really great hiking and views.

Here's a shot of our group enjoying a sunny March day. Hiking in South America is very nice thing to do.

You can see more photos of Argentina by visiting this previous post. All images by Ryder-Walker trip leader Dave Gruss.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2016-03-17T09:35:00.000-07:00

We've posted a lot of water photos lately; Argentina, Montenegro, Iceland, etc. We'd be remiss, however, if we didn't post something for IRELAND.

Karen Walker shot this photo while hiking our self-guided Dingle Way. The cliffs and shoreline hikes are amazing. Enjoy the photo, and Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Photos From Patagonia

2016-03-11T10:34:00.000-08:00

Dave Gruss sent these photos from our guided hiking tour in Patagonia which is going on right now. Look at the awesome wood carvings in the next photo.

Patagonia is a HUGE place and is shared by the countries of Argentina and Chile. Within Patagonia you'll find grasslands, steppes, deserts, and the Andes Mountains, the longest continental mountain chain IN THE WORLD. The Andes mountains stretch 4,300 miles / 7,000 kilometers through seven different countries including, Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. Our hiking tour takes place in Argentina.

We chose Argentina because the hiking is similar in style to the inn-to-inn hikes that we love so much in Europe. The food and the towns are exciting, while eccentric mountain huts and country inns color the mountain landscape with tasty refreshment and sumptuous local specialties. In the above photo, our group stops for liquid restoration at a hut with incredible views.

Argentina is not Europe. It is a country with its own customs, colors and spin on the world, yet it shares the same blood that courses through all mountain communities across the globe. Climbing a mountain is one of the best things that a person can do in life, and Argentina is a great place to do it. It's also a nice place to hang your hat!

Speaking of hats...Look at all those fashion-forward Ryder-Walker adventure caps. We give them to our guests, but you can order extras by emailing our office.

Help! My Leki trekking poles are stuck. How do I get them loose?

2016-03-07T15:25:00.001-08:00

The old screw-type expandable trekking poles from Leki are notorious for getting stuck. Preventative maintenance helps, but what do you do if it's too late for maintenance and your poles are already jammed?

Here are a few tricks for getting Leki twist-style expandable trekking poles unstuck.

The first step is to make sure that you turn each section in the right direction. I’m right-handed, and I’ve found that I like the pole tip on my left hand side, with the pole grip on the right. With this orientation, I grab the lower shaft (the narrower one) with my left hand and the upper shaft (the fatter one) with my right. To loosen, spin your left hand away from you while holding firmly with your right. If this doesn’t work, then it’s on to step two.

Get a pair of pliers. Channel lock pliers work best, but needle nose pliers will work in a pinch, (and they’re common on most Leatherman tools). Vice grips, like those shown in the photo, will also work, but be VERY careful not to crush or deform your pole tip.

With your pliers, lock onto the plastic tip of the left-most shaft. Again, don’t squeeze too tight, or you risk crushing and/or deforming the shaft. Also, don’t ever grab the metal part of the shaft with the pliers. Again, you can crush the metal, and at the very least, you’ll scrape up the finish.

With your pliers fixed gently but firmly on the plastic barrel, proceed with the same twisting motion mentioned above. Keep the fatter pole steady, while you gently twist the skinnier pole with your pliers. This usually does it for me.

If you’re still having trouble, then grab another pair of pliers and lock on to the plastic barrel on the right side shaft. Now, instead of gripping both poles with your hands, (and giving yourself crazy blisters), you use the pliers to twist instead. I’ve done this a few times and it always works. Note: It is possible to break the plastic barrels loose. If you have to twist this hard, however, then you have other problems that are much harder to address.

Serious problems.

Sometimes your expanders will get stuck in the shaft and the poles won't come loose no matter what you do. This happened to me two summers ago. Thankfully, it only happened to one pole, but I had a heck of a time getting it loose. I ended up pouring Liquid Wrench into the shaft and letting it soak for a couple of weeks. I almost gave up, but then it suddenly broke loose.

Praying helps.

Click here to see what the expanders look like inside your trekking pole.

Please let me know how it works out, or if you have more questions. I'm happy to help.

Book Recommendation | Feed Zone Portables: A Cookbook of On-The-Go Food for Athletes

2016-03-01T12:58:00.000-08:00

Feed Zone Portables: A Cookbook of On-The-Go Food for Athletes

By Allen Lim and Biju Thomas

As a hiker and a cyclist, I’m always looking for good food that I can eat on the go, so I was pretty excited when I stumbled upon Feed Zone Portables by Allen Lim and Biju Thomas. Lim and Thomas developed this book for endurance athletes, but you don’t have to be a sports star to enjoy the recipes in this book. In fact, anyone looking for a delicious portable snack will benefit, especially hikers.

If you’re like me, then you don’t always want to pack a full lunch when you head out on a hike. Call it lazy if you will. Sometimes I just want to grab something quick, throw it in my pack, and go, especially if I’m only going for a short hike. Sometimes I don’t know how long I’m going to hike, so I throw a little food in my pack “just in case.” Fresh fruit works, of course, but it doesn’t always satisfy, especially if I hike longer than expected. Ditto for veggies. I’m easily hungry twenty minutes later. Gorp is an old staple, but I burned out on that long ago. What’s left? I usually default to energy bars, which certainly have their place, but I’m burned out on those too. Plus, energy bars hurt my stomach when I push the pace in other activities like cycling, so I’m ready for something different.

Enter the portable.

I like this book because it’s based on the simple premise that food should be made from simple recipes that make you feel good and perform better.

It should be noted that these recipes do tend to be heavy on carbohydrates because that’s what endurance athletes burn. This is not a recipe book for sedentary couch potatoes or desk jockeys. It’s a book for people who are active, working hard and sweating. Hikers certainly fit the bill. That said, if you are the type of person that grabs a cookie or a candy bar for a mid-afternoon snack, even when you’re not exercising, then this book will give you a somewhat healthier alternative. The recipe for Thomas and Lim’s Apple Two-Bite Pie, for example, uses a lot less sugar than you’ll find in a store-bought equivalent.

The recipes in this book also have A LOT more moisture content than you’ll find in pre-packaged energy bars. It makes perfect sense. Energy bars need a long shelf life, but the tradeoff is that you have to rehydrate them once they’re in your gut. It might not a big deal if you’re wandering at a leisurely pace through the woods, but things can get rather uncomfortable in the lower quadrants when you push the pace in the heat, on a climb, or with your Tuesday night cycling group. From personal experience, the added moisture in these recipes has, for me, been the biggest thumbs up, and this book is filled with recipes for just about every taste.

Allen Lim made a name for himself by supplying delicious, portable rice cakes to cyclists on the pro circuit in Europe. There is a whole section on rice cakes including, Denver Rice Cakes, Swiss Rice Cakes, Blueberry & Chocolate Rice Cakes, and more.

The book also features baked egg portables with recipes for a Potato and Leek Frittata, Rice Soufflé, Spinach & Zucchini Frittata and Crispy Rice Omelet.

If you think that portable eggs sound gross then think again. Eating a baked egg portable is almost no different than stopping for an omelet at an alpine hut during one of our alpine hiking tours. Omelets are a great hiker’s repast, and the Mushroom & Swiss Frittata in this book tastes great on a cold and rainy afternoon.

There’s also a sizeable section on two-bite pies, (both sweet and savory) with recipes for traditional piecrusts, warm dough and quick crusts. Thomas and Lim present some pretty interesting shortcuts for making gluten-free crusts too.

The recipe for gluten-free chocolate cakes is one of my favorites. The cakes have just the right amount of moisture. They taste good, and they’re not overly sweet. In fact, you get just the right amount of chocolate without the sticky sugar mouth that you get from traditional recipes. You can bake the cakes in individual muffin tins, or in an 8” square pan divided into the size of your liking. Throw a batch of bars in the freezer and you're good to go for a couple of weeks.

A fresh batch of portables in the freezer—ready for the next adventure.

Rice cakes and omelets probably don’t sound very portable, but trust us, they are. These recipes were developed for pro cyclists and endurance athletes so they had to be able to fit into jersey pockets and fuel belts, unwrap easily and resist crumbling. Sound perfect for hiking? They are!

My only complaint with this book actually has nothing to do with the book at all. My frustration has to do with the scarcity of something called “Nonstick Pan-Lining Paper” by Reynolds which Thomas and Lim recommend for wrapping up their portables. I found pan-lining paper once while traveling in the Midwest. It’s basically aluminum foil on one side, and parchment paper on the other. It works brilliantly and much better than the non-stick aluminum foil that is so ubiquitous. I’m hooked on it, but none of my local grocery stores carry it, so I’m back to nonstick foil. If you buy the book, and you run across pan-lining paper, then stock up. Who knows how long it will be around. Regular aluminum foil works, but it tears, and it’s just not as nice.

Thomas and Lim also put together some really nice chapters on nutrition and the science behind these recipes with sections on hydration, calories, gastric emptying, glycogen storage, osmotic pressure and more. It’s probably overkill for the average hiker, but there’s some really good stuff in there. You’ll really love it if you’re a cyclist, a runner, or you compete in any kind of endurance event. I was quite shocked when I read the section on calorie consumption. I’m one of those guys who aimlessly stuffs away calories just because I’m exercising (naively thinking that I’ll burn them off). After reading Feed Zone Portables, I’m convinced that a lot of us eat way more than we need.

In closing, here’s a quote from the book.

“Nourishment is something much greater than calories or individual ingredients. It’s the soul in a great dish, pursuing a goal with close friends and family, and taking care of our entire being.”

And another…

“The practice of making real food is not always easy, especially when our lives are busy and stressful. But when all is said and done, we still need and want healthy, fresh and simple portable foods to keep us fueled and nourished when we’re on the move.”

Amen to that.

Old Roads

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We just posted this image on our facebook page, but we thought that it deserved a spot on our blog as well.

The image is from our Matterhorn Trek. Ken Fuhrer shot the photo on the Turlo Pass between the villages of Alagna Valsesia and Macugnaga in the Pennine Alps, the highest Alps in Western Europe.

This is one of the views that you get as you hike up from the Alagna side.

True story:

I hiked the old road from Alagna to Macugnaga with a friend a few years ago, and we noticed something quite odd. At one of the switchbacks we noticed the numbers for pi and various mathematical formulae scratched into one of the paving stones.

Who was doing math on the rocks?

The irony is that pi makes perfect sense on this path. If you get a chance to hike the route, then you’ll notice that the radii of the switchbacks are symmetrical and uniform. They're also consistent all the way down the mountain. It’s as if the engineers laid a circle on the ground and then traced the turn for each switchback.

Were the road builders using pi to calculate the radius of each turn?

There are so many unanswered questions. For instance:

Why take so much time to scratch into rocks? A stick and some twine would produce perfectly formed (and repeatable) radii too.

If it wasn't the road builders, then who was it? Math professors on a hiking vacation, perhaps? A bored teenager that wanted to fool with hiking guides and their guests? Maybe the numbers weren't related to pi or math problems at all. Maybe they were UFO landing coordinates or something.

We'll never know.

But this is why we love the Alps. They’re beautiful and filled with innumerable mysteries and wonders that can occupy the mind for years.

Ten Reasons (+1) Why You Need to do our Scottish Highlands Hike

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From June 2-11, 2016, our small group of hikers and guides will climb mountains, taste whiskey, photograph bagpipers, and relax in stately inns on our Scotland Highlands and Islands hiking tour. Here are ten reasons why you should try to snag a spot on this trip.

1. Scotland is Hot Right Now

There’s a reason that so many films and television programs feature Scotland. The place is frickin’ gorgeous! Just do a quick google search for ‘films set in Scotland’ and you’ll see what we mean. From Harry Potter to James Bond, and Bravehart to the DaVinci Code, the list is too long to include here. The castles, the Gaelic language, the remote beauty...it's overwhelming. Plus, the word has gotten out that Scottish cuisine is not just fried fish and haggis anymore. Sure, you can still get those things, but the culinary options have taken a HUGE leap forward in Scotland, with organic fare and fine wines rounding out the bill. These days, you can #GetYourHikeOn in the remote Highlands and dine at Michelin-starred restaurants too.

2. The Isle of Skye

This photo, the next photo (Black Cuillins), and the photo for #7, were all taken on the Isle of Skye. The place is insanely magical. The Island is also covered with lots of cool old stuff including thatched roof cottages, ancient tombs, standing stones, and Iron Age forts. A person could spend a month on this Island and still have plenty to do. We'll show you our favorite hikes, and you'll love it.

3. The Black Cuillins

Do you remember the mountains of Mordor in the Lord of the Rings? That’s what the Black Cuillins are all about—black, jagged, foreboding and overshadowed by a dark lord in a tower with a large creepy cat eye wreathed in flame.

We’re exaggerating. There’s no dark lord or flaming eye, but the Black Cuillins are dark, mysterious, and awe-inspiring mountains just the same, and hiking amongst them is worth every minute. Oh, and here’s a tip: Compasses don’t work in the heart of the Black Cuillins due to the magnetic nature of the rock, so be grateful for your guide.

4. The Torridon

You'd move fast too if you worked a bar with over 300 different whiskeys on offer. It's not just the whiskey that makes this place top shelf, however. The Torridon has cozy log fires, Michelin quality cuisine, impeccable service, and it's all housed in a 19th century hunting estate. At dinner time, they'll start you off with canapés in the salon and then walk you through to the dining room. You'll feel like you've landed in an episode of Downton Abbey.

5. #StandingStones Are Trending

Let’s see a show of hands. How many of you have watched the show Outlander? Here’s a quick background if you haven’t. The plot revolves around a WWII British Army Nurse named Claire Randall (Catitriona Balfe) who touches a standing stone and finds herself unexpectedly transported to 1743 Scotland during the height of the Jacobite uprisings. You can imagine what happens next—awesome scenery, tear-jerking flute and drum music, castles, muscled men in kilts, sex, violence, more sex, more flutes, nudity, rain. Outlander is an extremely dark and violent show, but it’s incredibly popular, and the Scottish countryside is now crawling with tourists in search of Randall’s mythical standing stone. You’ll see standing stones on our hiking tour, and you’ll be the hit of your social network when you upload photos of your own #StandingStones @Outlander_Starz style.

BTW: The burial mounds in the background of the above photo were constructed 3-4,000 years ago.

6. Talisker Distillery

This place is the salt of the earth. You can taste the ocean spray, the smoky peat moss, and the very marrow of the Highlands in the whiskey they serve. It's also the ONLY whiskey distillery on the Isle of Skye. If you like whiskey, then by all means, raise your hand when we suggest an aprés-hike tasting.

7. Scottish Roads

Scottish roads are right (or should we say "left?") in so many ways. There's the whole drive-on-the-left-side of the road thing (steering wheel on the right), but it's a moot point in many places. The roads are so narrow that only one car can drive in the lane anyway. With views like this, pausing for an oncoming car is not a bad thing at all.

8. Hill Walking Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This

The Scots call hiking in the Highlands 'Hill Walking,’ but don’t be fooled. Scotland has real mountains and hiking them is serious business. There are more than 200 Munros (peaks over 3,000 feet/910 meters) in Scotland, but there are hundreds more peaks that fall just shy of 3,000 feet. Some people spend their entire lives trying to summit them all. Three thousand feet may not sound very high, but when you're starting from almost sea level, it's a good climb.

Even more, very few of the trails in Scotland are signposted or way marked. The Scots have a rule called the Outdoor Access Code which basically gives any person the right to hike wherever they please (within reason). It's expected that you'll follow common sense, don't trample someone's flower garden, for example, and that you'll leave the land in the same pristine condition that you found it.

9. You’ll Feel Like A Bad Ass

There’s something bad ass about Scotland. The weather can be notoriously bad, the midges bite by the billions, the trails (or lack thereof) are steep, the mud is deep, and the wind is fierce. Yet, at the end of the day, you feel like crying out for MORE.

We guarantee that your chest will swell with pride when you stand on top of your first Munro, (with calves aching and cheeks stinging) and you gaze upon the remoteness and beauty of it all. It also goes without saying that your mineral-rich, peat moss-infused bath will feel that much more relaxing at the end of a long day.

10. Full Scottish Breakfast

Let’s be clear about this. We have NO complaints about the Full Scottish Breakfast, which is standard, nay, mandatory, at virtually every inn across Scotland. The FSB includes; yogurt, fruit, muffins, cereal, eggs, sausage, bacon, potato scone, baked beans, toast soldiers (french toast), cooked tomato, cooked mushrooms, haggis, black pudding, smoked herring (kipper), oatmeal, toast, whiskey, coffee, and tea. Yes, you can have all of this at one serving, and, in fact, the Scots will be somewhat insulted if you don’t.

In the photo: Cream, brown sugar and a dram of whiskey for your oatmeal. Those instant oatmeal packets that you had as a kid will never taste the same again.

*11. Scottish Straightforwardness

We just had to throw this in.

You won't find a lot of switchbacks on Scottish trails, and you won't find a lot of beating around the bush either. The Scots live their lives the way they climb mountains, straight on. We like it.

Just do yourself (and us) a favor. Please don't worry the livestock.

See you in Scotland.