Adventure Life's Blog

Early Season Antarctica Travel: A Great Time to Go!

Beth Conway — Wed, 23 May 2012 15:42:10 +0000

Shoulder season, like early November, is a great time for an Antarctica adventure

When deciding when to visit Antarctica, time of year does make a difference, but deciding which time of year is “best” depends on what you are looking at getting out of your Antarctica adventure. Specific wildlife sightings – mating season – new hatchlings – weather – icescapes – mud – penguins poo smell at its worst/best…? While January is typically considered the heart of the Antarctica travel season, visitors shouldn’t dismiss the shoulder season.

Aichto Island in November

Aitcho Island in February

The month of November (late Austral spring and early Austral summer) undoubtedly offers the most adventurous time to visit the Peninsula. This is the time to see Antarctica at its most undisturbed form. As the season goes on, the landing areas become impacted and muddy. Some operators tend to discourage November voyages as temperatures tend to be colder and polar ice is still breaking up so access to some areas may be limited. However, the cold temperatures also offer the most impressive icescapes, pristine snow and breathtaking scenery. This is the commanding icy landscape that we imagine when dreaming of Antarctica’s other-worldly frontier. Antarctica wildlife activity starts to really pick up momentum during the early season. Some species, particularly whales, are not as plentiful as later in the season (however, I have personally been in November and we had five humpback sightings). But that shouldn’t suggest you won’t see thousands of penguins and dozens of seals — you will. It is also a good time to see the penguins mating. By the end of Nov. travelers will see lots of nest full of eggs. And since there are far fewer ships in the area, itineraries tend to be more flexible than later in the season.

A great option for Antarctica early season is Ocean Nova’s 10-day Classic Antarctic cruise departing on November 11, 2012. The trip includes the picturesque Neko Harbor, Paradise Harbor, Wilhelmina Bay, Lemaire Channel, wildlife-filled Penola Channel, and Neumayer Channel. Adelie, Chinstrap, and Gentoo Penguins abound with rare opportunities to see other species such as King, Macaroni, and the elusive Emperor. And for those looking to sea kayak, this departure is offering this option complimentary. Sea kayaking is a fantastic and intimate way to explore Antarctica’s labyrinth of icebergs and inlets.

Want to go?

Top Trips for Exploring Cotopaxi National Park in Ecuador

Beth Conway — Wed, 16 May 2012 20:22:34 +0000

Trekkers take a moments to take in the view in the shadow of Ecuador’s Cotopaxi Volcano

Ecuador’s paramo, a complex ecosystem of rolling alpine grassland, protects precious fresh water and endemic species. It is stunning in itself, but when combined with Ecuador’s legendary Avenue of Volcanos – including the mighty Cotopaxi – makes this unique area of Ecuador is a steadfast crowd-pleaser. Here are a few of my favorites trips to explore and experience this beautiful region of Ecuador.

Cotopaxi Trekking
Hike in the shadows of the Cotopaxi Volcano and follow the ancient roads of the Incas during our 5 day/4 night trekking trip. Experience the hacienda culture of the Andean highlands and explore Inca sites during an active trekking circuit near the Cotopaxi National Park and in the Condor Biosphere. This trip is fully-supported trip (you just carry a daypack, and we carry the rest)! Want to go?

Ecuador Adventure
An active trip that combines adventures in the paramo with high altitude Andean forest, cloud forest, and glaciers on Cotopaxi Volcano. Jump right into the action with a fast-paced mountain bike descent down Pichincha Volcano to begin your Ecuador travel. Then settle into your lodge perched above the cloud forest canopy. Continue the adventure with an exhilarating whitewater rafting trip before we set off to explore the high Andes near the Cotopaxi Volcano on foot, horseback, and soaring over the forest canopy by zipline. Want to go?

Cotopaxi Service Projects
Trip that combines some great adventure with the opportunity to give back to the people and places that provide such amazing memories. In other words, a simple way to say thanks. Ride, hike and bike for a little multisport adventure in Cotopaxi National Park. Then roll up your sleeves to help park rangers with trail maintenance, and assist with an ongoing reforestation initiative to help regenerate forests that were adversely affected by wildfire and outdated practices of clear-cutting. Want to go?

This video from our local partner, Tierra del Volcan, further helps illustrate how special this region of Ecuador truly is. See below.

A Taste of Peru: Ceviche Recipe

Beth Conway — Tue, 08 May 2012 20:56:06 +0000

Peru Cuisine: Try adding shellfish to your ceviche recipe for variety

Adventure Life traveler, Amy Bergrud, learns a few local culinary secrets on our Peru Cuisine trip

A widely popular South American dish and a Peruvian staple, ceviche is bursting with both flavor and history. This dish has been around for centuries; early recipes stem from the Inca Empire that preserved their fish in salt, fruit juice and chiles. There are hundreds of variations of ceviche recipes to try — households throughout South America have their own unique take on this traditional dish. But in general the core elements of the recipe remain steadfast: using citrus juice to “cook” fresh fish.

For a little taste of Peru at home, I recommend you give this ceviche recipe a try. It’s easy, fresh and a palate-pleaser:

-2 pounds of tilapia (or other white fish of choice)
-1 red onion, cut into thin strips
-1 cup of fresh lime juice (roughly 8 limes). Make sure it’s enough to cover the fish
-tsp. salt
-1/2 tsp. black pepper
-2 teaspoons fresh cilantro, chopped
-1 aji amarillo (Peruvian yellow chile pepper), or substitute habanero pepper. Seeded and minced.

Cook:
-Cut the fish into cubs.
-Put all ingredients in a bowl, except for the red onions. Mix well.
-Place red onions on top of mixture and let marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes
-Serve

To complete your dish, serve your ceviche with boiled sweet potatoes and corn on the cob. And you can also couple your dish with tiger’s milk, leche de tigre; the leftover ceviche marinate. Add a splash of vodka to give it a little added kick.

Want more Peru Cuisine?
Learn how to make Peruvian ceviche from a few of the experts on our Peru Cuisine trip. In their article “Market Tours Offer Travelers a Make-It-Yourself Feast“, The Daily Meal highlights this unique sensory-pleasing trip that invites travelers to taste their way across the country, sampling local dishes, visiting traditional markets and taking one-on-one cooking classes from local chefs. Hungry for more? Me too.

Adventure Life Bolivia Trip Featured in Outside Magazine: Top Desert Getaways

Beth Conway — Wed, 02 May 2012 15:59:41 +0000

Adventure Life trip to Bolivia's Salar de Uyuni featured in Outside

Adventures Life’s Bolivia Backroads trip was selected by Outside Magazine as the go-to trip for exploring Bolivia’s stunning and stark Salar de Uyuni. In her feature “The Top 10 Desert Getaways” writer Stephanie Pearson highlights fantastic deserts around the world that beckon a bit of adventure. She describes Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni:

The appeal of this place is the play of light on these wide-open spaces: Sitting at almost 12,000 feet above sea level on the Altiplano of southern Bolivia, the Salar de Uyuni is almost entirely devoid of wildlife and vegetation, save for three species of pink flamingos (who get their coloring from the pink algae and crustaceans they ingest), a rare hummingbird species, and an occasional Andean goose.

Our Bolivia Backroads trip spends a handful of days exploring the world’s largest salt flat and also includes Sucre, Tarabuco Market, Hacienda Candelaria and La Paz.

Want to go?

New Neighborhood for the Adventure Life Office Building!

Lynessa Nelson — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 23:23:10 +0000

Framing for our new Adventure Life Office Building

The walls of the new Adventure Life office building are going up faster than I can keep track of. Our anticipation grows alongside them as we wait for the day we’ll walk through those doors!

We’re not the only ones moving into the neighborhood. Just around the corner, you’ll find a new climbing gym, apartment complex, grocery store, and brewery – all of the essentials for us Adventure Lifers!

Speaking of the neighbors, our fellow Missoulians have noticed the commotion. We were recently featured on the front page our local newspaper, the Missoulian. We are excited to be a part of the “rebirth” of this area so close to downtown.

We’ll keep you posted as the weeks continue!

Travel Video: The Tambopata National Reserve in the Peruvian Amazon

Beth Conway — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 19:40:48 +0000

Adventure Life travelers, Greg and Bridget Litten, share with us a bit of their Amazon adventures in Peru’s Tambopata National Reserve.

The Tambopata National Reserve (TNR) is part of a 3.7 million acre reserve in southeastern Amazonian Peru. It protects the biological diversity of the entire watersheds of the Tavara and the Candamo Rivers and most of the watershed of the Tambopata River. The motivations and the design of the TNR includes a philosophy of sustainable development and conservation of forest resources. And as such, TNR supports environmentally friendly Amazon tours to help generate valuable profits for the reserve. It gives visitors the chance to become life-long advocates for Amazon conservation, by seeing, touching, smelling, tasting and learning for themselves why this delicate environment is so important to protect. A philosophy certainly after my own heart…

Scarlet Macaws at Tambopata

Over 1,300 bird species (including 32 parrot species – 10% of the world’s total), 200 mammal species, 90 frog species, 1,200 butterfly species and 10,000 species of higher plants are protected within this reserve.The TNR protects habitats from the Andean highlands around the rivers’ headwaters through some of the last remaining intact cloud forests to the lowland rainforests of the Amazon basin.

To put it simply, an incredible place.

Want to go?

Two Central America Tours to Celebrate the End of the Maya Calendar: Dec. 12, 2012

Beth Conway — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 16:16:09 +0000

Tikal ruins in Guatemala - be there at the end of the Maya calendar this Dec 21, 2012

On Dec 21, 2012, the Maya calendar will complete its 5,125 year cycle, marking the calendar’s finality and the beginning of a new era. This date, at this moment in time, is shrouded in mystery; the meaning and the significance that Dec. 21, 2012 held for the creators of the Maya calendar continues to cause debate among scholars. These two Central America tours invite you to be in the heart of the Maya culture on this historic date.

Celebrate the Maya – 12 Day Guatemala Tour
On December 21, 2012, camp out near the oldest complete Maya astronomical complex and watch the sun align with ancient temples. Explore and learn about the rich Maya heritage in Guatemala on a date that historians, anthropologists, spiritual leaders, skeptics and curious travelers have been speculating over for centuries. Trip also features Antigua, Lake Atitlan, Chichicastenango, Copan, Honduras, Rio Dulce, Yaxha, Uaxactun and Tikal.

Year of the Maya – 7 day Belize Tour
Journey back in time to some of their best preserved cities and sites. Visit Tikal, Caracol, Xunantunich and the Actun Tunichil Muknal with local Belizean guides on this culturally rich exploration. Learn about the history of the Maya, hike in the rainforest, and encounter the legacy of the Maya people.

Our New Adventure Life Building

Lynessa Nelson — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 23:47:54 +0000

Our New Adventure Life Office Building!

Plans are laid out, the ground has been broken, and Adventure Life is going forward with a new office building! Our brand new facility is in the works and we’ll be moving across town sometime this year. The ground breaking occurred in January and the foundation has been poured. It’s not a minute too soon because are a rapidly outgrowing our current office!

The new building will be in a more accessible part of town for employees to commute sustainably on the bus line. It will be more spacious for each employee’s workstation and offer a more uniform layout than we have now at our house/office building. Our current Adventure Life home does have a special place in my heart, however, with memories of boisterous office meetings downstairs and yoga sessions together in the annex. Even so, we are all looking forward to space to breath in and windows to look out over our beautiful Missoula community. The new set up will also offer a more cohesive team environment with everyone on the same floor and within a short walk across the floor from each other. We’re so excited! Stay tuned for more updates as we go throughout the year!

Argentina Travel: Perito Moreno Glacier Experiences a Phenomenal Ice Fall in early March

Beth Conway — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 20:53:36 +0000

On March 4, 2012, lucky visitors to Argentina’s Perito Moreno glacier had the rare opportunity to witness a massive ice fall. It’s been nearly four years since Perito Moreno glacier experienced an ice fall as major as this — and it will likely be at least another four until such an incident occurs again. This natural phenom is caused by the clashing forces of the advancing glacier and Lago Argentino; as Perito Moreno advances into the lake, it crosses the Canal de los Tempanos (Channel of the Floes) and obstructs the drainage of the Rico arm, elevating the water level up to 60 feet above normal height. When the pressure finally becomes too great, the waters newly contained in the Rico arm break through the ice wall and spill into the lake. The resulting roar of the cracking ice and cascading water is unbelievable!

Traveler captures Argentina's Perito Moreno Glacier on a calmer day

Perito Moreno is more than 3 miles wide at its front and over 20 stories high. Located in southern Argentina’s Parque Nacional de Los Glaciares and easily accessible from El Calafate. Strapping on crampons and trekking across the glacier is a highlight for many Argentina tours.

Adventure Life Travelers and Galapagos Conservation

Beth Conway — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:52:04 +0000

Adventure Life Galapagos travelers raise $83,000 for island conservation

As of February 2012, Adventure Life travelers have raised over $83,000 for conservation efforts in the Galapagos Islands. Those are impressive numbers – you should be proud of yourself, I know I sure am! These monies where raised through our Galapagos Traveler-Funding program; a program we launched with IGTOA (International Galapagos Tour Operators Association) in 2006.

Here’s where your dollars went in 2011:
CDF (Charles Darwin Foundation) received a total of $28,000. IGTOA members allocated $10,000 to the station for general operating support — to help it improve its physical and staffing infrastructure in order to meet the islands’ present and future challenges. Another $18,000 was awarded towards its interpretive services program which enables young Ecuadorians and Galapagos residents to gain experience in tourism and public relations.

WildAid, an organization whose mission is to end illegal wildlife trade by reducing demand through public awareness campaigns and providing comprehensive marine protection, received $25,000 in funds, which will go toward supporting a preventive quarantine initiative in the Galapagos Islands supply chain. The program will endeavor to design internationally accepted biosecurity protocols at the embarkation port in Guayaquil. The monies from the fund-raising program will specifically be used to help in procuring a biosecurity expert and help pay for biosecurity equipment costs.