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The ϳԹ Trip-Finder: Europe
By Kathy Martin
AUSTRIA: Mountaineering and Climbing in the Zillertal Alps
The Route: A ten-day expedition into southern Austria’s rugged Zillertal range, including lessons in ice climbing and glacier technique and ascents of several 9,800 to 11,000-foot peaks
When To Go: July-Septmeber
Difficulty: Moderate
Travel Advisory: You’re in good hands. Your guide, Peter Habeler, was on the
first team to summit Everest without oxygen (along with Reinhold Messner),
and these hometown Alps served as his training ground.
High/Low Points:
- Summiting 11,083-foot Grosse Löffler for the stupendous sight of the Ziller
Valley framed by snowcapped Tirolean peaks
- Losing the coin toss for the last piece of Linzertorte mit
schlag at the alpine Stuben halfway up
Luxe Factor: Rustic lodging
Outfitters / Departures / Price
Mountain Travel-Sobek / 3 / $2,475
FRANCE/ITALY: Cycling and Snorkeling Corsica and Sardinia
The Route: An 11-day exploration, via bicycle, boat, and swim fins, of the
green mountains and unspoiled shorelines of northern Sardinia and western Corsica,
separated by just 18 miles of the Mediterranean
When To Go: May, June, September-October
Difficulty: Moderate
Travel Advisory: Bring a lightweight, breathable, mesh-lined wind jacket and wind-resistant pants. The breezes here are stiff, variable–even blustery.
High/Low Points:
- Carbo-loading on your boat captain’s spaghetti alle vongole and local wine
on the beach at Isola della Maddalena
- Seeing eyebrows lift as you stroll among Costa Smeralda’s society elite
in your cycling duds
.
Luxe Factor: Tourist hotels
Outfitters / Departures / Price
Ciclismo Classico / 4 / $2,540
New
GREENLAND: Sea Kayaking the Fjords
The Route: A 14- to 16-day voyage through northeastern Greenland’s huge fjord system,
with side hikes to Inuit villages and Norse ruins, as well
as musk oxen, polar bear, and walrus habitats
When To Go: July, August
Difficulty: Moderate
Travel Advisory: A pile jacket and thermal underwear are musts, but a wetsuit
or drysuit is optional. A high-pressure system in the summer practically
ensures mild, dry weather–like southeast Alaska without the rain.
High/Low Points:
- Maneuvering your craft between luminous icebergs here in the birthplace of
Inuit kayak culture
- Listening to yet another boatmate try to spell Ittoqqortoormiit, the name
of an Inuit village
Luxe Factor: Camping
Outfitters / Departures / Price
Black Feather / 1/ $4,000
Mountain Travel-Sobek / 2 / $3,930
The Northwest Passage / 1 / $2,800
ITALY: Hiking Sicily and the Aeolian Islands
The Route: An eight- to ten-day tramp through the mountains and citrus groves
of Sicily and nearby islands, with scrambles up 10,902-foot Mount Etna
and active volcanoes on Lipari, Vulcano, and Stromboli
When To Go: April-October
Difficulty: Moderate
Travel Advisory: Avoid Sicily in July and August, when siroccos off the Sahara
can crank temperatures up to 110 degrees.
High/Low Points:
- Bivying overnight on the rim
of Lipari or Stromboli’s volcano under
the incandescent glow of lava
- Finding that your high school Italian bears no resemblance to Sicilian
dialect
Luxe Factor: Camping, Rustic lodging, Tourist hotels
Outfitters / Departures / Price
ϳԹ Center / 11 / $890-$920
Ciclismo Classico / on demand / $2,215
Mountain Travel-Sobek / 2 / $2,250
JORDAN: Touring 11,000-Year-Old Ruins
The Route: An eight- to 17-day excursion through the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,
with stops at the stone city of Petra, the Wadi Rum
Desert, the Dead Sea, and the coral reefs at ‘Aqaba. Most
outfitters add on Syria and/or Israel.
When To Go: Year-round
Difficulty: Easy
Travel Advisory: Israeli stamps in your passport disqualify you from crossing the border
into Syria. If you’re planning to travel to Israel first, just
request a removable card when you apply for your visa.
High/Low Points:
- Entering Petra via the siq, a narrow slot that winds through
sandstone walls
- Wondering how Lawrence of Arabia would find his peace nowadays among
Wadi Rum’s tourist tent camps
Luxe Factor: Camping, Rustic lodging, Tourist hotels
Outfitters / Departures / Price
ϳԹs Abroad / 9 / $2,040*
Butterfield & Robinson / 1 / $3,495
Himalayan Travel / 24 / $795-$850
Overseas ϳԹ Travel / 8 / $2,590-$2,890*
Sunny Land Tours / weekly / $4,280-$4,570*
Wilderness Travel / 3 / $3,695
NORWAY: Ski-Touring in the Hallingdal Mountains
The Route: A ten-day journey on nordic skis over the rolling hills, glaciers,
and forested trails of western Norway’s Hallingdal Mountains, traveling an average
of 12 miles per day between ski hotels and cabins
When To Go: March
Difficulty: Moderate
Travel Advisory: Extend your trip to take in World Cup downhill runs, groomed
cross-country tracks, or dogsledding at Geilo, the major winter sports resort
where your loop tour begins and ends.
High/Low Points:
- Gliding through the former training grounds of Robert Scott and his
1910 South Pole expedition team
- Impatiently waiting your turn for the hotels’ wood-fired saunas
Luxe Factor: Rustic lodging; Tourist hotels
Outfitters / Departures / Price
Above the Clouds Trekking / 1 / $1,750
PORTUGAL: Riding Horseback Along the Blue Coast
The Route: An eight-day ride south of Lisbon through eucalyptus and pine forests,
along cliffs and sand dunes on the Atlantic, with stops to
visit castles and coastal villages
When To Go: Year-round
Difficulty: Moderate
Travel Advisory: Be forewarned: You must have advanced intermediate riding skills and weigh
less than 180 pounds. Trip leaders have thrown clients off the
ride if they’ve overstated their proficiency and held the others back.
High/Low Points:
- Cantering your Lusitano stallion through the dunes between Zambujeira and Carvainal
beaches
- Adapting your Western-style rear end to an English-style saddle
Luxe Factor: Tourist hotels
Outfitters / Departures / Price
Equitour /10 / $895-$1,020
Classic
SCOTLAND: Hiking the Western Highlands
The Route: An eight- to 14-day march along the wild moors and lochs,
craggy ridges, and 3,000-plus-foot munros of the Scottish Highlands, as well
as visits to remote settlements and fishing villages
When To Go: April-October
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Travel Advisory: Bring serious raingear and don’t forget to waterproof your boots. The
Highlands get 60 inches of rain per year, and you will
get rained on, no matter when you go.
High/Low Points:
- Gulping down a pint at the Kings House Hotel, the oldest
pub in Scotland
- Hearing one more tourist bring out his best Rob Roy brogue
Luxe Factor: Tourist hotels
Outfitters / Departures / Price
Above the Clouds Trekking / 10 / $875
Backroads / 3 / $2,498
Butterfield & Robinson / 2 / $3,150
KE ϳԹ Travel / 2 / $2,395
Top Guides / weekly / $945-$1,790
Wilderness Travel / 2 / $1,995
TURKEY: Rafting the Coruh River
The Route: A 16-day trip down Class V whitewater beneath the thousand-year-old castles
of the Seljuk and Byzantine Empires in western Turkey, with side
hikes to settlements in the Kackar Mountains
When To Go: June, July
Difficulty: Strenuous
Travel Advisory: Unlike most raft trips, this one
requires very different clothes for
activities off the water. Men need to bring long pants, and
women long skirts, for visits to traditional Islamic villages.
High/Low Points:
- Coming off the isolated river to socialize with twentieth-generation rug weavers
and beekeepers in Yusufeli
- Being startled by trucks barreling down the brief stretch of road
along the river
Luxe Factor: Camping
Outfitters / Departures / Price
Mountain Travel-Sobek / 2 / $3,195
WEST-CENTRAL EUROPE: Cycling Across the Continent
The Route: An epic five-week pedal across France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, and Italy, including several train rides (most of the uphill segments) and an unparalleled sampling of Euro grub
When To Go: May-September
Difficulty: Moderate
Travel Advisory: The bike routes parallel rail lines–your equivalent of van support–and the travel style is youthful and on-the-fly. You’ll sleep in pensions, country inns, and the occasional train berth.
High/Low Points:
- Flying down the 30-mile descent from Zermatt after two days of summer skiing
- Maintaining that fine balance between wine tasting and cycling prowess in the Côte d’Or
Luxe Factor: Tourist hotels
Outfitters / Departures / Price
Blue Marble Travel / 5 / $4,295
Includes airfare from U.S.
See also:
Copyright, 1996 ϳԹ Magazine
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