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Global Rut Busters
Let’s be honest. If we were to play a word-association game, it would go something like this: I say “fitness.” You say “boring.” Why should something so potentially fun be a synonym for drudgery? Free your muscles and your mind with these
BY KEN MCALPINE
WORLDWIDE
HANG WITH THE PROS
In this new offering, EpicQuest concocts a fantasy formula: You revel in some of the planet’s greatest outdoor playgrounds accompanied by some of the planet’s greatest outdoor athletes. Kayak in Bhutan, surf in Indonesia, or heli-ski in Alaska’s remote Tordrillo Mountains (and stay at the stunning and remote Tordrillo Mountain Lodge, pictured here) and be joined by the likes of Olympic gold medalist Tommy Moe or extreme-ski legend Jeremy Nobis. For summer fun try Kings & Corn: heliskiing in the morning, heli-fishing (think 50-pound king salmon) in the afternoon, and — why not? — a late-night powder run under Alaska’s midnight sun. Desire something epically Epic? Customize your own adventure. (888) 983-3742, epicquest.com
 COSTA RICA
TRAVEL BY HUMAN ENGINE
BikeHike Adventures will take you by foot, mountain bike, and white-water raft from the Costa Rican fishing village of Quepos on the Pacific Coast to the town of Cahuita (which, incidentally, rests on the Caribbean coast some 150 miles away), and not once will you settle your duff into motorized transport. Perhaps aptly billed as a trip for “the physically fit and the insanely energetic,” going cross-country in Costa Rica requires an ascent and descent of the Continental Divide (you’ll peak at 7,650 feet) and the ability to appreciate pristine rain forest, mountains, and rivers that few visitors see. (888) 805-0061, bikehike.com
BELIZE
SEA KAYAK IN TURQUOISE WATERS
Guidebooks lavish praise upon Belize’s waters, and yet they still sell them short. Glover’s Reef Marine Reserve is a pristine atoll and protected World Heritage Site some 70 miles southeast of Belize City. Traveling on Island Expeditions’ Maya Reef Explorer Trip, you’ll explore the 20-mile-long, seven-mile-wide reserve — home to some 700 patch reefs and innumerable fish and coral — by sea kayak and snorkel, returning at night to a comfortable safari-style camp. An onsite marine biologist answers questions, but you’ll have to wrestle with your own definition for Belizean blue. (800) 667-1630, islandexpeditions.com
 UTAH
GO ON A RED ROCKIN’ ADVENTURE
Cusped by red-rock canyons and mountains, Utah’s Red Mountain Resort and Spa near St. George (a two-hour drive from Las Vegas) offers up an adventure concierge who will arrange your fitness fun. Hike or horseback-ride among 7,000 acres of red-rock canyon just out the door (in Snow Canyon State Park), or sign on for a guided hike in two of the Southwest’s greatest gems — Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks. Learn to rock climb, canyoneer (basically climbing, scrabbling, and rappelling through narrow sculpted canyons), or mountain bike slick rock. Return for a massage and to dine on duck with wild Maine blueberries. (877) 246-4453, redmountainspa.com
FLORIDA
SKATE LIKE A KID AGAIN
Roll past powdered-sugar beaches and alongside forest-draped rivers on Zephyr Adventures’ five-day in-line skating tour of the Gulf Coast environs surrounding Tampa. You’ll roll along user-friendly trails — the Sun Coast Trail, the Pinellas Trail — and relax in style at night (the Plantation Inn in Citrus Springs, the Yacht Harbor Inn in Dunedin), all the while inhaling Florida’s Gulf Coast area. Skate skills a tad rusty? No problem. Routes are fl at, guides offer instruction, and each day’s itinerary offers short, medium, and long options. (888) 758-8687, zephyradventures.com
NORWAY
STAY AND PLAY IN SCANDINAVIA
This unsung country and its unrivaled terrain offer almost every brand of outdoor fun you can imagine. Cruise-ship passengers have long known the beauty of Norway’s fjords, but adventure sport has taken hold of late. Outfitters offer all manner of adrenal play, from heli-assisted mountain biking to (we kid you not) surfing. Oslo has miles of mountain bike trails, but the real treats are in beautiful towns such as Tromso, Molde, and Geirangerfjord, where you can hike among moose and birch, take a glacier walk, go climbing, or sea kayak a fjord. An added plus: Beneath the midnight sun, it doesn’t matter if it’s 8 a.m. or 3 a.m. 011-47-900-56-876, didadventure.no
ALASKA
CLIMB A REALLY BIG TREE
Alaska Mountain Guides offers fun around the globe, but one of its quirkiest offerings is the chance to climb and frolic in the canopy of 100-foot-tall spruce trees in Haines, Alaska, home to healthy old-growth forests. Since tree climbing is usually an add-on to other trips (just ask), why not sign up for their three-day sea kayak and humpback whale-watching adventure (luxe camping at Point Adolphus on Chichagof Island in the Tongass National Forest) and then go climb a tree? (800) 766-3396, alaskamountainguides.com
NORTHERN IRELAND
SPIN, PADDLE, AND BOB
Northern Ireland doesn’t get much adventure press. Too bad, as it has one of the most dramatic coastlines in the world. Life Adventure Centre offers an intimate and occasionally heart-hammering view with a three-day Cycle and Sea Kayak trip that explores the coast and islands of Strangford Lough, home to stunning seascapes, picturesque villages, and, since all shouldn’t be fitness, lively pubs. After all, the Irish know how to have rollicking fun. Ask for a go at “coasteering” (that would be frolicking about cork-like in the surging surf wearing wet suit, life jacket, and helmet). 011-44-844-770-5477, onegreatadventure.com
FRANCE
BIKE THE BACK COUNTRY, IN STYLE
C’est vrai, this one is not easy but it’s guaranteed to be memorable. Discover France Adventures offers eight days of riding through the Pyrenees, from the Atlantic (Biarritz) to the Mediterranean (Collioure). You’ll ride 45 to 75 miles a day (expect to be in the saddle four to six hours and to climb an average of 7,000 feet daily), but you’ll cycle through what the French call “La France Profonde” (off the beaten path), with its medieval villages, colorful folk, and gloriously empty mountain heights. At day’s end, you’ll succor sore legs with sweet Basque wines and shellfish, then tumble into a soft bed. (800) 960-2221, cyclingclassics.com
 COLORADO
PAY A VISIT TO PLAYTOWN, U.S.A.
Colorado Springs’ offerings are ridiculous, and you don’t have to look far: 14,115-foot Pikes Peak looms right over town, and here alone you can hike (try the hike up Barr Trail to the Pikes Peak summit), climb, and mountain bike to your heart’s content. In town there are dozens of miles of multisport trails (ride or run the Santa Fe Trail right through the Air Force Academy campus), more climbing (try aptly named Garden of the Gods), and world-class training facilities (Carmichael Training Systems). Not sated? Just southwest of town, the Arkansas River has Class II to Class V rapids (try Cañon City’s Lost Paddle Rafting). (800) 368-4748, visitcos.com
HAWAII
SEE MAUI’S HIGH SIDE — FROM UP, DOWN, AND IN
From tropical to subarctic tundra, 10,023-foot Mount Haleakala is song to nature’s variety. Hikers can explore its crater in Haleakala National Park, either by camping or booking one of the three cabins along the trail. Everyone bikes down from Haleakala. Instead, bike up — 36 miles (start in Paia; rent your bike from Go Cycling Maui), 10,000 feet of climbing (four to six hours uphill, about 90 minutes back down) — and then treat yourself to a night (or two) of recovery at the nearby Nalu Kai Lodge. Really want to test your chops and glutes? Race to the top in the annual Cycle to the Sun; this year’s race is August 22. (808) 579-9009, gocyclingmaui.com
 GEORGIA
HIKE INN
Fittingly, the new Len Foote Hike Inn at Amicalola Falls State Park is accessible only by five-mile hike; from here you access some of Georgia’s loveliest outdoors (the Chattahoochee National Forest). Hike the four and a half miles from the Inn to Springer Mountain — the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail — and watch thru hikers start their long slog, content in knowing you’ll spend the night in a cozy bunk (the inn has 20 bunk rooms). Atlanta is about an hour’s drive away, with great mountain biking in Conyers (where mountain biking made its Olympic debut) and, right downtown, running and cycling in 189-acre Piedmont Park. (800) 581-8032, hike-inn.com
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
GRAB A FUN WORKOUT … REALLY
Rehab United and The Sports Performance Center in San Diego focus on functional fitness — honing skills such as strength, speed, balance, power, and agility that are applicable to life outside the gym — and they do it with outside-the-box exercises that are actually fun. If you’re interested in improving in a specific sport, their trainers can teach you cutting-edge techniques. Just in town and looking for a fun workout? Drop in on Power Hour (for a very reasonable $10 drop-in fee, though some drop-in classes are free). For a glimpse at some outside-the-box play, see their YouTube video (youtube.com/rusportsperformance). (858) 279-5570, rehabunited.com
 NORTH AMERICA
MOUNTAIN BIKE OUR NATION’S GLORIOUS SPINE
The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route is our country’s greatest off-road ride, with more than 2,400 miles of glorious traipse from the Mexican border to the Canadian border (and, possibly, right on into Canada). See some of our country’s most spectacular scenery, and, better yet, the ride is plenty doable: Much of the route rolls along forest service and logging roads, and you’ll intersect with civilization every two to three days. You can go it alone, but if you prefer a guided trip with creature comfort (nights spent in inns instead of camping), Adventure Cycling offers you Cycle the Divide, Montana (July 11 to 17, 2010). (800) 755-2453, adventurecycling.org
PENNSYLVANIA
TAKE A DOWN-HOME, PHILLY-STYLE PADDLE
Every year, beginning on the first weekend of June and running for a week (though you can just drop in for a day or two), Pennsylvania’s Schuylkill River Sojourn sees a horde of fun-loving canoeists and kayakers navigate 112 miles of the Schuylkill River from Schuylkill Haven to Philadelphia. The guided sojourn is a manageable paddle and homey affair for folks who prefer something less pretentious than a fancy guided trip, with shoreside camping, lunch stops in small burgs like Port Clinton, and plenty of education. This year’s Sojourn partners with the National Park Service, and rangers will address all manner of river lore. (484) 945-0200, schuylkillriver.org
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