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Yorkshire Times
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Phil Hopkins
Group Travel Editor & Theatre Correspondent
@philhopkinsuk
9:00 AM 8th January 2021
travel

Online ‘Life Adventure’ Event – 14th January

 
Exodus Travels is creating a new collection of ‘Epic Adventure Challenges’ to encourage travellers to make 2021 their year of adventure.

And to support you in your travel ambitions, one of the world’s top adventurers will offer some online inspiration on 14th January.

Whether it’s an off the beaten track Himilayan adventure or a Kilimanjaro ascent via its lesser-trekked routes, to back-country hiking along one of America’s most famous trails, the collection features some of the world’s most underrated expeditions.

It has been curated to help budding adventurers push their boundaries, achieve a remarkable feat and alleviate those itchy feet from 2020 with the trek of a lifetime. With steep inclines and demanding ascents, each trip is designed so that adventurers will be rewarded with some of the most awe-inspiring panoramas.

As part of its mission to inspire everyone to take their own epic challenge in 2021, Exodus Travels is hosting an online event, ‘Life Adventure’, on 14 January with explorer and TV personality George Kourounis.


As a National Geographic Explorer, Chapter President of The Explorers Club, TEDx Speaker and Guinness World Record Holder, George is no stranger to the rewards that come from taking on new challenges, both at home and abroad.

George will compare his explorations, storm chasing and expeditions across the world to the types of challenges we all face today and how challenges should be a force to embrace and welcome. The free virtual event is at 5pm GMT on 14 January and is free to join via: www.exodus.co.uk/george-kourounis-epic-adventure-challenges

By sharing his own personal experiences, George hopes to inspire others to seek out their own adventures. Speaking ahead of the event, George said: “The idea of discovery and exploration really fuels my passion for travel, adventure and new experiences.”

“Travel in 2021 will have its challenges, but there’s light at the end of the tunnel. One thing I’d really suggest to people is that adventure is relative. You don’t have to do things that nobody has ever done before, you only have to do things that YOU’VE never done before. That thrill of experiencing new places, people and cultures really feeds the adventurous spirit in us all. Start planning now!”

For those ready to start planning their 2021 adventure, key trips in Exodus Travels’ Epic Adventure Challenges’ collection include:

NEW for 2021: The Moonstone Trek – an isolated alternative to the Inca Trail
In a region famous for its trekking, this tour follows isolated routes through the Andes, with most groups unlikely to encounter any other tourists for the entire trek. Starting in a quiet rural valley between Cuzco and the Sacred Valley, the route passes through seldom‐visited Andean villages, Inca and pre‐Inca ruins and heads onto an altiplano plateau surrounded by glaciated peaks. The trek finishes seven miles from the start of the Inca Trail and includes an early morning visit to the majestic Machu Pichu (to further avoid the crowds!).

Exodus Travels’ 11-day Moonstone Trek is priced from £2,299 per person including flights, transfers, five nights hotel accommodation, three nights full-service camping with dining and five days walking with full porterage, all transport and listed activities, tour leader throughout, Exodus kit bag and inflatable sleeping mat while camping.

NEW for 2021: The John Muir Trail – trip of a lifetime through California
Following one of the USA’s most famous hiking routes through California, the hike crosses three national parks, follows the rugged spine of the High Sierra and climbs the summit of the highest mountain in the lower 48 states, Mount Whitney. Camping each night in the back-country, at altitude, travellers will climb passes over 13,000ft, wander beneath high alpine peaks and through beautiful meadows and forested river valleys, making this a real trip of a lifetime.

Exodus Travels’ 23-day The John Muir Trail trip is priced from £2,879 per person including camping, all meals, all transport, listed activities and tour leaders throughout.

Kilimanjaro Climb – Lemosho Route – a much less-trekked ascent of Kilimanjaro
This eight day route on Africa’s highest mountain is carefully designed to maximise time in remote wilderness, taking the western approach, crossing the caldera of Shira Volcano and traversing beneath the southern icefields of Kibo, Kilimanjaro’s highest volcano. Reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro is one of life’s greatest accomplishments and this less-trekked route gives an excellent chance of doing so – about 96% of people trekking the Lemosho route with Exodus stand on the roof of Africa.

Exodus Travels’ ten-day Kilimanjaro Climb – Lemosho Route is priced from £4,249 per person including return flights, all accommodation, all breakfasts, eight lunches and nine dinners, all transport, listed activities, tour leader throughout and Kilimanjaro Park Fee.

Kyrgyzstan: Tian Shan Gorge Trek – the ‘celestial mountains’ visited by only the most intrepid
The Tian Shan Range – meaning ‘mountains of heaven - rivals that of the Himalaya yet with far fewer visitors. Travellers will hike through six different gorges, including the beautiful Jety-Oguz Canyon and there is also a chance to bathe in Altyn Arashan hot springs and take in the great panoramic views from Telety Pass. With a mixture of wild camping and stays in nomadic yurt camps, travellers get a true insight into the local culture and tradition, all while soaking up the immense surrounding beauty.

Exodus Travels’ 16-day Kyrgyzstan: Tian Shan Gorge Trek is priced from £3,799 per person, including return flights, all accommodation with breakfast, 12 lunches and dinners, all transport, activities listed in the itinerary and a tour leader throughout.

Concordia & K2 – wild and remote trekking dominated by the world’s second highest mountain
Concordia, sitting at the confluence of the Baltoro and Godwin Austen glaciers, offers extraordinary landscapes and vistas, dominated by the world’s second highest mountain, K2, as well as other peaks that make up the ‘the throne room of the Gods’. This 13-day guided trek to Concordia is wild and remote, following the Braldu gorge and the Baltoro glacier accompanied by unrivalled mountain scenery.

Exodus Travels’ 21-day Concordia & K2 is priced from £4,249 per person, including return flights, six nights hotel and 14 nights full-service camping, 13 days walking with full porterage, all breakfasts, 17 lunches and dinners and transfers.

Peaks of Ladakh Trek – off the beaten track Himalayan adventure
The region of Ladakh is one of the best places to experience the unique culture of the High Himalaya and this challenging adventure will allow trekkers to experience Tibetan culture, history and colourful Buddhist monasteries and temples. The route summits not one but two Himalayan peaks and seven passes, with those that conquer the climbs rewarded with breath-taking views over the Karkorum and Indian Himalaya.

Exodus Travels’ 17-day Peaks of Ladakh Trek is priced from £2,949, including return flights, ten days walking, 6 nights’ hotel accommodation and nine nights full-service camping, all breakfasts, nine lunches and dinners, all listed transport and activities, tour leader throughout and transfers.

Trek the Polish High Tatras – a challenging trek through Europe’s most rugged ranges
Trekking from the verdant Western Tatras to the dramatic Eastern Tatra mountains – among the most rugged and spectacular in Europe – this trip includes a tough ascent of Poland’s highest mountain, Rysy at 2,499m. There’s also the opportunity to learn about the local culture of Zakopane, an idyllic folk town beneath the Tatras, and explore Krakow with its UNESCO listed old town, ancient churches and historic Jewish District.
Exodus Travels’ eight-day Trek the Polish High Tatras is priced from £1,149 per person, including return flights, accommodation, all breakfasts, five lunches and dinners, tour leader and transfers.