WALKING, WALKING TOURS AND WALKING THE WORLD

October 2, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Hello Everybody!  Day number four of my 100-day walking challenge.  I had a bit more time in my schedule today so I was able to get in 4.19 miles on a warm and muggy evening in Colorado.  It’s not usually this humid, but we’ve had more moisture in the air for the past couple of days.

I felt quite strong on my walk tonight and I love it when my body feels strong and I can flow along the path.  It helped that it was a beautiful evening and I could see the moon and walk with the Poudre River on my right.  Farther upstream the Poudre is part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.

Ward Luthin on the Island of Corsica off the coast of France

Ward Luthi of Walking The World in Corsica

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve always loved to walk, although in my very early years I was a runner.  My love for walking was instrumental in my decision to start Walking The World, a walking company, rather than, for example, a company that used cycling as a way to explore this magical planet.  While I love riding as well, I love the freedom walking gives me of being able to ramble wherever I choose when I’m in the great outdoors.  All I need is a good pair of shoes, a small backpack, some rain gear, maybe a fleece for cooler weather, and some food and water and I’m off.  I can stay out all day or I can stay out for ten minutes.  But I have everything I need right there with me.  No worrying about a flat tire or being thrown from my bike.  If I see something in the forest or on the edge of the river I can go and investigate and then resume my walk.

I’m a wanderer by nature.

And a quote for today?  Here’s one that illustrates in a few words what I’ve been trying to say in this post:  “When I was young, and reckless too, and I craved the reckless life…”  Folk Song

In this quote I take the word “young” to mean any age because we can choose to be young of mind and young of heart any time we choose.  And that might be another reason why I love being outdoors.  There is no age barrier to walking or to enjoying all the beauty and peacefulness that walking through a forest or by a stream or in the desert can bring.  It doesn’t matter what you look like and it doesn’t matter how fast you can walk.  All that matters is the movement, of feeling alive, of experiencing each moment to the fullest.  Of being a part of everything around you.

Walking is good and good for you.  Why not head out for a short walk right now?!

Day 4          1 hour and 25 seconds         4.19 miles

Walking The World offers guided hiking trips and adventure vacations for those over 50.

Filed Under: Adventure Travel, Uncategorized, Walking, Walking The World, Walking Tours, Walking Vacations, Ward Luthi Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

FUN, FITNESS & ADVENTURE TRAVEL WITH WARD

October 1, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Did you walk today?  No matter what the weather was or whether you had enough time, etc.?

I did.  It wasn’t as far as I had hoped and I did feel a bit crunched for time.  However, because I set a goal I’m going to make it happen.  Like anything, if we set a goal, we’re more likely to follow through with our plans.  Admittedly, my goal is somewhat broad in that to meet my goal of walking each day for 100 consecutive days, I could walk one mile every day and still meet my goal.  So, let me set a minimum of walking one mile per day, at least for now.  I’ll walk a whole lot more than that but in my search for why we don’t walk as much as we can, I’m going to play around a bit with all sorts of ways of accomplishing this goal.

Is anyone going to join me in this quest?  Suzanne?  Christine?  Kumar?  Rebecca?  Patch?  Bill?  Gigi?  Kate? John?  Come on guys?  Challenge me!

My pace tonight was a bit slower than I would like because I chose to walk in downtown Ft. Collins following homecoming at Colorado State University.  The sidewalks were a bit crowded and not everyone was walking with steady legs.  So there was a lot of jostling going on.  And for October, at 9:30 pm, it was still quite warm outside.  Just like going on one of our hiking trips at Walking The World.  You never know what the weather’s going to be like and the terrain can be up and down or sideways.

Ward Luthi on the wall in New Mexico

Ward Luthi on the wall in New Mexico

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Totals for today:

Time:  33:37

Distance:  2.20 miles

Walking The World leads guided walking tours to more than 30 destinations around the world for those over 50!

 

Filed Under: Adventure Travel, Uncategorized, Walking, Walking The World, Walking Tours, Ward Luthi Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Walking, Fitness and Adventure Travel

October 1, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Hey Everybody!  Ward Luthi, here, founder of Walking The World and Take a Walk on the Wild Side!

I’m sitting at my computer, with my black-and-white cat Moose in my lap thinking about doing a 100-day walking challenge.  Actually it’s a challenge primarily for myself, but I would love to have anyone out there who’s reading this join me.

Take a Walk on the Wild Side with BFB

I'm a Blue Footed Boobie in the Galapagos

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, what do I mean by a 100-day walking challenge?  I’m not sure exactly, except that I’m going to put in some time or miles each day for 100 consecutive days.  I’ll also add in some strength training exercises, some information about nutrition, do some testing of various pedometers and probably wax philosophical from time to time.  Oh, and I’ll add some great quotes on walking as well as some photos from my walks.

For the last several days I’ve been preparing for a Walking The World hiking tour of southeast Utah that I’ll be leading in a few days.  One of the most frequently asked questions I get is how to train for our trips.  I have a basic regimen I suggest to our walkers and it started me thinking about my own walking schedule.  Lately I’ve been doing a lot more biking and cross training so I thought I’d make a concerted effort to do more walking.  Plus, the latest statistics on obesity in America have been released AND things aren’t getting any better.

With the seemingly unlimited information available on diet, weight loss and exercise, why are we, particularly older adults, getting fatter and having more chronic diseases?  It’s not like we don’t know what we need to do and walking is an exercise that almost anyone can do in almost any area of the world.

One of my goals at Walking The World is to get as many people as I can into the great outdoors. Adventure travel for me is what life is about.  My theory is that we should all be sitting around a campfire at night with family and friends and actively exploring this magical planet during the day.  The outdoors is where we were born and grew up as a species.  It’s in our blood and in our DNA.  It’s where we do best – physically, psychologically, emotionally, socially and spiritually.  We’re more connected to ourselves, to our friends and family and to our natural environment when we’re outside.

If I’m going to make my goal of getting people into the outdoors a reality, I need to figure out how to help people reach and stay at a higher level of fitness.   Thus, my 100-day walking challenge.  It’s a way to help me better understand, on a daily basis, some of the reasons why people aren’t walking more.  And, of course, to give me one more excuse to get outside as much as possible. (If you join me in this challenge, it doesn’t matter where you walk, inside or out, but being outdoors has some added benefits you’ll never get inside.)

We’re physically designed to walk.  It’s our natural form of locomotion.  We’re good at it.  In fact, almost all of us have a PhD in walking. Maybe because it’s so natural for us that we forget that it’s what we were made to do and we take it for granted.

Walking by its very nature brings us into close contact with ourselves and our own physical strength, with the natural wildness that resides within all of us.  And walking, with every step we take, gets us up close and personal with our natural environment.   Walking allows us to feel the sun and the wind on our skin, to smell the fragrances of the earth, to touch the trees that line our trails, to feel the changing of the temperature and the humidity in the air, to be a part of our own environment.   These are the reasons I use walking as our vehicle for exploring this magical planet we live on.

I’m training a new guide on our upcoming trip to Utah so I brought out as many of our old trip journals as I could find, some dating back to 1995.  On every trip, at least for many years, we would produce a trip journal with daily entries about the trip accompanied by a lot of great photos of the trip participants and the scenery.  Reading back through the old journals made me chuckle.  We have some humorous folks who travel with us and every one of them has a special place in my heart.

Here’s where I start waxing philosophical a bit.  If you’ve never been on a walking tour with a group, try it sometime.  Spending time in the great outdoors, actively traveling through some of the most beautiful places on the planet with a group of other adventurous souls, has to be one of life’s greatest pleasures.  It is for me.  Even if you come on the trip not knowing a single person, by the time you’ve walked the last mile and given your feet a well deserved rest, you’ll have made some lifelong friends.  And you’ll know these friends better than most people you might have worked with in an office for 25 years.  There’s something about living and traveling in the natural world that produces a special and unique bond.

So, what’s all of that have to do with a walking challenge.  It just struck me today how much I like to walk – and to walk for no particular reason.  I’m glad that it helps keep me in shape but it also allows me, like today, to feel that soft warmth of the sun on my shoulders, to have some quiet time with the trees and the river and the sky and the birds overhead – and to appreciate how lucky we are to live in this United States.

I had also been talking to my fellow Utah guide about a Sierra Club book called ON THE LOOSE.  It’s a book of inspiring photos and even more inspiring quotes about the experiences two brothers had growing up wild and free in the Sierra Mountains in California.  And I remember saying to my friend that this book has always been one of my favorites.  It reminds me of who we are, of who I am, and that we were born to wander, to explore often and with unabashed excitement and joy.

And so I shut down my computer and went for a walk.  And I’m going to go tomorrow and the next day and the next and for at least 98 more consecutive days unless something utterly dastardly stands in my way.  I walked yesterday so I’m already getting ready for day number three tomorrow.

Walk with me every day if you will.  Send me your thoughts, your experiences, your stories.  Remember who you are as you amble down the path.  Your walks can be anyplace.  It doesn’t really matter as long as you walk.

Before I leave you for today, a quote from the book ON THE LOOSE by Terry and Renny Russell

“As for small difficulties and worryings, prospects of sudden disaster, peril of life and limb; all these, and death itself, seem to him only sly, good-natured hits, and jolly punches in the side bestowed by an unseen and unaccountable old joker…There is nothing like the perils of the wilderness to breed this free and easy sort of genial, desperado philosophy.”  Melville

Until tomorrow, GOOD WALKING!

Ward Luthi –  founder of Walking The World, an outdoor adventure company for those over 50.  We lead guided walking tours to more than 30 destinations worldwide.

Day 1          40 minutes          2.8 miles

Day 2          45 minutes          3.0 miles (worked out just perfectly!)

Day 3          Coming up!

Filed Under: Adventure Travel, Uncategorized, Walking, Walking The World, Walking Tours, Walking Vacations, Ward Luthi Tagged With: , , , , , ,

WALKING TOURS – CHACO CANYON, NEW MEXICO

September 29, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Mysterious, sublime, historical, ancient, stunning, beautiful, and captivating are only a few of the words that could be used to describe Chaco Culture National Historical Park. But to really get a feel for this must see destination, join one of our professionally guided walking tours and see for yourself.

Chaco Canyon, located in the Four Corners region of the U.S. – Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico, will inspire and intrigue you, particularly if you’re interested in ancient cultures and how they lived.

IWalking Tours - Chaco Canyon, New Mexiconhabited from about 850 AD to 1250 AD, Chaco is remarkable in many ways: the size of the “urban” area, the advanced techniques used in irrigation, architecture, astronomy and landscaping and in the items found that had been traded with other cultures as far away as South America.

One of the more interesting trade items discovered was evidence that chocolate was present as a part of life in everyday Chacoan culture. The chocolate drink they enjoyed presumably could only have come from a few parts of what is Mexico or Central America, roughly about 1200 miles away, a long walk. Large containers of pottery have been found, that when tested, all contained traces of chocolate. It’s known that people of the Mayan culture drank chocolate from ceramic vessels, much like the ceramic vessels found, primarily in one room, at Pueblo Bonito at Chaco. Sounds like the Chaco people had the right idea about how to enjoy the finest of desserts in the desert!

If you visit Chaco, you’ll notice that the area around Chaco is fairly unremarkable in terms of landforms or much vegetation of any kind. And you’ll notice that you don’t see evidence of much wildlife either. Of course, when Chaco was thriving 700 and more years ago, conditions could have been significantly different.  What we do know is that Chaco was the center of significant trade, was highly advanced in the art of building, had an intricate irrigation system that can still be seen today, and had a highly sophisticated method for keeping track of the seasons. The people in Chaco were also interested in the people and the region around them and had a highly developed system of roads that connected them to over 150 other communities. It’s no wonder they were as successful as they were in communicating with a variety of other groups. Being able to trade with other groups, collect information and reach out to individuals of other societies also kept the gene pool in Chaco healthy.

When you visit Chaco Canyon, I highly recommend taking the Ranger guided walk. I did so with a friend on my recent scouting trip to Chaco and was highly pleased with the information and experience the Docent provided. While no additional sites are currently being excavated at Chaco, the amount of material and information already discovered is significant.

Please keep in mind that there are no real services at the visitor center beyond nice restrooms and a great bookstore at the Cultural Center. Bring your own food and water and be prepared to drive some distance to find overnight accommodations. Farmington, New Mexico, is a good sized town that offers a variety of lodging choices and some great local food.

(Walking The World offers small group walking tours to more than 30 destinations worldwide and focuses on those active adults over 50 years of age.)

Filed Under: Adventure Travel, Uncategorized, Walking, Walking The World, Walking Tours, Walking Vacations, Ward Luthi Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

WALKING VACATIONS IN NEW MEXICO

September 3, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment
Walking Vacation in Chaco Culture National Historical Park

Walking Vacation in Chaco Culture National Historical Park

Walking Vacations for the 50+ are our specialty at Walking The World, and this month we’re scouting NW New Mexico.  While European walking vacations and walking vacations New Zealand are very popular these days, there are few areas in the world quite like New Mexico.
(Walking The World, since 1987, has been designing and leading guided walking tours around the world, or hiking tours if you will, for those over 50.)
If adventure is your passion, head to the northwest part of New Mexico for one of your walking vacations.
I recently took a short scouting trip to the wilds of northwest New Mexico to develop a new Walking The World adventure tour for 2012. For several years we’ve operated a trip to New Mexico that focuses more on the areas around Santa Fe and Taos. Now I think you’ll love exploring new areas like El Malpais National Monument, Chaco Culture National Historical Park , or Chaco Canyon as most people know it, El Morro National Monument, the Bisti Badlands Wilderness Area, and of course a visit to Santa Fe for some gourmet wining and dining.

From Ft. Collins, Colorado, where I live, to Albuquerque, New Mexico, my jumping off point to explore NW New Mexico, it’s a long but interesting drive. It was made more so by the traffic jams in both Denver and Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Ward scouting walking vacations in New Mexico

But I digress. My first stop was Chaco Culture National Historical Park. Now, just getting to Chaco can be an adventure in itself. From Albuquerque I actually headed back north on Interstate 25 to Hwy 550 at the Bernalillo exit. Once on Hwy 550 it’s about 65 miles to the town of Cuba – no relation to the Island – and then another 50 miles, all on well paved two-lane road, to the turnoff (South) to Chaco on San Juan County Road 7900.
There’s a sign marking the turnoff to Chaco, but it’s not large and it comes up pretty quickly, so watch your mileage and stay alert. From the turnoff on CR 7900 it’s about 21 miles to Chaco, much of the distance on dirt roads.  Developing new walking vacations is not always easy but it’s always fun and it’s alway an adventure!
I love driving on dirt roads out in the middle of nowhere with a sky so big it seems like it will go on forever. It’s a feeling of freedom and wildness for me, a feeling I find most often when I’m out in the wide open expanses of the western United States. On this day, the sky was blue, the air was clear, there was little or no traffic, again something I like because it’s like it’s my own little part of the planet that I get to explore without busloads of tourists, and the ruts in the road were manageable. Truly, there’s not much out in this part of New Mexico. There’s Sagebrush and
Walking Vacations and Rabbitbrush in New Mexico

Walking Vacations and Rabbitbrush in New Mexico

Rabbitbrush, some cactus and other low shrubs but very few trees and little wildlife. One thing there is a lot of is quiet. And stillness. I like to stop my car from time-to-time, get out and just let my body relax in a stillness found in few other places. It’s hard to describe, but it’s like my body relaxes in the quiet and stillness. My mind quits racing with so many thoughts and ideas. I can actually feel my body calm and settle in to just being a part of where I am. No worries, no time constraints, no anything except a slow smile creeping across my face because I feel so doggone good.

Walking Vacations in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico

Okay, back to Chaco. As you get close to Chaco you’ll start to notice the landscape becoming a bit hillier and before long you’ll spot the first ruin at Chaco, an incredible feeling and sight. The questions start to come. How did they find their way here? What was so appealing about this place way out in the middle of nowhere? How many people lived here? What happened to them? What did they eat? And many, many more questions. Which I’ll address in the next post. For now, here are a few photos of a wild, mysterious and magical destination – Chaco Culture Historical Park.
Walking Vacations in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico

Walking Vacations in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico

Until later – GOOD WALKING!
Ward Luthi
Walking The World – Take a Walk on the Wild Side!
Filed Under: Adventure Travel, Uncategorized, Walking The World, Walking Tours, Walking Vacations, Ward Luthi Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

THROW YOUR SHOES AWAY!

April 28, 2011 By admin 2 Comments

Looking for a great book to read?  One that might change your way of thinking about walking, running and wearing shoes?  Then, take your shoes off and head to the nearest bookstore for a copy of BORN TO RUN by Christopher McDougal.

(Vibram's Five Fingers)

The full title of the book is BORN TO RUN – A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen.  How’s that for an attention grabber?

Five Fingers Measure

The focus of the story revolves around the ability of Mexico’s Tarahumara Indians to run long distances, very long distances, wearing only a piece of leather or tire tread strapped to the bottoms of their feet – or going barefoot.  AND with few or no ankle, knee, leg or back problems.

Logically, one would think that since runners and walkers in the United States have the benefit of 35 years of the best technology applied to developing the perfect running shoe, we must sail by with few or zero injuries.  Yes?  NO – a very big NO!  As author McDougal notes, “Every year, anywhere from 65 to 80 percent of all runners suffer an injury.  That’s nearly every runner, every single year.  No matter who you are, no matter how much you run, your odds of getting hurt are the same.  It doesn’t matter if you’re male or female, fast or slow, pudgy or ripped as a racehorse, your feet are still in the danger zone.”

 

(Merrell's Trail Glove)

How can that be?

Consider this quote from chapter 25 in the book.  “A lot of foot and knee injuries that are currently plaguing us are actually caused by people running with shoes that actually make our feet weak, cause us to over-pronate, give us knee problems.  Until 1972, when the modern athletic shoe was invented by Nike, people ran in very thin-soled shoes, had strong feet, and had much lower incidence of knee injuries.”

(Merrell's Trail Glove)

So, the answer?  Run barefoot or wear shoes that are as close to running barefoot as possible.  Hard to believe?  Go against everything you’ve ever been told?  Probably, but if you take off your shoes and think about it, you may discover that walking or running barefoot is the most natural thing in the world.

Now I’ve skipped a lot of the fascinating and rock solid research mentioned in BORN TO RUN.  I’m going to let you discover that for yourself. Besides, BORN TO RUN is just an exceptionally good read, one I don’t want you to avoid simply because I’ve told you too much here.

I’ll leave you with one of the most telling statements about why heavily cushioned running shoes do us little or no good.  Jeff Pisciotta, then senior researcher at Nike’s Sports Research Lab, had called together 20 runners and had them all run barefoot on a grassy field while he filmed them.  His startled response:  “…instead of each foot clomping down as it would in a shoe, it behaved liked an animal with a mind of its own – stretching, grasping, seeking the ground with splayed toes, gliding in for a landing like a lake-bound swan.”

Think about it for a second.  We were born without shoes.  Biomechanically we were born to walk and run.  Given that the arch in the human foot is close to perfection in design, why wouldn’t it make sense to run or walk barefoot?  Sure, our feet may be tender from years of keeping them garaged in their cushioned vehicles, but over time we can reverse that.  And maybe even go back to the joyous carefree sensations we had when as kids we would run with abandon in our bare feet.

My recommendation?  Get a copy of BORN TO RUN and then take your shoes off and let your feet reconnect not only with the Earth but with its human occupant.

Ward Luthi – gone barefooting

Walking The World -On the Loose at 50+

www.walkingtheworld.com

Filed Under: Barefoot Running, Born to Run, Running, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , ,

WALKING ON ICE – KAHTOOLA TO THE RESCUE!

April 7, 2011 By admin 2 Comments

Winter is coming to an end and Spring is showing strong signs of taking over.  Still…areas of snow and ice remain, many that we’ll have to negotiate with our feet.

For years now, many of us have been looking for that product that will give us secure purchase on icy, snowy and slippery surfaces.  In just the past few years a number of companies have introduced products for the bottom of our shoes that supposedly will keep us upright and stable while navigating across slick surfaces.

Some products work fairly well, some do little to keep us secure, some slip off easily or come apart after only little use and some work well only on icy surfaces but not on hard surfaces, like concrete, asphalt or lakeside rocks, that we also have to cross to reach our destination.  There is one product though that I have to bring to your attention –Microspikes by Kahtoola.  www.kahtoola.com

This year, at the Winter Outdoor Retailer Show, the largest gathering of outdoor gear and clothing  manufacturers, retailers and specialty products in North America – www.outdoorretailer.com – I had the opportunity to test Kahtoola’s Microspikes.  Kahtoola had set up HUGE blocks of ice near their booth and had a variety of sizes of Microspikes for visitors to test.  My first image of someone testing the “spikes” was a gentleman dressed in a gorilla suit dancing to his own music…

Well, I figured if a gorilla could walk securely on ice using Microspikes, so could I!  I strapped on a pair ,  (Each Microspike has a ”front” label) and gingerly stepped up on the blocks of ice.  If you’ve ever been walking along only to have your feet slip out from under you because of an unseen slick spot, you know how hard the ground can feel when your body suddenly slams into it.

Walking on the ice in Microspikes was, to say the least, a delight.  Why?  Because the Microspikes dug into the ice, even when I tried some obviously uncoordinated dance and stretching moves.  There wasn’t even a hint of slippage whether I was moving forward or back or side to side.  They were bombproof on ice, slick surfaces and, yes, on hard surfaces like concrete or lakeside granite.

Fine you say, but what about in real world conditions?  How are they on real snow and ice and on hard surfaces?

I’m glad you asked.  To challenge my own perceptions, I and a friend hiked to Mills Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park to test the Microspikes on the frozen surface of Mills.  The granite runouts leading to the lake were free of snow, even though the lake was still frozen.

Wanting to see how effective Microspikes were on rock that was uneven and slick, I strapped my vivid red colored Microspikes on and headed toward the Lake.  Whether on rock or ice there was not even a hint of slippage.  After gallivanting around on the frozen lake for a bit I handed off the Microspikes to my friend Lexie, a yoga instructor.  Her goal was to see if the Kahtoola would hold her in a variety of poses –most that I couldn’t come close to doing.

 

 

While Lexie initially had a bit of trepidation when she was moving into a backbend pose, the Microspikes performed beautifully.  Her biggest concern became whether her gloves would hold her hands in place.

Packing Microspikes is easy since they’re made of a flexible rubber like material that folds easily into a pocket or a storage bag in your pack.

Conclusion:  Short of wearing full on crampons, which are too much for most applications, Kahtoola’s Microspikes are at the top of my list for footwear traction.  Priced at $59.95, Microspikes come in higher than many alternatives but are more than worth the added cost.  Think of what one quick fall could mean !

For more information on Microspikes, visit Kahtoola’s site at www.kahtoola.com.

HAPPY…SAFE…WINTER TRAVELS!

Ward Luthi
Walking The World
On the Loose at 50+

Filed Under: Adventure Travel, Outdoor Gear, Product Testing, Walking, Walking The World, Ward Luthi, Winter Travel Tagged With: , , , ,

WHO WANTS TO WALK A MARATHON? – I DO! March 2011

March 29, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment
Hello Everyone!  Since my last post I’ve been fighting an injury to my big toe-believe it or not!  So my walking has been severely limited and I missed my scheduled marathon in Little Rock, Arkansas.  Needless to say, if you’ve ever had an injury before, you’ll know what it’s been like to not be able to get out and walk.  I’ve been chomping at the bit to get back on the trails and put in some miles.  PLUS, the weather is getting warmer and when Spring starts blossoming my body starts sending me signals to get outside. So, what to do? First, I have to get back in training mode and I’ll be back on the trails tomorrow.  I’m finally feeling close to 100%.  Second, I need to choose a new marathon venue.  If anyone knows a walker friendly marathon coming up in the next several months, I’d love to hear from you.  I’m pushing things a bit here but I already had a great base so I should get back in the groove fairly quickly. Thanks for your comments.  I look forward to hearing more about your own walking adventures! GOOD WALKING! Ward Luthi Walking The World On the Loose at 50+
Filed Under: Adventure Travel, Walking, Walking a Marathon, Walking Tours, Walking Vacations

WHO WANTS TO WALK A MARATHON? – Weeks #6-9 Jan/Feb – 2011

February 11, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment
Okay!  Okay!  I’m a bit slow posting my results for the past several weeks but I have all sorts of excuses. 1. I spent a week at the Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake – what a great experience!  If you get the chance to attend I highly recommend it.  There are two shows:  one in winter and one in summer.  The summer show is by far the biggest and attracts 100’s of manufacturers, retailers, entrepreneurs, etc., all with products or services related to the outdoors. 2. My hands were tired?  Nope.  There are no more excuses. So, how did the last weeks go?  Mostly good until this week when I came down with a bit of the flu and some pain in the kidney area.  I had it all checked out but they couldn’t find a thing.  Who knows?! Week  #6: Miles: 30.09 Time:   7 hours and 4 minutes (The overall time was off here because I spent time on a stairmaster which tends to record miles faster than on a treadmill) Week  #7: Miles:  19.92 Time:    4 hours and 55 minutes Week  #8: Miles:  32.47 Time:    7 hours and 56 minutes Week  #9: Miles:  36.3 Time:    8 hours and 54 minutes I’m back on track now so I’ll be posting again on a regular basis.  I hope your walks are continuing to go well and that you’ve chosen your own marathon to enter. GOOD WALKING! Ward Luthi Walking The World – www.walkingtheworld.com On the Loose at 50+©
Filed Under: Walking, Walking a Marathon, Walking Tours, Walking Vacations

Helping Support Jeff Lowe’s Documentary – Metanoia

February 11, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

If you’re over 50, I’m guessing you’ve heard the name Jeff Lowe, well regarded as one of the world’s most accomplished technical climbers.

Documentary - Metanoia

Several weeks ago while attending the Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake, I had the privilege to meet Jeff and to preview his upcoming documentary – Metanoia.

Jeff has spent his life pursuing some of the most daring and awe-inspiring climbs around the world. Today he faces a new challenge, a debilitating neurological disease that has robbed him of his climbing life and landed him in a wheelchair.

Jeff Lowe – 2011

Now Jeff is taking on another awe-inspiring adventure: his autobiographical documentary, Jeff Lowe’s Metanoia.

Narrated by acclaimed author Jon Krakauer and directed by Academy Award nominee, Greg Lowe, Jeff lowe’s Metanoia uses the Eiger as a backdrop for Jeff Lowe’s life story. For nine harrowing days in the winter of 1991, Jeff pieced together what Men’s Journal called an “unimaginable” route up the very center of the Eiger Nordwand. This is the story behind a climb—an act of imagination—that has become legendary.

Jeff Lowe’s route on the Eiger

This film explores the incredible life and climbs of this visionary alpinist and ice climber, who continues to be the adaptable man he set out to be in his youth. Discover what lies beneath Jeff’s high adventure lifestyle and how years of climbing and living in the present moment, have prepared him to adapt to and live gracefully with, disabilities he could never have imagined.

Jeff’s indomitable spirit and incredible optimism both on and off the mountains epitomize a philosophy that celebrates life and the outdoors. Metanoia explores these themes in the iconic setting of the Swiss Alps.
I’m writing you about Jeff’s film for two reasons.

1.  First, I would encourage you to make sure you see Matanoia when it comes out.  The photography is superb and the story heartwarming and inspiring.  While I’ve done some climbing in past years, Jeff’s skill and adventures are in a separate class.  When you watch the film, tell me if you weren’t riveted to your seat and just hoping that you were roped in as well!  The film will provide a perspective on high altitude technical climbing like none other.  It’s almost as if you’re there with Jeff, dodging falling ice, trying to avoid freezing water cascading down the mountain and trying to ensure that your next hold isn’t your last.
2. The neurological disease that has struck Jeff has taken away his ability to climb and even to appear at public performances to raise funding for his film.  While you may not be a climber, and have no interest in ever doing so, this film is a worthwhile effort.  It’s a story worth telling and Jeff could use your support.

Jeff Lowe on the Eiger

The Metanoia Team needs your help to complete this incredible film. Please view the trailer and make a pledge alongside their many individual backers  on Kickstarter.com.  They now have 342 individual backers and over $42,600 towards their goal! For those who contribute to the cause, there are lots of exciting backer rewards (4 nights stay in a luxury Moroccan Riad, a timeshare in Mexico, and a portable climbing wall to name a few). Kickstarter is an all or nothing prospect. They must reach their goal of $125,000 by March 3, 2011 or risk losing what has already been pledged.

You can also make tax-deductible contributions to their 501c3 corporation whose mission is to celebrate the joys of climbing, secure access and preserve the mountain environment.

For more information please visit www.jefflowemovie.com or contact them at info@jefflowemovie.com or 208.630.4477

Be sure to visit their Kickstarter page for information about becoming an individual backer and don’t forget to Join/Like them on Facebook at Jeff Lowe’s Metanoia – Movie Page

I know Jeff and his team will more than appreciate any support you can offer.  And if you would share this message with your friends, I would be more than delighted!

In Adventure,

Ward Luthi
Walking The World – www.walkingtheworld.com
1Stove – www.1stove.org

Filed Under: Adventure Travel, Jeff Lowe, Mountain Climbing Tagged With: , , , , ,
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