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MORE MOJO FOR 6 LUCKY WINNERS

September 11, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment

WOW!  Thanks to all those who participated in Walking The World’s Clif Mojo bar sweepstakes.  We were delighted with the number of people who showed interest in Clif Mojo bars.  To make this celebration even better, we have decided to pick six winners instead of the original five!

Congratulations to Jody Schmoll, Kate Endicott, Ikuko Groesbeck, Norm Levy, Leilani Connolly, and Tom Kilpatrick.  With help from Clif Bar our winners with benefit from increased Mojo, energy, and a never ending desire to hike!

Each winner will be sent five delicious Clif Mojo bars.  Flavors include, Chocolate Almond Coconut, Honey Roasted Peanut, Mixed nuts, Mountain Mix, Peanut Butter Pretzel, and White Chocolate Macadamia.

Clif Mojo Bars

Clif Mojo Bars

Clif bars are delicious as well as nutritious!  These little bundles of joy are 70% organic, have no Trans fats or processed sugars, and have low glycemic levels.  Every bar is packed full of 8-9 grams of protein to make your muscles happy.

Clif Mojo bars are the perfect blend of salty and sweet.  If you’re climbing mountains, or just climbing the stairs up to your office, Clif will give you the mojo to keep going all day long.  Contained inside the stylish, fun wrappers are chewy mixtures of whole nuts, pretzel pieces and other tasty tidbits.  I can honestly say that these bars are good for you and organically good for the planet.

Clif was founded in 1990 because Gary Erickson knew he could make a better energy bar.  Since then, Clif has come out with new products and new ways to keep people happy on the trail.  In 2002 Mojo bars came into being.

The company’s mission statement speaks for itself, “We are who we are…Clif Bar and Company started on a bike ride.  Our founder, Gary, took a bite of another energy bar and thought to himself:  I could make a better bar than this.”

Give in without giving up what you stand for.  Eat a bar that’s good for you and the planet.  Clif Mojo is that sweet and salty answer to your craving, all rolled up into one awesome bar.  The varying tastes and textures of the bar will leave your body satisfied and eager to explore the great outdoors.

Again, thanks to everyone who took the time to participate in the Clif Mojo Bar Sweepstakes held by Walking The World.

Please leave a comment on your experiences with Clif Mojo Bars or other Clif favorites on Walking The World’s Facebook page.  And keep a lookout for our new 2013 worldwide trip schedule at http://www.walkingtheworld.com.

Want a FREE copy of Ward Luthi’s top-rated resource guide on adventure travel?  If so, “Like us” on Facebook, and you can download your free copy of The Dayhiker’s Guide to Adventure Travel.

We would love to see you, and if you still are looking for adventure in 2012, join us on our Trip to Nepal, October 18 to November 7!

Mojo Bars by Clif

Crazy for Clif. Manic for Mojo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In adventure,

Marketa Jancar

Walking The World
www.walkingtheworld.com
info@walkingtheworld.com

 

Filed Under: walking trips, Walking Vacations Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

HIKING TRIP TO TWIN OWLS

September 3, 2012 By admin 1 Comment

Have you ever set out on an adventure and got more than you bargained for, but in a good way?  That happened to me on our hiking trip to Twin Owls, a loop hike in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Ward and I left Fort Collins at eight in the morning and traveled to Estes Park, Colorado.  With smiles on our faces and moleskin on our heels we set out on what we thought was a long but moderate adventure.   Well ha, it turned out to be a challenging 15.1-mile hike.  Even though, I was well aware of a slight burn in my legs throughout most of the day the scenery was spectacular.  Tall, strong aspen groves, majestic ponderosa, and wild roses were some of the sights we were treated to on this nine hour hike.  The adventure was awesome; I have to share it with you.

Ward is co-authoring two pocket guidebooks of must-hike trails in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Naturally, The Twin Owls Loop was one of the trails that made the list.  There are two Trailheads to choose from.  We started at Lumpy Ridge Trailhead, but if you go just a bit north you can also access the trail from McGraw Ranch Trailhead.

Our first stop along the way was Gem Lake.  The lake was clear, placid, and beautiful.  The sun glinted off the calm water, and everything was so peaceful.  I could have spent the whole day basking in the sun.

Walking Trip at Gem Lake

Walking Trip at Gem Lake

As we were huffing and puffing up the very vertical trail, Ward and I met a gentleman nicknamed El.  After we caught our breath and introductions were made, El told us he was from Omaha, Nebraska, and was staying in Estes Park so he could hike some trails in RMNP.  When Ward asked him his age he said, “I’m in my seventies, and I plan on doing this for another 10 years.”  Hearing that come from El was an inspiration.  El also talked about a few hikes on the top of his bucket list.  One he was most adamant about was the El Camino de Santiago in Spain.  He mentioned his son’s interest for this walk had increased since he had seen the movie, The Way.  We were happy to tell him that every September Walking The World travels to Spain and hosts this spectacular walking tour.

El was kind enough to let us take a picture of him.  If you didn’t know that’s me on the left and El on the right.

Walking Trip with Marketa and El

Walking Trip with Marketa and El

After Gem Lake the trail was gentle and took us through a gorgeous forest interspersed here and there with patches of meadow.  There was so much to see!  Stunning aspen groves, huge golden ponderosa pine trees, wild roses, raspberries, and much to my surprise, two snakes!

When we reached the trailhead for Bridal Veil Falls, which is a side trail from the main Twin Owls Loop we took a rest in the shade, ate, and drank plenty of water. The secret to staying happy on the trail is to Eat Eat Eat and Drink Drink Drink. I went further and coined the new phrase Eat Eat Eat, Drink Drink Drink, and Walk Walk Walk.  Readers – remember this phrase when I become rich and famous!

You can read more about drinking (water that is) in Ward’s free e-book, The Dayhiker’s Guide to Adventure Travel. We would like you to have a copy of Ward’s free e-book.  Simply visit our website at www.walkingtheworld.com, click on the Facebook link, and “like us.”  You will be able to download it instantly.

So, back to Bridal Veil Falls.  Ward and I decided to stow our packs and only take our water bottles up to the top of the falls.  The hike was only 1.2 miles up to the falls for a round trip of 2.4 miles.  The trail was very steep, and I tried to keep up with Ward’s long legs.  The higher we went the more smiling faces we saw.  Everyone remarked on the beauty of the falls and that it was, “well worth the hike.”  Panting and red faced, I clung to these words of encouragement.

Hiking Trip to Bridal Veil Falls

Hiking Trip to Bridal Veil Falls

As we came closer to our goal I could not help but enjoy my gorgeous surroundings!  The vegetation was incredibly dense and the trees grew impossibly close.  A bubbling crick made me pause; I longed to rip off my boots and submerge my feet!  I kept pushing on, and was rewarded at the top with a fabulous view of water gushing over a rocky ledge.

Bridal Veil falls impressed me.  As I stood in awe of the falls, cool mist rolled off and stuck to my skin.  I have a small fear of heights, but with a little encouragement, Ward got me to ascend another twenty or so feet.  I was rewarded with a view of Rocky Mountain National Park that would just not stop.  All I could see for ages was wilderness “untrammeled” by man.

Back at the trail junction of Bridal Veil Falls, we made the decision to finish the loop rather than return the way we came.

The next section of the trail showcased beautifully old aspen huddled together in the dark forest by the trail.  The trail was suitably named Dark Mountain Trail.  This 1.7 stretch was the most challenging section of The Twin Owls Loop.   It was incredibly uphill with little downhill reprieve.  The quiet that surrounded us was like a thick wool blanket.  If we stopped, nothing could be heard except for our own heavy breathing.  At the crest of one hill, the sight of a doe and her fawn pleasantly surprised us.

Thankfully, the rest of the trail was downhill from there!  The remaining 3.8 miles, now called the Black Canyon Trail, were either downhill or flat.  At this point my feet were beyond hurting.  This section offered a rolling landscape and some sprawling private property (lucky them).

The rock formation that surprisingly enough looked like Twin Owls rose out of the rock on the left side of the trail.   With these two sentinels by our side, we finished the last half-mile of the trail.  Ward caught his second wind, and I chose to trail ten feet behind him.

As we walked toward the car I drug my feet like my boots were made of iron.  I gratefully tugged off my boots and sat back basking in self-accomplishment.  I had just hiked 15.1 miles – I was pretty dang proud of myself!  In the end the adventure was great, and the bargain was well worth the effort.

Marketa Jancar

Walking The World

www.WalkingTheWorld.com

Marketa Jancar has been interning with Walking The World since July 2012.  She attended college at Colorado State University, and loves hiking and swimming.

Filed Under: Hiking Tours, Uncategorized, Walking The World, walking trips Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

WHY PUSHING IS NECESSARY FOR AN ENJOYABLE WALKING VACATION

July 29, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment

WHY PUSHING IS NECESSARY FOR AN ENJOYABLE WALKING VACATION

If you want to trek your way to Machu Picchu in Peru, explore the rainforests in Costa Rica, raft the Colorado River or trek to Annapurna Base Camp in Nepal, you need to start pushing, right now.

And you need to continue pushing for as long as you can.

What?

If you fall into the 50+ category, each year you lose a bit of muscle mass and a bit of strength.  You do that is if you don’t do some type of cardiovascular exercise and some type of resistance training on a regular basis.  Lose enough muscle mass and enough strength and you’ll start to lose the ability to have the adventures you’ve always dreamed of.

At Walking The World we want you to have as many adventures as you can for as long as you can.  That’s why we’ve put together the 100 Day Walking Challenge.

Walking will help build and maintain general fitness and endurance.  But to fully enjoy your adventures you need to maintain strength as well.  In the 100 Day Walking Challenge we invite you to walk every day for 100 Days.  Now, to help build your functional fitness, we’re challenging you to do three bodyweight exercises every day during the Challenge.

The three bodyweight exercises are:
1)Push Ups for upper body strength,
2) Squats for leg strength, and
3) All Fours for core fitness.

We’ll post a video for each of these exercises, starting today with Push Ups.

So, finally, we get to what I meant when I said “Pushing” is necessary for an enjoyable walking vacation!

Why Push-Ups?  Many reasons.  First, you can do them anywhere and don’t need any special equipment.  Push-Ups tone and strengthen your upper body and build lean muscle mass, and because you’re building muscle, increase your metabolism.  A higher metabolism helps burn more calories – and of course that helps balance the calories from those delectable desserts you’ll be enjoying while on a walking trip in Tuscany!

When doing Push-Ups you’re working your chest muscles, triceps, shoulders, abs, upper back and forearms.

With all of the bodyweight exercises we’re demonstrating, start with a few reps on day one and increase the number of repetitions as you’re able.  Try to do a minimum number of each every day.

After a few weeks, you’ll be on your way to a better level of functional fitness.

AND you’ll be helping to ensure that you can have the adventures you’ve always dreamed about for as long as possible.

Start Today!

GOOD WALKING!

Ward Luthi and Marketa Jancar
Walking The World
info@walkingtheworld.com

Filed Under: Adventure Travel, Walking The World, walking trips Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Walking Trips and a 100 Day Walking Challenge

July 23, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment

Adventure Travel is listed as one of the top three life goals for those who are retired or near retired.  If you’re in that category or just love to travel, I invite you to take Walking The World’s 100 Day Walking Challenge – #2.

First, why walk?  Biomechanically, we’re made to walk.  Walking is easier for us physically than sitting down.  Actually, there are a thousand good reasons to walk, but mostly it’s fun, you’ll feel better the moment you take that first step, you get up close and personal with the world you live in and you’ll start to smile for no reason at all.

Second, if you want to enjoyably experience the rainforests of Costa Rica, the hidden slot canyons of Southeastern Utah, the fall colors of Maine or the hillside towns of Tuscany, you’ll need to be in good enough physical condition to enjoy all that those areas offer.

As an example, the food and wine in Italy are truly some of the best in the world.  You don’t want to join one of our trips to Tuscany and then have to refuse a glass of smooth, scrumptious red wine from Montalcino or a freshly baked croissant for breakfast simply because you weren’t prepared physically.  Participating in our 100 Day Walking Challenge will help you develop the endurance and strength to handle those decadently good Italian wines and desserts!

In October of 2011 we initiated our first 100 Day Walking Challenge and numerous readers have asked us to offer it again.  So, join us and let’s get started!

Taking a walking trip, walking tour or walking vacation, whatever your preferred name for a chance to explore on foot the magical destinations this world offers, requires that you be in reasonably good physical condition.  Our 100 Day Walking Challenge will prepare you for your coming walking vacations in several ways.  Walking each day for 100 Days will help build your stamina and endurance.  Completing a series of bodyweight exercises each day will help build upper body strength, leg strength and core strength.

In this year’s 100 Day Walking Challenge, we’re asking you to walk every day for 100 days.  We’re also inviting you to set a minimum daily goal that you’ll commit to.  As an example, you might set a goal of walking AT LEAST one mile each day for 100 Days.  If you prefer walking for time, you might do that, or you might enjoy walking for a minimum number of steps, possibly measuring your steps with a pedometer.

If you have a heart rate monitor with a GPS it will be easy to track your time, distance, calories burned and pace.  One nice aspect of having GPS is that you don’t have to worry about measuring distance on a set course and then walking that same course every day.  Having GPS allows you to walk wherever you choose while the GPS tracks your course and distance and records it all on your watch style receiver.

If you prefer to walk for time, I recommend walking a known distance, say one mile, and recording the number of minutes it takes.  Do this several times to get an average.  Once you have an average time to walk a mile, say 20 minutes, you can head out for a 20 minute walk and know generally that you’ve just done one mile.

Equipment and clothing you’ll need.  Walking is easy.  Almost anyone can do it.  You can do it anywhere and you don’t need a lot of clothing and equipment.  You will need a good pair of walking/running shoes, a good pair of sunglasses (they should block UVA and UVB rays and be Polarized), plenty of sunscreen – and don’t forget your lips when applying sun protection, a good hat and PLENTY OF WATER.

Water and walking trips.  Staying hydrated during your 100 Day Walking Challenge is one of the most important things you can do to stay healthy and happy.  You should drink before your walk, during your walk and after your walk.  You must be adequately hydrated in order for your body, and mind, to function at optimal levels.  And yes, if you drink a lot of water, you’re going to have to pee more.  Just how it works!

Water bottles or a hydration system like Camelbak, Platypus, MSR or Geigerrig allow you to carry adequate water for your walks.  I invite you to check out the new Geigerrig at www.geigerrig.com to see how this innovative hydration system works.  Basically, the Geigerrig is a pressurized system that allows you to drink water, share water with friends or pets, or wash off wounds or dirt without needing to share your bite valve with others.  You simply squeeze the mouth piece and water flows freely to you, your pet, your friend or anywhere else you might need to supply life sustaining water.

Buddies are great for helping one stay committed to a 100 Day Walking Challenge.  So, find one, or more, of your friends or family members who will join you and you’ll both have more fun and gain some endurance and strength in the process.

Oh, and did I mention that after walking every day for 100 Days, you’ll also look better too?!  Depending on how fast and how far you walk and how much up and downs you include in your walks, you may or not lose a lot of weight.  You will though take off some inches, which can be just as positive as losing a few pounds.

So, again, I invite you to join us in our 100 Day Walking Challenge.  Let us know if you have any questions we can help with – AND – tell us how you’re doing.

Oh, and if you’d enjoy some practical information on how to prepare for your walking vacations, I invite you to download my FREE eBook, THE DAYHIKER’S GUIDE TO ADVENTURE TRAVEL.  I’ve put together more than 100 pages of information on clothing, equipment and trail techniques to help make sure your walking trips are safe and enjoyable.  Simply “Like” us on our Walking The World Facebook page at:  https://www.facebook.com/WalkingTheWorld, and enter your email to immediately download your FREE copy.

So TAKE THE CHALLENGE and GET UP! GO WILD! GIVE BACK!

GOOD WALKING!

Ward Luthi and Marketa Jancar
Walking The World
www.walkingtheworld.com
info@walkingtheworld.com

 

 

Filed Under: Adventure Travel, Hydration Systems, Walking The World, Walking Tours, walking trips, Walking Vacations Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

NO MORE SUCKING WATER! HOW TO STAY HYDRATED ON THE TRAIL

February 10, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment

 

Geigerrig!  Sounds like a rallying cry, like Blitzkreig or Tally Ho!

In reality it’s the name given to one of the most advanced and creative designs for a hydration system to hit the market.

Twice a year, winter and summer, nearly a thousand makers and suppliers of outdoor gear, clothing and related  products, meet to show their lines at the Outdoor Retailer Show.  Held in Salt Lake City, Utah, every January and August, it has to be one of the most interesting and anticipated events of the year for outdoor enthusiasts.

As chief blogger for Walking The World, I was roaming the aisles looking for interesting new products when I noticed a handsome gentlemen passionately talking about his new product, the Geigerrig Hydration Pack.  The gentleman happened to be Bob Geiger, VP of Operations for Geigerrig.

What mesmerized me at first was that Bob appeared to be inflating the hydration bladder, the plastic compartment that stores the water, with a hand pump much like what we’d use to inflate a blood pressure cuff.  (Actually, there’s a plastic sheet just under the bladder that inflates.)

Pumping air into the extra sheet of plastic pressurizes the bladder so, guess what, we no longer have to suck on a plastic tube to get a drink of water.  Simply apply a gentle pressure to the bite valve and water gushes forth.

Geigerrig Hydration System

Geigerrig Hydration System

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

People often ask if they can inflate the Geigerrig too much!  Actually, no.  In the above photo, you can see that even when wildly overinflated, the Geigerrig doesn’t burst.

From my perspective as a guide, it’s not only easier for me to get a drink but I can now share water with a friend, or friendly canine, without having to worry about what my friends or dog might have shared back with me on my bite valve.

Not only that but get this.  Say you run out of water on the trail and still have a long way to travel before getting back to the trailhead?  In this day and age, drinking from a stream or lake without a filter can lead to some unwanted visitors to your intestinal tract.  So what does one do?  With Geigerrig, you simply remove the tube from the bladder, insert a small (1 inch by 5.5 inch) in-line filter, scoop up some water and carry on down the trail.  The filter takes out 99.9% of any Cryptospordium and Giardia.  Pretty cool, huh?!

Are there more benefits?  Yep!  You can use the pressurized spray of a Geigerrig to spray down a fellow hiker who’s overheated, water a thirsty plant along the trail, fill up a water bottle, rinse dirt or food from your hands or anything a garden hose might do if you happened to have one along.

The Geigerrig won Best of Show at the Outdoor Winter Retailer this January, 2012, and rightly so.  It’s a big step forward in the world of hydration systems.

I’m including a link to a video of Bob Geiger demonstrating the Geigerrig.  He’s a natural at sharing all the benefits of owning a Geigerrig.

We’v all tried our best to find the perfect way to carry and drink water while engaged in our favorite outdoor sport.  The Geigerrig is setting the standard for now.

HAPPY TRAILS!

Ward Luthi
Walking The World
info@walkingtheworld.com

Filed Under: Adventure Travel, Hydration Systems, Outdoor Gear, Product Testing, Uncategorized, Walking The World, Walking Tours, walking trips, Walking Vacations, Ward Luthi Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

WARD LUTHI’S 100-DAY WALKING CHALLENGE

October 31, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Walking The World is an outdoor adventure company offering guided walking tours for those over 50 years of age.  We invite any and all active travelers to join us on our walking trips. You do need to be in “reasonably” good physical condition at the time of your particular trip, be able to walk 5-9 miles a day at a comfortable pace, have an adventurous spirit and love the great outdoors.  Oh, and you must also love to sample some of the world’s best food and drink, love new experiences and be open to meeting some of the nicest people in the world – your fellow travelers!

Ward Luthi in Arches N.P., Utah

Ward Luthi in Arches N.P., Utah

How does one prepare for a walking tour?  Walking on a regular basis, ideally on a daily basis with some hill or stair work, is a great start.

The last few months for me have been extraordinarily busy and I’ve found myself putting off my daily walks or weight training simply because I didn’t feel I had the time or because I was “too tired”.  Now the reality is that I can find the time to get in my walk…if I choose to do so.  It really is that simple.  However, when I don’t have a specific goal I’m shooting for, I find it much easier to find an excuse to put my walk or weight training off for that “perfect” day.  To counteract my own tendency to procrastinate, I set a goal of walking at least one mile on one hundred consecutive days, rain or shine or snow!

Part of my madness also comes from a true desire to better understand why it is seemingly so easy for so many of us who are over 50 to put off doing the exercise that will keep us happy and healthy as we age.

How’s it going?  Well, so far, so good.  Oh, I also count all my hiking miles toward my daily mileage goal.  Although the miles may include some stops for water or lunch, etc., I still consider them good miles walked.  I would invite you too as well if you design your own walking challenge.

Below is a chart of the first 30 days of my 100-day walking challenge.

 

Ward’s 100 – Day Walking Challenge

Day      Date          Mileage             Time

1        Sept 29     2.8 miles          40 min

2        Sept 30     3.0 miles          45 min

3        Oct 1       2.2 miles          33:37 min

4        Oct 2       4.19 miles         60:25 min

5        Oct 3       2.2 miles          32:50 min

6        Oct 4       1.12 miles         16:36 min

7        Oct 5       4.0 miles

8        Oct 6       4.0 miles

9        Oct 7       6.5 miles

10       Oct 8       2.0 miles

11       Oct 9       6.5 miles

12       Oct 10      11 miles

13       Oct 11      1 miles

14       Oct 12      2.1 miles          31:00

15       Oct 13      2.2 miles          32:26

16       Oct 14      2.2 miles          33:33

17       Oct 15      2.15 miles         31:45

18       Oct 16      2.25 miles         32:56

19       Oct 17      2.0 miles          27:35

20       Oct 18      6.0 miles          187 min

21       Oct 19      2.2 miles          32:29

22       Oct 20      4.62 miles         1:12:41

23       Oct 21      2.19 miles         34:41

24       Oct 22      2.25 miles         36:58

25       Oct 23      2.21 miles         35:34

26       Oct 24      4.2 miles

27       Oct 25      1.0 miles          14.27

28       Oct 26      2.29 miles  35:02

29       Oct 27      1.0 miles  14:04

30       Oct 28      1.0 miles  15:14

(Please note that the days with more detail included, minutes and hours walked, were tracked with my Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS and heart-rate monitor.)

I would love to hear if you’ve ever designed your own walking challenge.  And if you’d like to walk along with me, I would love that.  Please drop me an email at info@walkingtheworld.com to let me know you’re going to join me and when you’ll be starting.  I’d like to send you encouragement for lacing up those shoes or boots each day and heading out.

In Adventure and Great Walking!

 

Ward Luthi

Walking The World

Filed Under: Adventure Travel, Walking, Walking The World, Walking Tours, Walking Vacations, 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!

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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!
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HOW TO GET THE MOST FROM YOUR WALKING TOUR

December 10, 2010 By admin 2 Comments
It’s simple.  Be in good shape when you start your tour. One of the most frequently asked questions I get when people are considering a walking tour is “Can I physically do the trip?” In most cases the answer is yes.  Walking is something almost anyone can do.  But walking on uneven trails, often with at least some elevation gain on a daily basis, requires that one be in the best shape possible to get the most enjoyment out of the experience.  Even areas that may seem “flat” often have small rises in elevation that your muscles will soon recognize and report back to you if the hike is long enough. When training for a walking tour you’ll do best if you concentrate on two areas:  leg strength – primarily in the upper legs for the lifting required when going uphill, and endurance – being able to walk comfortably for 5-9 miles a day carrying a light daypack.  (Walking uses three major muscles: the gluteus (buttocks), quads (top front of leg), and hamstrings (top back of legs).  Note that walking uphill uses one set of muscles while walking downhill uses another.  Your training doesn’t have to be intense, to the point you hesitate to even do the workout, but you should be consistent in your efforts.  Overall you’ll do better, get more bang for your buck, if you simply workout on a regular basis.  Doing light workouts 3-5 times a week will produce better results than going hard once a week and then taking the rest of the week off.  Plus, the more often you work out, at a reasonable intensity, the more likely your workouts will become a positive habit.  A habit guaranteed to yield positive results in many areas of your life. Let me help illustrate why being in shape physically will help you enjoy your walking tour to the utmost.  As an example, a walking tour in Tuscany with Walking The World is more than just a “tour”, it’s a full-body and full-senses experience.  We use walking as a way to experience up-close and personal the lands we travel through and the people we meet. While our daily walking is usually fairly moderate, any one day may find us delving into a variety of experiences unique to how the local people live.  Walking along ancient Roman pathways may evoke images of Roman legions traversing the very same paths as we move from one hilltop town to the next.  Savory scents of vines laden with plump grapes weighted with juice and trees bearing the ripening fruit of olives will tempt your olfactory senses.  We may meet a local farmer who invites us in to sample his latest wines and then shares his “secret” recipe for his uniquely blended Vinsanto, a dessert wine and a specialty each farm keeps close to the vest.  And after a glass or two of wine he may offer to show us how he presses the olives from his land or how he bakes fresh bread in his outdoor oven. While none of these experiences are physically taxing, except maybe lifting your arm repeatedly to sample more of that heavenly Brunello di Montalcino or Chianti Classico or a Vino Nobile di Montepulcianao, you’ll want to always have energy in reserve in case some unexpected opportunity presents itself. And after all, how often do you get the chance to sit on the veranda of a stone farmhouse looking out over the Tuscan countryside while savoring a vintage red wine and drizzling silky olive oil and heaping fresh cut tomatoes and olive slices on a slice of warm bread straight from the oven……Oh!  Please forgive me!   I get carried away sometimes thinking of the experiences we’ve had just because we were walking and happened to be sharing the trail with a local who, with great charm, invited us to share a bit of his life. My point is that you want to have enough energy after your walks to thoroughly enjoy the additional experiences you’ll have from time to time when traveling through this world on your own two feet. As a recap, to best prepare for a walking tour – take a walk!  And what better time than right now?  Who knows who you might meet! Ward Luthi On the Loose at 50+ Walking The World www.walkingtheworld.com
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