Five Top Travel Resolutions

Mark Pawlak    Adventure Sports & Travel Thoughts     Adventure Travel

New Year is coming. And if, like us, you need to plan your adventures in advance, then it’s time to bring in those resolutions to help make your travel dreams a reality.

If you’ve long held travel ambitions or just want to experience the world through the eyes of the traveller and not those of a tourist, read on: our top travel resolutions will help.

Photo from Flickr user: Lel4nd

read more

Five Craziest Christmas Lunches

Mark Pawlak    Adventure Sports & Travel Thoughts     Adventure Sports, Adventure Travel, Skiing, Snowboarding, trekking

While most people opt to stay at home at Christmas, there’s always an intrepid bunch that spend it out on the ground.

So here’s a list of the best, and most extreme places to have your Christmas lunch. If you’ve had your turkey from a reheated packet on the side of a mountain, or opened your presents perched on cliff edge, we want to hear about it.

The Poles

North or south, festivities at either are about as extreme as you can get. Polar explorers in their snow shelters have long tucked into a tin of Christmas pud, decorated with a candle for festive effect.

The Desert Island

While unlikely to be anywhere near a desert, Pacific islands are about as far removed from the lavishly garnished Christmas tables we are all used to. With just a coconut and some fish caught from the sea, it sounds like paradise to us.

Photo from Flickr user: darlene is evil

read more

Adventure Travel News: Flights of Fancy

Mark Pawlak    Adventure Sports & Travel Thoughts     Adventure Travel, Europe, Holidays, Travel

Adventure Sports and Travel Weekly Digest

December 12-19

Here’s a quick news round-up for everyone interested in the European adventure travel market.

Harsh weather continues to hamper flights and holidays

Heavy snowfalls and arctic winds have continued to close European airports leaving passengers stranded. This second winter front follows earlier deluges of snow that improved skiing conditions but heavily restricted air and road travel.

British Airways ups travel charges

Photo from Flickr user: Jorge-11

British Airways announced that long haul passengers will pay to offset rising fuel charges. Travelers will have to find an additional £10/ US$15, taking the minimum cost of fuel charges to £63/US$98 for flights of less than nine hours and £73/US$113 for longer trips. read more

Five Tips for Trips

Mark Pawlak    Adventure Sports & Travel Thoughts     Adventure, Holiday, planning, trip, trip planning

Whether you want to cross the globe or just get out for a day on your bike, you need to make a plan. It doesn’t matter where, how, or when you’ll do it: even if you are not going for long, just make one.

Here are five tips for planning trips

Prepare everything

Photo from Flickr user: bradleyolin

The time you spend thinking about your adventure will pay off when you are having the adventure. Write it out, type it up, and collect clippings of research. Preparation now will save you hours later. Mind maps are a great way to get your thoughts down, and heeding the advice others will help no end.

Let people know where you are headed

Ideally, leave them a copy of your route and at least tell them the waypoints. For longer trips, inform rescue services and agree times with your family that you’ll be in touch.

read more

Adventure Travel News: Snowfalls & Shark Attacks

Mark Pawlak    Adventure Sports & Travel Thoughts     Adventure Sports, Adventure Sports News, Scuba Diving, Skiing, Travel News, winter sports

Here’s a quick news round-up for all you guys and girls too busy enjoying the seasonal snows and winter waves.

We’ll run a digest every week covering the top stories: so take 5 and check back before you get back out there!

Early snow promises long season

Extreme weather conditions have brought heavy snow to many parts of Europe, much to the excitement of winter sports fans.

Huge snowfalls in Italy left more than 4 meters of snow on upper slopes; Obertauern in Austria had more than a meter on its lower slopes and other alpine countries also reported heavy falls.

read more

Get fit for your snowboarding holiday

Mark Pawlak    Adventure Sports & Travel Thoughts, snowboardingholidays     exercises, fitness, health, Snowboarding, snowboarding holidays

Getting back on the board after nine months isn’t the hard bit;  having the strength to keep going after two hours on the slopes  is.

Now, while you’ve probably still got the skills and can quickly get moving again, unless you skate or surf it’s likely your balance, as well as your strength, will be lacking.

Our previous tips for skiers help cover general strength (lunges and squats) there are also a couple of snowboard specific moves you should get doing.

Photo from Flickr user: Rance Costa

read more

Get fit for your ski holiday

Mark Pawlak    ash, bestskiholidays     fitness, off piste, ski holidays, Skiing, winter, winter sports

With snow drifting its way across Europe everyone’s looking to get the winter ski holiday booked.

But, just because we’ve powder down doesn’t mean you will be going down any slopes anytime soon. And who’s to say you are fit enough to make it past the t-bar anyway?

So, for all the TV skiers out there here are a few keep-fit ski tips: This way you’ll be in good enough shape  to make it to the après ski.

Photo from Flickr user: mer de glace

read more