In the fall of 2018, I will be leading an amazing trek in Nepal, taking a rarely-visited loop around Manaslu, the 8th-highest peak in the world at nearly 27,000 feet. This three-week trip also includes a side trip into the Tsum Valley, a sacred pilgrimage area filled with traditional Buddhist culture, right up against the Tibetan…
In August 2018 and January 2019, Embark Exploration Co. will offer a unique and exciting trip to go hiking, climbing, and cultural touring in the high country of Ecuador. “Volcanoes of Ecuador” is a two-week adventure in which we will hike remote trails, visit cultures that date back to pre-Spanish days, and most of all, summit…
I took a break from my most recent English soccer tour to fulfill a longtime goal of taking a walk on the Cotswold Way in southwest England.
Hike to the Roof of the World! From March 14 to April 1, 2018, I will be leading a trek to Mount Everest Base Camp in Nepal. The trip is with Portland-based Embark Exploration Co., and we will be taking a slightly less-traveled route known as the Gokyo Lakes. I could not be more excited about this…
Every few weeks I send out a newsletter that I call the Breakfast Bulletin, a nod to my former days as the Portland Breakfast Guy. The last issue was mostly about my English soccer project, and this one touches on that, as well. But mainly, this one is all about hiking in the Columbia River Gorge. It…
My 2016 Embark Adventures trip, Walking the Cotswold Way, is of course mostly about hiking. We’ll be doing a 104-mile trail in 8 days of walking, but on many of those days, our bus will take us on side trips before returning us to the hotel. One such place is Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, Oxfordshire….
Every year I lead hiking and touring trips to Tuscany, like this one from 2015. My partner in these efforts is a lifelong resident of Chianti who has been showing people around for years. And on my last visit, I got to see him and his American wife host a dinner for a group —…
I now have the dates for my first 2016 European hiking trip, “Walking the Cotswold Way in England.” It will be happening April 11 to 21. The Way is a 102-mile trek in southwest England, winding up in the ancient city of Bath. It is known for quiet woodlands, flower-filled meadows, panoramic viewpoints, and impossibly…
As I get ready to leave for my annual hiking and touring adventure in Tuscany, final details are coming into focus. And those, in turn, are bringing up memories of a wonderful dinner in Lucca last year. Lucca may be my favorite town in Tuscany, with its hilly surroundings, intact walls, friendly people, and relative lack of…
Here is the latest update on the European hiking trips I lead for Embark Adventures. The short version is that the 2015 trip to Tuscany and Cinque Terre now runs from September 20 to October 3, so there’s still plenty of time to get on that one. For 2016 the plans are: April or May: to…