Global Adventures

Lying in the tundra miles north of the Arctic Circle, the sun shines warmly on my face. The autumn air smells fresh and crisp. If I listen closely, I can hear the distant tweet of birds and wind whistling over the fells. This is what I’ve learned to look forward to on every hike: a slow moment to rest. Read more…

Perched atop Sefinenfurgge – the second highest pass on Switzerland’s Via Alpina – we soaked in our last views of the Eiger and Mönch (two of the Bernese Alps’ most famous peaks). We were eager to see the Blümlisalp massif ahead, but weren’t exactly excited about our next task: descending 3,700 feet over 3.6 miles into a valley and then immediately ascending another mile and 1,200 feet. Excited or not, that’s what it was going to take to reach our next hut, Berghaus Bundalp. Before we started downhill, a quick headcount revealed we were missing a participant. Read more…

In August, I joined 11 other Mountaineers for a Global Adventure tour that included two, four-day wilderness treks in eastern Iceland. The first trek, the Viknaslóðir trail, traversed the eastern fjords. You can read more about Part 1 of the trip here.  Read more…

"Why would anyone go hiking in Iceland? If you want to see wind, rain, and basalt, just wait until November and go to central Washington. It's closer and cheaper." I am so glad I rejected this advice. Iceland was an amazing place to hike (as long as you love basalt and don't mind wind and rain). Read more…

Winter arrived early in the Alps this year: on Friday, September 13. While many hikers were shocked by this so-called "unusual situation," this September snowstorm was not unusual at all. These conditions forced many of our customers to end their tours early, while other customers suffered and endured miserable trail conditions. Read more…

Are you interested in making new friends, collecting inspiring memories, and discovering new parts of our world? Sign up for Mountaineers Global Adventures! The rewards are great, the experiences are unparalleled, and the adventure is abundant. Read more…

Waking up to the smell of coffee and freshly baked sweet bread… what could be better? Waking up to these after hiking along the magnificent Amalfi Coast in Italy, of course! Read more…

Calling all spelunkers and scramblers! This September, Global Adventures has a unique adventure planned for you: an unforgettable trip to Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky. This wonder is featured as one the “Top 10 Experiences” in Moon's USA National Park Guide – and for good reason. Read more…

In 2019, I joined a Global Adventures trip – first to Torres del Paine in Chile and then to the Fitz Roy Massif in Argentina. I was 76 and rather long in the tooth for a backpack classified as “very strenuous.” But Fitz Roy was a mountain I’d wanted to see since my late teens. This was my first chance. Jump! Read more…

Cuba’s inherent joie de vivre awaits Mountaineers in the upcoming Global Adventures Day Hiking and Naturalist trip (Nov 19 – Dec 4, 2024). The past six decades of Cuba’s political landscape has shaped a people who are generous, gracious, confident, and unreserved, and a landscape that has escaped heavy tourism impacts. Read more…

In the winter of 1205, two Norwegian Birkebeiner warriors donned crude plank skis and shuffled off into severely cold, windy weather to cross a snowy mountain, one of them carrying a swaddled baby on his back. Their mission? To safely transport the baby 54 kilometers from Lillehammer to Rena as a civil war raged. The child was heir to the throne and being targeted by a faction competing with the more dominant Birkebeiners, to whom he belonged. Read more…

Join the upcoming May 2024 Mountaineers Global Adventure  for moderate day hikes among dramatic limestone peaks and lush valleys of the third highest mountain range in Spain. Our destination, Picos de Europa National Park, is in the heart of Green Spain. Trip leader, Roseanne Lorenzana, visited there in May 2023 and declares it a “must-see” for all who love tranquil mountain hikes, spring flowers, local history, and food culture. Read more…

Toiling up a dry mountain shoulder in desert heat, I briefly question why I signed on to hike the highlights of Jordan’s national trail on a Mountaineers Global Adventures trip. Then I crest the shoulder of Jordan’s Grand Canyon and see the Dead Sea glimmering in the hot haze. I remember that this place has history. Jordan encompasses the biblical land of Moab. Nearby Mt. Nebo, above the Dead Sea, is where Moses saw the Promised Land. To the south, where we’re headed, lies Edom,  abled site of Sodom and Gomorrah. Visiting the desiccated salt flats around the Dead Sea, I can see these stories come to life. Read more…

The Mountaineers Global Adventures program is thriving and growing.  Many people who love to plan and go on multi-day adventures have been asking us what's involved in planning and leading a Mountaineers Global Adventure. Join us for an informational session on Monday, October 23 to learn more about our Global Adventures program and what it means to be a Global Adventures leader. Read more…

The first time I ever hiked on the Lycian Way, the oldest of Turkey's long trails, I was gobsmacked by the casual juxtaposition of ancient history and daily life.  Read more…

Trekking through Nepal’s villages for the first time many years ago, I felt like I was dropped into the pages of a National Geographic magazine. Everything was new to me. Read more…

Are you an experienced Mountaineers activity leader who dreams of taking Mountaineers companions on multi-day adventures in far-flung places around North America and the wider world? Global Adventures leaders have taken groups skiing, snowshoeing, climbing, scrambling, backpacking, trekking, and day-walking in the desert Southwest, Alaska, the Rockies, the Alps, Patagonia, Peru, the Himalayas, the British Isles, New Zealand, Turkey, Jordan, the Amalfi Coast, and more.  The Global Adventures program may be the perfect place for you to live your travel dreams and take your trip planning and group leadership skills to a new level! Read more…

Raindrops began to fall as our group of Global Adventurers set off to hike Lower Calf Creek Falls in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Prior to the trip, we had checked the weather forecast and knew rain was possible. As we had previously done a hike up the Virgin River Narrows, we were aware of the risks of flash floods and the appropriate precautionary measures to take while hiking. Although this trail was along a creek surrounded by greenery and red sand, it was not in a canyon and there was plenty of easily-accessible high ground near the trail should the creek abruptly rise. Read more…

Mountaineers Global Adventures (GA) gets members out on exciting multi-day adventures across North America and worldwide. We have several new leaders and trips in process, but keeping the program running smoothly and efficiently - including the increasing load of amazing trips to review and leaders looking to certify - requires more time than our current small committee can handle. We have identified a number of support roles that individually don't take much time but, if we could get willing volunteers to take them on, would assure that our program can continue to grow and thrive.  Read more…

Ten Mountaineers were fortunate to have plentiful sunshine and no winds for last February’s Global Adventure to Yellowstone National Park. We spent a week cross-country skiing in three sections of the park – Mammoth, North, and Old Faithful – which provided ample opportunities to experience the magic of winter in Yellowstone. Read more…

It was 2019 and I had just arrived in Tokyo. Looking for the hotel where I was to meet our group of Mountaineers, I felt like a lost child. Maneuvering to avoid people with my big suitcase, my senses were in overload as I paused to take a picture of the tight flow of humanity passing me in every direction. A visit to Japan combines modern life with ancient traditions and incredible outdoor opportunities. The juxtaposition was jarring and thrilling. Read more…

Since 1969, The Mountaineers has been sponsoring multi-day outdoor adventures around the world through our Global Adventures program. Our members have skied the slopes of Japan, backpacked across Chilean Patagonia, and trekked through the Alps. In the past five decades we’ve offered 233 separate trips, the hours of which tally up to a cumulative 90 years of non-stop action and adventure. Like many of our activities, the program’s beginnings are far more humble than the hustle-and-bustle we see today. Read more…

Each week we bring you a personal story from one of our members. For our member profile this week we talked to... Read more…

Travel by air to a backpacking destination requires some additional planning and organization, as well as awareness of the baggage restrictions of the countries you are visiting. In this article, you'll find information to help you prepare for your trip. Read more…

As the birthplace of Nordic skiing, it’s safe to say that the Norwegians have fine-tuned the art of cross-country skiing. From skis, Swix Wax, and Rottefella bindings to the Birkebeinerrennet and eating waffles on the trail, cross-country skiing is deeply embedded in Norwegian history and culture. Read more…

Leaves are changing, temperatures are dropping, and the air is feeling crisp. No matter how you decide to enjoy autumn, there’s one thing we can all agree on: We’re lucky to live in a place where fall is this awesome. Read more…

Have you ever wanted to explore the world with a group of active, capable outdoorspeople? Or are you a trip-planning master hoping to share your skills and knowledge with a group of excited participants? Join us for our upcoming Global Adventures Info Session on November 1 to learn all about our program!  Read more…

The last brilliant fuchsia tones faded away from the slopes of Cerro Tronador as we looked across the deep chasm of the Rio Alerce. We were perched on the porch of the Otto Meiling Hut, and the 3,470m mountain (translated to “The Thunderer”) was the seventh stop on our nine-day trek. Read more…

As we neared the ridge crest, the wind blasted snow pellets into my face like hot shrapnel. Just ahead of me, Bob’s blue pack cover snapped once, hard, then blew off his pack and into the white. Read more…

It was 4am in the Yarigatake Hut, nestled high in the snowy mountains of Japan. All who had persevered through the previous day's steep trek up to the hut  (elevation 9,908ft) started stirring in the large open sleeping quarters, struggling to fold the futon beds by our feet as silently as possible. The numbering system posted above the sleeping positions were very close together - one wonders during the crowded season how anyone can sleep without disturbing their neighbors!   Read more…