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Our Expedition Planning Managers (EPMs) travel all corners of the globe to check out new expedition routes. Follow their progress through some of our most exciting destinations.

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Wednesday 13 July 2011

Trekking in India

Hi Everyone! Back from the mountains and had an amazingly successful trek recce. The first of 5 days took us on a cultural extravaganza of “Little Tibet” as Ladakh is often known. Indispersed between hard, hot and long days trekking, we visited many gompas or monasteries which are the focal points for each village. They often reside at the highest points of a valley overlooking their community which does not bode well after a long day’s walk! It is fascinating to see how Buddhist culture features in daily life in these rural areas; houses and mountain passes are covered in colourful fluttering prayer flags who’s prayers fill the sky with blessings when the wind blows. There are other religious structures such as pepper pot like stupas and mani walls filled with carved stone tablets along footpaths and at community entrances. Ladakh is rich in culture and is rightly proud of it.
The second half of the trek took us over a number of passes just short of 5,000m which was quite tough going. As the first people over one of the passes since the winter we were not sure what to expect but the snow had melted sufficiently to enable safe passage. I always feel deeply privileged when I look up into the sky and spot a distant aircraft vapour trail and then told that it is the only aircraft we will see that day. I am now back in Leh and leaving tomorrow having spent 2 weeks in the magnificent country visiting nine projects and reccing two short treks. I will definitely be back again and perhaps this time for a little longer!

Tuesday 5 July 2011

Trekking in Ecuador

Wow! What a busy week, and what an amazing country. This recce has had two key objectives, one being on the mainland and looking at new treks and ensuring that all of the documentation that we send out to our leaders is of the highest quality and the second on the Galapagos (where I go tomorrow!), but first this week. After several meetings and lots of very official form filling I got to get out onto the hill and do one of the things I enjoy the most – trekking. One of my jobs has been to check on the suitability of a new trek in the PiƱan lakes area, and I’m pleased to say it is stunning! I’ll included a couple of photo’s next time for you to see and I hope that the teams will enjoy it as much as I did (all-be-it in a slightly more relaxed way, we did the 4 day trek in 2 days!). The first day will be a good amount of uphill, but you are rewarded with a great little campsite and then 3 more days of amazing views (weather permitting!). Plus, we didn’t see a soul – my kind of walking. From here I went to check on our horse riding provider in the Machachi valley where I got to see a number of the wonderful mountains in the area. A brilliant spot and if your itinerary goes there then there are a number of walks or rides that you can do. I rounded off this week by visiting the Cotopaxi NP to see one of our most popular treks and it’s not hard to see why! A beautiful mountain and a landscape that genuinely makes you feel like you’re in another World. Top tip though, make sure you take some good warm clothes as it can get a little on the cold side out there.