Going on your ultimate adventure just got a lot easier.
Here’s a great way to get your morning off to a flying start!
With the picturesque Swiss Alps as a backdrop, the Royal British Legion Extreme Human Flight Team, the Jump4Heroes, celebrated the British Armed Forces by jumping off an edge of The Eiger’s north face, otherwise known as the Mordwand or “murderous wall”. And they do it to support charities! Check out the cool video below.
I think it’s safe to say that all of us seem to have a travel bucket list for the future filled with things we want to do and places we want to visit. As the years tick by we wonder if we will have the time, money and desire to check all these off the ever-growing list.
But what about what you’ve already accomplished? That’s got to be a pretty impressive list as well. In my mind I’m always in the future, rarely dwelling in the past. But, sometimes it’s good to reflect on the past and where I’ve been.
Through Trek Tech I learned about Rebecca Tracey’s Reverse Bucket List, the concept of remembering past achievements to remind yourself how amazing you are. I would hope that’s a pretty long list for most of us. I found the idea intriguing.
But what about a Reverse Bucket List specifically for travel, a topic near and dear to us all? I set out to make my own Reverse Travel Bucket List of things I’ve done in some places I’m glad I’ve seen as a traveler and came up with just a few of the more adventurous accomplishments…
You’re adventurous travelers! If you weren’t, you wouldn’t be reading this blog. What amazing things have you done or seen in your travels that would remind you of your amazing travel achievements?
We received a testimonial from a client yesterday that knocked our socks off. Tyler Kivland is Program Coordinator (which basically means he’s the guy that runs it) at Indiana University Outdoor Adventures. It is such a cool organization. They are supported by Indiana University, however they support the community and offer all kinds of great trips, gear, activities and, most importantly, Leadership Programs to develop the next generation of those serving the Outdoor Community and beyond. it isn’t just for Indiana University students, they also support their surrounding community.
Here’s Tyler explaining exactly how PathWrangler is taking their organization to the next level:
If I could describe Pathwrangler in one sentence I would say that it is “A dynamic approach to trip planning, execution, and customer retention.”
As an organization that staffs upwards of 50 trip leaders at a time, Pathwrangler makes the trip planning process better and easier to learn. The overall benefit of Pathwrangler seems to be that it allows a trip leader to begin a dialogue with trip participants, organizers and leaders before the group ever meets for the trip. Participants can ask questions, share their excitement, and stay up-to-date on any trip developments with ease.
I’ve always supported the idea that a trip should start as soon as a participant signs-up, if not sooner. Pathwrangler allows just that. For example, each summer I bring a group to Quetico Provincial Park for a 10-day canoe expedition. It is vital that I make sure each participant is packing the correct type of gear and that they have a passport in their hands. Pathwrangler’s personal gear checklist allows me to track the progress of my group without having to make phone call after phone call to each participant. Furthermore, the conversation feature allows me to answer important questions once rather than each and every time I make a call or send an email. And if someone new joins the group they can easily catch up on all the action without me having to send them a copy of every email that has previously been sent.
Pathwrangler takes all the components of trip planning and collects it into one dynamic space.
One of the more useful benefits, from a management position, has been the itinerary feature. This is because the interactive nature of the itinerary and map simply cannot be matched on paper. The technology allows us, as an organization, to pinpoint the exact location of each activity and allows the participant a more accurate depiction of where they will be traveling. We are currently using the itinerary feature as a sort of travel action plan for several of our spring break trips which aids in managing the risk inherently involved in any outdoor adventure.
I’m excited to see where Pathwrangler will go next. It has already begun to change the way our leaders approach trip planning and I see it becoming a necessary tool for our program in the future. The more I learn about the site, the more excited I get. It has truly taken trip planning into a new era.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA | MARCH 12, 2013 – PATHWRANGLER has been selected by Outside, America’s leading multimedia active-lifestyle brand, as a recipient of its second annual Active Travel Awards. PathWrangler was honored as an Honoree. The full list of award winners will be published in the April issue of Outside magazine, available on newsstands March 12, 2013, and at Outside Online.
To select this year’s awards, Outside tapped our global network of correspondents, who spent months on the road traveling from the Philippines to Switzerland to Namibia and then some, to report a definitive roundup of the best new adventures, secret paradises, mountain epics, stunning beaches, airline deals, gorgeous islands, and more. The result is 42 fresh trips that we guarantee will change your life, plus smart travel strategies, the best travel gear, and five exciting new frontiers.
PathWrangler is proud to be awarded honoree of Outside Strategies to “Plug-In.” With all these beautiful destinations and incredible activities to do, PathWrangler is the tool that brings it all together and makes these dream trips a reality.
“Outside magazine has long been one of the world’s most trusted advisors for active and adventurous travelers,” says Outside Editor Christopher Keyes. “In addition to truly award-worthy destinations and travel providers, this year we unearthed a handful of amazing new frontiers in active travel. Our annual edit franchise honors the year’s best trips, hotels, lodges, luggage, islands, and new destinations that will be an invaluable travel resource for years to come.”
Simply put, PathWrangler makes creating experiences and telling those stories easier than ever before. Planning an adventure trip or an outdoor excursion is like herding cats. It is maddening to get everyone and everything prepared. Our web app brings the conversation together in an interactive place designed specifically for adventure and outdoor enthusiasts to dream and organize their trip together, and then share their stories after. Over 100 Tour Operators, Outdoor Clubs and Outdoor Wilderness Programs and thousands of outdoor enthusiasts are using PathWrangler to run better trips and share them with their friends.
In celebration of the Outside Active Travel Awards, PathWrangler is offering its award-winning product for free in preparation for a new premium rollout in the upcoming months. That means unlimited trips and users for any individuals or business that sign-up now. Please sign-up here to take advantage of this offer. Please contact us at info@pathwrangler.com if you’d like any help in getting you or your organization started.
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About Outside
Outside is America’s leading active lifestyle brand. For more than 35 years, Outside has covered travel, sports, adventure, health, and fitness, as well as the personalities, the environment, and the style and culture of the world Outside. The Outside family includes Outside magazine, the only magazine to win three consecutive National Magazine Awards for General Excellence, The Outside Buyer’s Guides, Outside Online, Outside Television, Outside Events, Outside+ tablet edition, and Outside Books. Visit us on www.outsideonline.com and www.facebook.com/outsidemagazine.
Contact PathWrangler
For further press inquiries or other requests, please contact CEO Doug Heinz at doug@pathwrangler.com and 415-309-2242. Please visit us online at www.pathwrangler.com, www.facebook.com/pathwrangler and @pathwrangler.
Here is an amazing video of several kayakers on a quest for the perfect waterfall to kayak. They take us into the deep, lush, tropical jungle near Tlapocayan in Veracruz, Mexico to give us a glimpse of this wet and wild destination and show us how much fun it is to go over the edge.
Do you need a little inspiration to get out there and do something a bit extraordinary? The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour has just the ticket!
For over 35 years this film festival has been showcasing some of the best mountain and adventure films and this year is no different. The festival was held last Fall, but for those of us who couldn’t make it to Banff, the films are coming to us. With 28 films in the tour’s lineup, covering such adventures as kayaking, rock climbing, and base jumping and filmed in some amazing locations, there’s bound to be one or two that will thrill and excite you.
View clips of the films, check out the schedule to see when the tour comes to your city, then grab some popcorn and be inspired.
A year ago, we created the first way to build your own adventures and organize them with your friends, clients and associates in one, central, integrated place on a map. Six months ago, we built a way for everyone to tell their own stories and share photos with each other. After doing this, we made all kinds of enhancements to the product that made doing all of these things easier and better.
Today, we’re pleased to announce that you can now publish your trips, as well as your individual stories with the public. We’ve integrated with Facebook so you can easily publish them to your friends and family.
PathWrangler is now almost seamless. We can’t create the ideas for you, but once you get an adventurous idea, you can build it, invite others, organize together, share your experiences as they happen and then share them with the world.
For the Traveler: it is the best way to organize and journal your trip. We make it easier to store your memories.
For Trip Organizers: not only is the the best way to organize the many trips that you run, but it helps you to get business. As your clients/members share their trips with their friends, it is a way to get those crucial testimonials and word of mouth referrals naturally.
Start building and sharing your trips on PathWrangler today! Please contact us if you have any questions.
We’ll be sending out more details around these exciting new features from some of trips and users that we find particularly inspiring. If you want to submit a trip, contact and share it with us and we’ll put it up on our blog!
The last month of the year means the holidays are fast approaching and the search for powder begins for skiers and snowboarders.
Here are 5 US mountain ski resorts known for their light as air powder:
Silverton Mountain, Colorado
“All thrills, no frills” is what advanced and expert skiers will experience at this resort that exceeds 400 inches of snow per year. It’s a real adventurous mountain with only one lift that takes you to the top and there are no clear-cut runs or groomers. What it does have is 1,819 acres of natural terrain with chutes, bowls and cliffs, plus 22,000+ acres to heli ski or hike to. The mountain limit is 474 skiers a day, but there are usually less than 80 powder seekers on most days. One thing to note is that avalanche gear is required at all times to ride the lift.
Kirkwood, California
Lake Tahoe, due to its warmer temperatures, has the reputation for “Sierra Cement.” However, there are exceptions to this rule and Kirkwood is your daddy. They are located on the Sierra Crest with elevations ranging 7,800 to 9,800 feet create a little something we like to call the K-Factor – a geographical predisposition to receive the lightest, the driest, and the most plentiful snow in the Tahoe region. Add in 2300 acres of terrain and you can escape the normally crowded Tahoe lifts (and traffic!).
Powder Mountain, Utah
Mother Nature blesses the 7,000 acres of Powder Mountain (Pow Mow) with over 500 inches of puffy white powder each year. Pow Wow doesn’t have all the bells and whistles that other resorts in the area have and it isn’t well known. What it does offer is great skiing and boarding on fresh powder terrain at the largest ski resort in the U.S. that prides itself on not needing snowmaking facilities.
Solitude, Utah
Predominantly a mountain for locals, Solitude has the sweet combination of lots of powder and not too many people on its slopes. It has over 500 inches of snowfall covering over 1,200 acres of skiable terrain. All levels of skiing abilities will find their bliss on the 65 named trails, the 3 open bowls, the groomed cruisers, steep chutes and the line skiing through the trees.
Grand Targhee, Wyoming
All the powder you could want is here in this pristine powder paradise. Sitting on the western side of the Tetons and covering two mountains, the picturesque Grand Targhee traps the snow from eastbound storms with over 500 inches of heavenly white stuff falling annually. It’s no wonder skiers and snowboarders alike love the 3,000 acres of uncrowded terrain. It’s a good place for beginning powder riders and there’s plenty of intermediate trails amongst the glades, trees and bowls.
Once the snow really starts falling it’ll be easy to cut fresh tracks at these resorts. Then it’s all down hill from there.
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Note from Doug Heinz
If you are looking for some great deals on lift tickets at these places, I highly recommend checking out Liftopia. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting these guys here in SF and they have a great business. They also have one of the best apps for snow conditions and ski reports that I’ve seen.
PathWrangler is pleased to announced the release of our free eBook, “Living the Dream: An Entreprenuer’s Guide to Starting and Operating a Successful Adventure Travel Company.” This book was written by Christina Heyniger and myself and features Chunnie Wright and Mona McPhee.
So, what it this about? Let’s take you to our first chapter:
“Do you want to build a successful adventure travel business? LIVING THE DREAM gives you a framework for not only starting and getting your new adventure company off the ground, but also how to operate and grow it with dazzling service. Inside this book you’ll find information about how to:
The book presents a series of steps that draw on the “Lean Startup” methodology created by Eric Ries and has since launched top web software companies and is being extended to numerous other sectors. We are combining our experience with Lean Startup with the know-how and experience of people who have created and built leading adventure travel companies to bring you this adventure travel start-up manual.
“In the old days, adventure travel was only for a very limited number of highly adventurous people. Nowadays everyone is into adventure travel. Anything out of person’s comfort zone is called ‘adventure travel.’ The whole industry has just skyrocketed. At the same time we have a huge amount of competition, much more than in the past.” - Tony Neubauer, Myths and Mountains
LIVING THE DREAM will explain how you can build a competitive adventure business with a distinctive personality. The methods presented will challenge you to embrace the challenges of a limited budget and turns those limitations into an advantage. Being small and agile isn’t a stage of your business, it is a mindset that lets you provide much better personal experiences to your clients.
Following the steps in this book will help you organize your adventure travel startup, get clients in the door and run better trips.
LIVING THE DREAM challenges you to be opinionated. Forgo being all things to all people and build something that has a distinct image — one that you’re proud and excited about, and that stands out from the crowd.
If you are
Then LIVING THE DREAM is for you.”
More to come. Stay tuned!
The Flow State exists anywhere crisp winter air shocks your lungs and sunlight refracts off snowflakes, allowing you to emerge from this state improved – happier, more confident and more aware of your surroundings.
Ski and snowboard season is fast approaching and while we wait for the first substantial snowfalls to land what better way to get motivated to pull out the gear and get ready for the season than to watch this year’s Warren Miller film Flow State? Filmed in destinations like California, Colorado, Alaska, Norway, Switzerland and Austria the Flow State is bound to get you excited about winter.
The film tour has already kicked off so check out the map and see when it’s coming to your area.
