What are some of the last remaining true adventure travel frontiers and how do they stack up?
(TRAVPR.COM) CANADA - July 6th, 2015 - Bang for your buck, memory per mile does Everest outclass all adventure travel destinations or is there room for adventure seekers to carve out new ground in Antarctica or the Canadian Arctic?
Everest
I doubt anyone would argue that Mount Everest is the figurative and literal pinnacle in exclusive, frontier travel. It would difficult to begrudge anyone bragging rights for having successfully peaked and survived, even if on the back of a Sherpa. To date about 4000 people have summitted and now hundreds of people attempt each year...so much so there have been 2 hour cues in the "death zone" to get to the top.
The cost of admission starts at about 30K and can easily reach 120K if you intend to bring your chef and all his/her "accoutrement". If you are curious about the costs Alan Arnette provides a very good break down.
While few actually make the trek up the mountain far more people enjoy an Everest experience by simply trekking to base camp, which can be challenging itself. The cost of these treks range from $14 bucks for the Sagarmatha National Park pass and the naivety to try it on your own to approximately $4.5K to accompany Everest climbers whilst they make their journey to trekkings ground zero.
Antarctica
Antarctica is certainly another travel frontier, increasingly accessible and potently luring as many tour operators offer various classes of trips ever ready to shuttle people to and through the region. Operators like Ponant, Gadventures, Quark and yes even Celebrity Cruise Lines/Royal Caribbean make it possible for 1000's to realize their Antarctic ambitions each year. According to IAATO and the history books, as of 1914 no one had been there and some would argue with good reason. In 1999 approximately 10000 people journeyed through the region and in 2014/15 a grand total of 37602 people had encounters with cold, wind, ice, penguins, more ice, more wind, cold and a few more penguins and of course an experience worth talking about.
Now of these 37K visitors approximately 27K actually landed, got out and experienced terra firma making this lot pretty adventurous. If you are going to go through the effort of getting down there you best get out and experience it. Is this place a frontier? Yes, definitely and there are certainly varying experiences to be had with 47 tour operators officially listed that service the region.
Canadian Arctic
The Canadian Arctic and sub-arctic is a bit of a gem hidden in plain sight. Yes it's possible to spend a small fortune (30K+) on a trip through the North West Passage but consider this. In Nunavut alone there are 25 culturally rich communities with actual people living there, no roads between them so you guessed it, flights service all communities. Flights are not cheap of course but because people live in what some might call and ungodly cold place, there is ready access for the intrepid in the summer season!
Even better access to this region can be made from Canada's capital Ottawa, Canada's other capital Toronto and even its cultural capital, Montreal. You could be listening to Jazz on Front Street in Toronto one day and in a short few days with not too much effort you could be tracking Arctic Muskoxen in the Thelon Sanctuary (this little wildlife refuge is 2x the size of Belgium).
If you've ever considered a "frontier trip" to satisfy your need for firsts, if you want to see extraordinary wildlife and stunning star lit skies a trip to Canada's far north is something to put higher on your list. It can be both extremely inhospitable and beautifully engaging...it's a matter of timing.
There are several ways to experience the region not the least of which is to do it yourself but this can be logistically very challenging. With a limited window of agreeable weather and given the shear expanse of Canada's Arctic and sub-Arctic region it's definitely best to pay for a little expertise, safety and comfort by hiring a trusted operator.
There are many operators that service the north for a variety of purpose built trips but Tourdigger.com recommends Great Canadian Wildlife Adventures (GWCA). GWCA has been offering trips to this region for decades and often provides discounted rates on mini wildlife expeditions with preferred flight rates to and within the region. One notable trip is "Autumn Colors on the Tundra". This is a "bucket-list" trip but at a very reasonable price.
Trip Overview
The trip is a whirl wind 5 days departing Kuujjuaq, Quebec in September (accessed via Montreal). Set in the remote wilderness of Nunavik in Canada’s Far North, you will see musk-oxen herds during the mating period, migrating waterfowl, caribou, beautiful autumn colors and a frantic displays of northern lights (Aurora Borealis).
You may cross steps with the regions earliest explores or even be leave first tracks of your own in the tundra, not many can say that!
The Operator
When taking a trip to the Arctic, with VERY limited wildlife viewing times, extreme conditions, immensely challenging logistics choosing the "right" operator is not just important, it's crucial.
"Tundra Tom", the owner of GCWA is both a character and extraordinary individual. He has 50 years of experience successfully guiding and trips in Canada and within Canada's Arctic and sub-Arctic regions. He is a steadfast advocate of Canada's northern historical heritage, fully endorsed by Tourdigger.com. Great Canadian Wildlife Adventures has safely and professionally guided the British Broadcasting Service (BBC), Conde Naste Travel Magazine staff and 1000's of travelers.
If you have considered a frontier expedition trip there is little doubt that your Frontier Dream can be a reality for much less effort and cost that you might expect. Memory per mile the Canadian north with its culturally rich communities and ecologically diverse natural heritage will certainly captivate you. Those who visit leave the North but the North never leaves them. Find out more or contact Tom directly, he'd be happy to hear from you!
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