May 15th, 2012
Mountaineer Doug Scott launched the Specialist Trekking Co-operative (STC) in 1989. STC was born out of anger at the dreadful conditions of labour in the Nepalese trekking industry where everything was left to market forces, where there was very little in the way of rule and regulation and nobody to enforce them anyway. The main ethos was simply to provide fair remuneration and adequate conditions for not only the local, permanent staff, but also for the porters.
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Tags: charity, eco tourism, mountaineering, nepal, responsible tourism, trekking
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May 10th, 2012
Getting the balance right between too much and too little in the way of gear and clothing for a trekking trip is a lot easier with modern fabrics, materials and designs. Variations in temperature and weather pose challenges that can be dealt with quite easily through the flexibility and variety of products available. Although you won’t be carrying all your gear – unless you’re trekking independently – you’ll still need to make a careful choice, especially about the stuff you carry each day.
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Tags: jungle expeditions, mountaineering, trek clothing, trek kit, trekking, trekking footwear
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May 7th, 2012
With the freedom to travel comes a responsibility to the people we visit whether trekking in the world’s mountain ranges or travelling through Asia on a gap year. ‘Community Tourism’ is about tourism that benefits local people. It aims to include and benefit local communities, particularly indigenous peoples and villagers in the rural South (i.e. ‘developing world’). For instance, villagers might host tourists in their village, managing the scheme communally and sharing the profits. There are many types of community tourism project, including many in which the ‘community’ works with a commercial tour operator, but all community tourism projects should give local people a fair share of the benefits/profits and a say in deciding how incoming tourism is managed.
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Tags: adventure travel, community tourism, eco tourism, responsible travel, trekking
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February 14th, 2012
Lonely Planet’s recent publication of the superb hardback, Great Journeys, presents dozens of the world’s most spectacular routes, from ancient trails like Machu Picchu, through to modern classics like Route 66. It even includes “The Hippy Trail” – the journey upon which Lonely Planet founders Tony and Maureen Wheeler cut their teeth. It gives the most avid adventure traveler, plenty of ideas to explore the world in a variety of ways and means. Great Journeys organises these experiences thematically with chapters devoted to:
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Tags: advnenture travel, expeditions, exploeres, lonely planet books, routes, trail, Travel Advice, treks
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