Every travel-addict has a rough idea of the places they want to explore and the experiences they want to have. From the big ticket trips that get labelled once-in-a-lifetime to those that only require a backpack, a sturdy pair of boots and an insatiable curiosity, there’s nothing quite like stepping into the unknown, ready to reconnect with the wilderness as you take on a slew of outdoor adventures – and no one does it better than Much Better Adventures.
Consider them the ultimate adventure planners for intrepid travellers as you head off the beaten track to uncover truly epic experiences the world over, swapping the bright lights and big city for the great outdoors. From kayaking along Croatia’s canyon rivers to wild camping in Morocco’s High Atlas mountains, we’ve pulled together a list of must-have adventures, led by local guides with one aim in mind: to help rewild you.
Kayak + Wild Camp in Croatia
If your adventure fantasies feature balmy days exploring clear emerald waters, secret caves and incredible waterfalls, all hidden in the warm shade of Wild West-looking canyons, then Croatia's wilderness is the place to turn this fantasy into reality. With your days spent exploring the majestic Zrmanja River in kayaks, you’ll get to experience this dramatic landscape from a rare perspective, as you paddle through the otherworldly valleys on water that sparkles with a jewel-like intensity. Yet that’s just the start of the adventure. Swim in secluded freshwater pools, bathe beneath warm waterfalls and scout out clandestine caves, before camping on the water’s edge of this mysterious place for a relaxed evening around a campfire.
Hike The Volcanic Island of Gran Canaria
Each and every one of the Canary Islands offers its own special slice of majesty, but Gran Canaria offers something totally unrivalled: the chance to explore an entire continent on foot. Boasting some of the most dramatic terrains on the planet, this is a place where challenging hikes are also a tonic for tired eyes, starting with your ascent to the summit of Pico de las Nieves, 1949m above the warm ocean waters below. Yet it’s the journey up and down that will make the hairs on your neck salute, as you traverse the craggy sun-banked mountains, sleep in rustic mountain huts, explore hidden pine forests and then cool off in the most impressive coastal rock pools you can imagine, the different landscapes snatching your breath every step of the way.
The Snowdon Challenge
Snowdonia is more than just 823-square miles of craggy mountains, jaw-dropping waterfalls and rugged landscapes. It’s the ultimate adventure playground that really packs it in, which is exactly what this one-day, multi-discipline challenge celebrates. Set amongst a formidable mountain shield and beneath glowering skies, this 10-hour sweat fest starts on mountain bikes as you head across the wilds of Snowdonia National Park, your eyes darting here, there and everywhere as you try to take in every inch of the landscape. From there, the only way is up as you take on the 14km trek to the summit of Snowdon before finishing with a 4km kayak round the spine-tingling Llyn Padarn and across the finish line.
Hike Slovakia's High Tatras Mountains
While no two experiences of this wild mountain range are ever the same, one thing is guaranteed: it’s almost-impossible to overstate the majesty of the Tatras, the 300-plus peaks of the Central Carpathian Mountains only made more epic by the plethora of natural playgrounds that pockmark this place. Valleys covered in spruce forests, deep-blue glacier lakes, alpine meadows and a labyrinth of waterfalls all hiding beneath the sky-scraping peaks. That’s what makes this wild landscape a hiker’s paradise, as you cover 18km of tricky terrain each day, following the pretty unknown Tatranská Magistrala trail; one of the most remote, undiscovered and magnificent treks in this UNESCO protected reserve.
The 3 Peaks Challenge in Morocco
Known by the locals as Idraren Draren (Mountains of Mountains), The High Atlas is North Africa’s highest range, the saw-toothed Jurassic peaks running diagonally across Morocco for almost a thousand-kilometres. That’s what makes it a trekkers paradise and home to the 3 Peaks Challenge, where hikers have four-days to tackle 3 summits back-to-back, each one towering 4000 metres over the desert below. Starting with Mt Toubkal (4167m) before taking on Timzguida (4089m) and Ras (4083m), each day pits you against loose terrain, high altitudes and epic views as you explore the Imlil Valley alongside Berber guides, staying in a combination of traditional riads and isolated mountain refuges tucked away in some of the most incredible locations possible.
Hike, Kayak + Wild Camp The Norwegian Fjords
Created thousands of years ago by retreating glaciers, exploring Norway’s fjords should sit at the top of every bucket list, their impossibly steep-sides slicing through the jagged coastlines to create a wilderness of extreme beauty – and Sognefjord is the crown jewel. Known as the King of the Fjords, this is an adventure that will have you living in the moment from start to finish as you kayak through the UNESCO-listed Nærøyfjord, beneath sheer cliff faces, past soul-stirring waterfalls and truly remote farms, before trekking your way up some of the most incredible snow-capped mountain trails. And at the end of each day, you’ll get to soak up the sound of disbelieving quiet as you wild camp on the water’s edge, the sun giving way to a sky full of stars as you tuck into a campfire feast.
£870 Adventure Giveaway!
Time to pack your bags and get ready to explore the unknown because we’ve teamed up with Much Better Adventures to give you the chance to win a £500 voucher to put towards an epic adventure, plus two Adventure Bags to take with you. Get ready to explore where others won’t!
The Prizes:
- £500 voucher from Much Better Adventures
- 2 x Adventure Bags (worth £370)
Competition ends 23:59 BST Tuesday 28th June 2022. Good luck, legends!
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