This trip was sponsored by Tourism Calgary, but all opinions are my own.

In May Calgary Tourism offered me a challenge; to see how many adventure activities I could fit into 48-hours in the city. They’d send a film crew to document it and they’d foot the bill for the project.

Would I do it?

Hell yes I’d do it. I wasn’t going to turn down my third chance to be in a professional production (this was the first, and this was the second).

They asked what activities I wanted to try.

“Let me do some research and get back to you.” I replied. My fingers pecked my keyboard with hummingbird-like ferocity and my browser tabs multiplied like bunnies in the spring.

I’d heard there was a standing wave that you could surf somewhere in Calgary. I looked that up. I searched for a parkour club, because I’d always wanted to try it, and I figured I must also be able to kayak on the Bow River.

But then I ran out of ideas, still shy of 2-days worth of adventures.

What else could I do?

Mike, from Tourism Calgary suggested bobsledding and a trip down the fastest zipline in North America.

Perfect. The deal was sealed.

“Tell the editor who bleeps out words in the video that I’m sorry in advance, because this is going to be pretty bleeping rad and I will bleeping say so.”

In June, we executed the plan. You can get an idea of how it went from the video at the top of this blog post.

Below is the full story.

Day 1: Morning | Parkour Lessons at Breathe Parkour

I’ve always wanted to try parkour, also known as freerunning. The sport first entered popular culture when its founder was hired for the groundbreaking foot-chase scene at the beginning of the James Bond movie, Casino Royale. Parkour is basically applied gymnastics used for moving gracefully and acrobatically through urban landscapes.

The fellows at Breathe were very friendly and started me off with the basics. We did a quick round of lessons, including how to swing from a horizontal pole to leap and grab a building ledge, pole walking 12-feet in the air, and hucking flips into a foam pit.

I. Love. Foam pits.

The pinnacle of the lesson was reached when I tried to do the human flag, which is pictured below. What you don’t notice at first, is that my teacher is totally holding up my legs.

If you’re in Calgary and want to try it out, I highly recommend it. Lessons start at $25 for one and go down as you purchase more, while gym drop-ins are just $15.

Day 1: Afternoon | Ziplining and Bobsledding at the Canada Olympic Park

In 1988 Calgary hosted the Winter Olympics, and the Canada Olympic Park where they held ski jumping, bobsledding, and other gravity-assisted events, still sits on the western edge of town with many of the facilities open for use year-round.

Before this trip I had a vague idea that visitors could try bobsledding in the COP. I didn’t know, however, that it could be done in summer. And I had no idea that the COP was home to the fastest zipline in North America, on which you reach speeds over 120km per hour and drop 100m over a distance of just 500m.

The view from the top of the zipline, which was the top of the ski jump during the olympics, is amazing. During the descent, you go so fast that you have to throw out a parachute to slow yourself down and you’re strongly advised by staff to lean way back with your legs in the air when the you hit the end of the track.

The stop is rather abrupt.

The sign below says it all.

For video purposes, I got to do it twice, which I wasn’t complaining about at all.

Our bobsled ‘guide’ was a hefty Australian — one of their Olympic bobsledders.

The bobsled ride is pretty intense. The bobsled rattles manically and the g-force around the corners is powerful.

We got to do it three times, and each time it got a bit smoother as we learned how to brace for the corners.

Day 1: Dinner | The Palamino Smokehouse

This wasn’t exactly an adventure, but Palamino Smoke definitely deserves a nod. This place is a Calgary institution. It’s one of the grimier areas of downtown (not that Calgary really gets very grimy), which only adds to the the charm of what most Calgarians say is the best greasy rib house in the city.

And by many Calgarians I mean my sister’s husband and his friends, who were very jealous when they heard where I ate.

I’d have to agree. We had a dinner of beer and a enormous meat platter with ribs, chicken, and fries swimming in minced garlic. But I’d have to say my favorite was the bacon-wrapped corn on the cob.

Yes, you heard me right. Bacon. Wrapped. Corn.

You now have all the necessary information to decide if you want to eat there. Either you’re garlic slathered, bacon-wrapped [insert any food on the planet here] kind of person, or your not.

Day 2: Morning | Kayaking on the Bow River

I’ve had my share of kayaking adventures. Well, mishaps, actually. Six of one, half-dozen of the other I say.

But this was my first chance to take real kayaking lessons and learn some whitewater technique. To top it off, my friend Adam — the drummer for Open Sails who I first met in Taiwan — would be joining me.

We headed out to the tree-lined shores of the Bow River — an enormous river that runs through the city — in Bowness Park where we were met by Steve Wapple, our instructor from the University of Calgary Outdoor Center.

First we paddled slowly around a calm eddy and Steve explained a few different strokes and techniques. After that, he showed us how to get into the fast water without tipping and how to navigate.

Soon we were cruising down the Bow River in the sun and dipping ourselves in the water just to cool off. Near the end of the trip we found a standing wave where we all took turns kayak surfing it — good practice for what was to come.

Day 2: Lunch | Containr Bar

We headed down to Calgary’s trendy Kensington neighborhood, to Contanr Bar a cool little spot built out of 100% found materials in the alley beside a posh bar/restaurant that gets so busy it can actually send people to sit on in the alley on chairs people threw away to eat off of recycled pallets…

…and like it.

It was a really chill little spot. Adam and I caught up, laughed about the old days, munched on duck fat popcorn and deep fried pig ears, as scratchy music from the vinyl on the vintage record player filled the alley.

Day 2: Afternoon | Surfing

I’ve done a bit of surfing here and there. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not that good. But I thought this was going to be really easy.

You see, the hardest part of learning surfing is knowing how to get in the exact right place to catch the wave. If you can do that, the rest is relatively straightforward.

The wave in Calgary is a standing wave in a river. It doesn’t move. You can see exactly where you’re going.

No problem, right?

As usual, I was astoundingly wrong.

What the wave gives away by being stationary, it makes up for by being fickle — especially on a day when the river is low, as it was when we visited.

Getting into the wave laying down is fairly easy, but standing up without causing the board to nosedive or be sucked back over the wave requires a quick and precise leap to your feet.

I have to thank the editors of the video for making it look as though I may have actually stood up. I came very close once or twice, but never actually did.

That really doesn’t matter though. The worst day of surfing is still better than the best day not surfing, so it was a win.

And it was one of the friendliest lineups I’ve ever been in — mainly because most of the surfers out there were able to bond based over the difficulty of simply standing up on that wave.

It’s not over for me and that wave. Not by a long shot. My sister lives in Calgary and I visit several times a year.

Round 2 is coming soon.

Day 2: Dinner | One18 Empire

Our last stop of the day was at Calgary’s new posh whiskey bar, One18 Empire. It’s an upscale place with a selection of whiskeys that would make Jack Daniels blush and bartenders that know their stuff.

We munched on maple-wrapped dates and a charcuterie of cured meats and cheeses while we tasted fine whiskeys from around the world to top off the 48-hour adventure.

If you liked my video, check out the full series on the Calgary Tourism website.

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Ziplining Beside the Chompoo Wildlife Sanctuary

Image by arwcheek

I’ve never gone ziplining (soon to be remedied) but I am in love with them. They are one of the most low-impact and exciting forms of eco-tourism out there. They require few materials, prevent people from disturbing the surrounding environment (after they’re set up) and look like an amazing way to the nature.

Flight of the Gibbon is a pretty class act. They run a well-constructed 3km system of ziplines that connect 24 tree platforms beside the Compoo Wildlife Sancturary, about two hours outside of Bangkok. They will pick you up in Bangkok, hurl you across lines as long as 300m, then take you for a trek through the jungle, and drop you off for around $110 USD per person. Or, if ziplining isn’t your style, you can monkey around in their treetop obstacle course for $65 USD.

Biking from City to Shore

Image by Irvine-

This tour by Grasshopper Adventures, a well-known bicycle tour company in Asia, will take you by ferry and train out of the city cycle along the Gulf of Thailand in fishing communities. You will see mangroves, salt pans, fish farms, and, if you’re lucky, a water monitor or two. At the least,  you’re likely to encounter some mudskippers, those little cuties. The tour has received rave reviews on Trip Advisor.

This tour costs $200 USD for one rider, $100 USD each for two riders, and $85 USD each for 3 or more riders. Be warned, the 52km bike ride does require some physical ability.

Rafting Beneath the Bridge on the River Kwai

Image by FelixR

Surprisingly, the infamous bridge from the 1957 movie is very close to Bangkok. Although many companies like this one offer tours that will transport visitors to Kanchanaburi and then allow them descend the river by canoe, kayak, or bamboo raft, most of the tours are bundled with elephant rides. Many people feel that the elephants used on such tours are not treated well, and they encourage visitors not to partake in them. So, if you would rather take the trip on your own, you can catch the bus to Kanchanaburi from Bangkok’s Southern Bus Terminal. Busses depart every 30 minutes and tickets for seats on air-conditioned busses run about $3 USD each. Once in Kanchanaburi  you can rent your preferred mode of river transport from one of several local shops.

If you’re in Asia and looking for flights to Bangkok then be sure to check out my travel hacker’s guide to finding cheap flights.

Lead image by arwcheek

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London Urban Adventure 5: Skateboarding, Scooting, BMXing, and Rollerblading

Image by James Alby

Often overlooked as adventure sports, these forms of two- to eight-wheeled self propelled urban transportation are among the graceful, skillful, and potentially painful of outdoors sports.  Most large urban centres have several parks where young death-driven maniacs can hurl themselves off of large concrete edifices, and London is no exception. London is home to several world-class skate parks including the One Minet Park in Essex (free), Bay Sixty6 (£6/$9.50 USD) on Acklam Road, and Mount Hawke (£3.5/$5.50 USD) in the southwest.

All you have to do is grab your toy of choice, strap on your helmet, and try to avoid high-speed interaction with the pavement.

London Urban Adventure 4: The Rat Race

Image by oobrien

Organized by Rat Race Events, the Rat Race is an extreme urban adventure race that takes place several times a year. Sometimes the race requires a team. Sometimes you can go solo. Only one thing is certain–it’s going to be f$%#ng hard.

Coming up in 2012 is the Soldier Challenge, in which teams of 2-4 will  be given four hours “to bag as many of the 35 military checkpoints” as possible. You won’t be told where the checkpoints are until an hour before the race begins. There’s no route. There’s no guide. It’s up to you to figure out where to go when, and how to get there. It’s basically free-for-all.

That is followed by the Survival of the fittest on November 17th in which thousands of contestants will struggle across a 10km obstacle course. There are two options run the course during the day or, for those who really like to punish themselves, run it at night under floodlights.

London Urban Adventure 3: Kayaking the Thames

Image by Lukr

Have you ever dreamed of kayaking in a smoggy city on one of the most polluted rivers in Britain? Me neither. But, if there was nowhere else to go, I’d be willing to give it a try.

Actually, kayaking on the Thames doesn’t sound too bad. Kayaking London offers several different paddles on the Thames including beginner classes (£120/$190 USD for four three-hour sessions), a four-hour discover London tour (£60/$95 USD), and a two-and-a-half-hour Big Ben by night trip (£29/$45 USD).

London Urban Adventure 2: Climbing the Castle

Image by Aleksi Aaltonen

The Castle Climbing Centre is a huge climbing centre located in northern London inside of, yep, you guessed it, a castle.  Aside from the coolness of climbing in a 200-foot tall castle, there are a lot of reasons to go get your climb on here. Accessible by public transportation, the Castle is easy for out-of-towners to get to. With over 450 routes and 250 bouldering problems, the Castle has a challenge for every climber. There are always pros onsite offering varying levels of courses. And, starting at £12 ($19 USD) per visit (after a £5/$8 USD registration fee) the Castle is something pretty much anybody can afford.

Yes, I’d rather be on a mountain, but, in the absence of a nice sheer cliff, the Castle is as good a facility as you will find.

London Urban Adventure 1: Parkour at the L.E.A.P. Park

Image by JB London

Parkour, the art of running awesomely over, across, through, and sometimes spinning around, urban obstacles with has been gaining in popularity quickly in recent years thanks to its adaptation to Hollywood chase scenes, like the epic chase at the beginning of Casino Royale. Now parkour lessons and parkour parks have been springing up in urban centres around the world. I placed this activity at number one because it’s something that I’d really like to try.

The L.E.A.P.  (London Experience of Art du depacement and Parkour) Park is the world’s first parkour park. Unlike a skate park, you can’t just show up and start trying to do backflips off of buildings. To use the park you must first pass an induction with a trained parkour instructor. You must also run with a buddy–running alone is not allowed. For more information about lessons and the park, check out the Parkour Generations website.

If you don’t believe that parkour looks like fun, just check out this video of parkour in London.

If you’re looking for top notch accommodations while in London, but aren’t into fancy hotels, you may want to check out these home rentals.

Lead image by JB London

London Vacations

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One of the places you often find in a list of late holiday deals is Norway, a country famous for its fjords. A fjord is a glacier formed valley with steep cliffs on three sides and a narrow, elongated inlet of sea. The word “fjord” comes from the Norse word fjǫrðr, which means, on the most basic level, ‘where you travel through’. Norway is home to the second and third largest fjords in the world Sognefjord (203 km), and the Hardanger Fjord (179 km).

There are a number of places near Norway’s fjords that are perfect for climbing. It is important to remember, however, that Norway has its own grading system for climbing, which rates pitches from 1-10 in a manner similar to that used by International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation’s (UIAA) system. Also, many of climbing guidebooks about the area are written in Norwegian, so you might want to climb with a Norwegian friend. Norwegians, like most Scandinavians, tend to speak good English, so you ought to be able to sit down with locals in the area you decide to climb and spend an hour or so mapping out your route and creating your own guide before setting out.

Stavanger has steep walls 100-500m high and Kjerag is one of the world’s best base-jumping sites. Bergen is brilliant for athletic climbers and there is a 600m granite wall in Uskedalen. Hurrungane (which literally means ‘the noisemakers’) that’s good not only for climbing, but in the winter, for ice climbing too. The starting point for hiking is the village of Turtagrø along the Sognefjellsvegen road. The mountain range has a total of 24 peaks over 2000m tall.

The Romsdal area has been popular among climbers for more than a hundred years. Romsdalen is a valley and Romsdal is the larger area. It is advisable to stay in Åndalsnes if you want to climb in Romsdalen. Åndalsnes can be easily accessed via the train, which also stops at the Oslo Airport in Gardermoen. One of the popular walls here is called the ‘Troll Wall’.

Innerdalen is a 16 hour drive from Stockholm. Bear in mind that there are no bolts, so you’ll need the appropriate equipment. The emergency number is 112.

June is a good time of year for fjord climbing, particularly if it’s your first time. There is less wind and rain and you have benefit from 22 hours of daylight.

In winter, the ice climbing is fantastic and you can go out with an instructor. But for those seeking a greater level of safety, the skiing in the area is also awesome.

Of course, the valleys make not only for great climbs, but for fantastic kayaking opportunities too.

There are narrow shallow bits and a plethora of reefs and islets, which make kayaking a challenging adventure. Because in fjords you are never too far from the water’s edge, if the weather takes a turn for the worse it’s always easy to paddle to the side, hop out of the kayak, and take shelter for a little while. In the fjords the scenery is never dull.

Sophie Collard (@QunoSpotter) is a travel writer who you’ll find writing about the many elements of travel in various different places. She writes the blog qunospotter.co.uk which spotlights overland travel. She’s travelled over rails in the UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia.

Lead photo by photo.andersson.es on Flickr

More Og Romsdal Vacations

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The Algarve

Location

Southern coast of Portugal

Climate/Geography

The Algarve has a subtropical Mediterranean climate, which means that it’s a pretty accommodating place all year round with highs of 25 °C in the winter, and 48 °C in the summer. The temperature rarely falls below zero in the winter, and  it barely ever rains there in the summer.

The Algarve consists of 5402 square kilometers of rolling hills, small mountains, lush valleys, and some of the finest beaches in Europe.  It stretches from the Targus Valley in the north to the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula. In addition to its beaches, its known for its islands, limestone caves, and 170 square kilometer Ria Formosa Lagoon nature preserve.

Closest Town/City/Village

The Algarve is a large region containing several cities, including: Faro, Albufeira, Lagoa, Lagos, Loulé, Olhão,Portimão, Quarteira, Silves, Tavira, and Vila Real de Santo António.

Description

The Algarve is one of the most beautiful places in Europe, and everybody knows it. The population of the area triples in the summer when it’s swarmed by 7 million foreign tourists, the majority of whom come from Britain, Ireland, Germany, and Holland. The upside of this is that English is common, making it easy for us English speakers to get around.

The geographic diversity and natural beauty of the Algarve make it an exceptional area for outdoor activities. Algarve beaches are some of the most beautiful in the world. For the surfers there are lots of beach (and a few point) breaks along the West and South coast that average 4-6 foot waves. Big wave lovers don’t despair. In the winter it can get up to 15 feet on a regular basis, and even up to 25 feet at Carrapateira once in a while.

April through September a northerly wind blows up through the Sera de Monchique making the Alvor Estuary (near Lagos) a brilliant spot for kitesurfing.  There is rock climbing of all difficulty levels all around the Algarve, especially along the coast and at Rocha da Pena. The diving here is among the best in the country, especially the caves at Sagres, and the snorkeling at Ponta da Piedade is said to be magical.  The hilly terrain and oceanside cliffs here make for mountain bike trails that are breathtaking for both their beauty and their beastliness.

Activities

• Surfing (3 – 25 foot waves depending on location and conditions)
• Kitesurfing (winds up to 25 knots)
• Wakeboarding
• Sea kayaking
• Snorkeling
• Sailing
• Dolphin and whale watching
• Scuba diving
• Climbing (novice – extreme)
• Mountain Biking (novice – extreme)
• Hiking

On a Budget?

• Budget rooms start around $20 USD per person for a dorm.  Private rooms will run a bit more. You can find more information about hostels in Portugal here. In Faro the cheaper places are the Low Cost Inn and the Faro Youth Hostel.
• Camping starts around $6 USD per person (but they may charge for your tent or car as well).
• Wine starts at about $1.50 USD per bottle in supermarkets. Awesome!
• Cheap meals can be found for around $7-8 USD (but, don’t forget, the supermarket is always an option).

Travel Insurance

I like to use World Nomads. It’s not too expensive and signing up is fast and straightforward. They also have pretty good coverage for sports equipment like surf and snowboards, but it varies depending on your country of origin, so be sure double check. You can get a free quote on their website.

Photos

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Photos courtesy of (in order) jernie, Falcon505, Sue Elias, eriwst, montuno, Flashpacking Life, and YXO on Flickr.

Suggested Reading

Click on an image for more information.

Map

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Algarve Vacations

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