A key element of the environmental impact of travel is the carbon we expend getting from place to place. Using planes, trains, and automobiles to facilitate our trips, the carbon footprint of travel for each of us individually can be high.
This Earth Day (April 22), we are highlighting a few special human-powered journeys offered by our clients that provide a lower carbon in-destination experience, particularly as it relates to direct emissions stemming from transportation. Whether travelling by foot or bike, these options rely primarily on active transportation using the traveller’s own steam to get from place to place while enjoying a slower pace of travel and a more immersive experience overall.
On the Coast to Coast trail (Wilderness England)
Wilderness England
England Coast to Coast – Set to gain “official” status next year when it becomes a National Trail, and having just celebrated 50 years since being designed by famed writer, fellwalker, and illustrator Alfred Wainwright in 1973 (who apparently didn’t like the Pennine Way so decided to create something better), this 197-mile (317km) long-distance walking route quite literally stretches from coast to coast – from St. Bees on the Irish Sea to Robin Hoods Bay on the North Sea – passing through three National Parks, the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales, and North Yorkshire.
On this 13-day/12-night itinerary, which has a carbon footprint of 201 kg, travellers will hike the most spectacular sections of Wainwright’s walk, discovering the area’s incredible history as they go. A blue-graded adventure – meaning it is suitable for fit and experienced hikers who are happy to be walking at a good pace for six to eight hours every day – the terrain varies from rough and boggy, to boulder fields and mountaintops. A popular choice among those looking for the challenge and reward that comes from a long-distance trek, there are a total of five departures in 2024.
Click here to learn more about some of the many epic hikes that are available through the Wilderness group of companies. For more information on the company’s commitment to sustainability, including its goal is to achieve True Net Zero Status by the end of 2030, including the carbon labelling of all of its trips, click here.
ExperiencePlus! Bicycle Tours
Bicycle Romagna – Heartland of Italy’s Homemade Pasta – A long-time leader in guided cycling adventures, ExperiencePlus! just recently unveiled a collection of six new self-guided cycling trips in Italy, a perfect option for adventure travelers looking to make a low impact through slow travel – with all the details (route mapping, luggage transfers, and accommodations) taken care of. One of these new trips is a seven-day exploration of Emilia-Romagna, a tour that showcases an iconic side of Italy that feels a lot like Tuscany, but without the crowds. Starting in Ravenna, cyclists travel through the famous ceramics town of Faenza and medieval villages such as Brisighella, Dozza, and Terra del Sol, all the way to Bologna, the culinary capital of Italy. The itinerary offers ample choice of easy or challenging rides, making it a great option for groups made up of individuals with varying levels of cycling experience.
ExperiencePlus! and its operator partner – sister company BikesPlus – prioritize sustainability across the spectrum of its activities. From development to marketing to operations, they always look for ways to make the sustainable choice the default choice for consumers, and this includes the company’s fleet of bikes. Guests can expect to ride road bikes with titanium frames (which the company has used since 2010) – material that is incredibly durable and safe and, when it finally reaches the end of its lifespan, can be recycled. Thanks to the longevity of these frames, it is simply a matter of changing or upgrading the componentry and drive trains without having to invest in new frames, which also minimizes the carbon footprint. Read more about the company’s diverse fleet of premium bikes here.
Wilderness Travel
Hiking Amalfi and Capri – Pompeii, Ravello, and Italy’s most iconic coast by foot. The Amalfi Coast has long been hailed as the most inspiring coast in Europe, capturing the imaginations and hearts of many worldwide. Across the Bay of Naples lies equally enticing Capri, an island soaring out of Italy’s azure seas. With Wilderness Travel on Hiking Amalfi and Capri, these two realms are linked by moderate hikes, cultural encounters, and superb Italian cuisine, showcasing the very best the region has to offer active and inquisitive guests. From Naples roundtrip, highlights of this nine-day journey include the clifftop town of Ravello, hiking along the famous Sentiero Degli Dei trail to the iconic coastal village of Positano, and craggy Capri, where guests follow a rocky path to the very top of the island. Back on the mainland, walk across the region’s iconic lemon groves in the Sorrento Hills, then along the brooding crater rim of legendary Mt. Vesuvius.
Between hikes, guests can enjoy a demonstration of mozzarella di bufala being made (with a tasting, of course!), visiting a family-run olive farm that has been in operation since 1849, and exploring the haunting ruins of Pompeii in the shadow of Mt. Vesuvius. This journey is supported with car and ferry transportation on a few days of the trip.
Wilderness Travel have always believed that community-based, sustainable tourism can be a powerful force for positive change when done thoughtfully and responsibly. They prioritize balancing profit and purpose by ensuring most travel dollars stay in the communities they visit – going to Trip Leaders from the region, locally owned suppliers, and grassroots organizations that preserve and protect the surrounding cultures and ecosystems. Visit this link to learn more about the company’s commitments to conservation and community.
The Kiiji route (Oku Japan)
Oku Japan
Kumano Kodo: Kiiji and Iseji – One of only two pilgrimage World Heritage Sites globally (the other, of course, being the Camino de Santiago*), the Kumano Kodo represents the spiritual heartland of Japan with a history that stretches back over a thousand years. Today, Oku Japan – a company that specializes in, and prides itself on, community-focused tours all over Japan, driving tourism dollars deeper into areas that typically don’t see as many visitors – runs various guided and self-guided tours in this revered region, including along the classic Nakahechi route, and, more recently, has added self-guided tours along the Iseji, an ancient coastal route, and the Kiiji, the original access point of the Kumano Kodo.
Less explored than some of the trail’s other options, the Iseji and Kiiji routes – along which Oku offers four- and five-day options on the former and five- and six-day options on the latter – offer travellers even greater opportunities for discovery and cultural immersion, while providing the communities here with much-needed support.
To read more about Oku Japan’s full line-up of guided and self-guided tours along the Kumano Kodo, click here.
*Travellers on the Iseji self-guided tour cannot obtain Dual Pilgrim status (when you have walked both the Camino and Kumano Kodo) as to quailfy, you have to walk a particular section of the Kumano Kodo as well as visit all Kumano Sanzan (comprised of three shrines and two temples). With the Kiiji sef-guided tour, Dual Pilgrim status is possible.
