You don't have to jump out of planes or wrestle sharks to do add a little adventure into your next holiday. Adventure travel means different things to different people.

I am a prime example of the fact that it is not necessary to be a macho twenty-something guy to go an adventure holiday. In fact, the majority of travellers with adventure travel companies are actually women who are of an average age of thirty-eight (though there are many in their sixties or older). Another misconception - that you must be fighting fit as you will be cycling the Kalahari Desert or snowshoeing to the North Pole. On the contrary, if you are simply doing something that pushes you outside of your comfort zone, consider yourself an adventure traveler. It could be a walking tour or bike ride. Additionally, it is not mandatory to go off the grid and be away for a month to be credible. Many itineraries are as short as two or three days and make for a great break from your daily routine or can be stitched into a longer itinerary to provide unusual local insights and experiences.

You should consider the following when trying to decide what is going to work for you.   
 

  • Be realistic about your fitness level.
  • Push yourself outside your comfort zone but don't freak yourself out.
  • Be flexible. It is hard to plan every detail, so expect the unexpected especially when it comes to the weather.
  • Read all waiversbefore signing and ensure you are properly protected.
  • Always go with trained and properly certified professionals. Look for an official endorsement on the company's website.


Some suggestions from across Canada

Ranching, rodeos, cattle drives and cowboy culture are a big part of life in British Columbia's heartland. Trail rides, guest ranches and even multi-day packhorse treks into the wilderness are available throughout the province. Cowboy central, though, is the Cariboo, a land of sagebrush and canyons, Gold Rush history and vast cattle ranches about five hours from Vancouver in B.C.'s southern interior.

At Siwash Lake Ranch, for example, top-notch riding programs meld seamlessly with a summer children's program, five-star menus and even a luxurious tented spa. The popular Hills Health Ranch  offers horseback riding and hiking, while its country-style spa, with 40 fitness classes and workshops per week, including yoga and personal training programs, an indoor pool, hot tub and steaming sauna, will ease the saddle sore. At the luxurious Echo Valley Ranch & Spa, traditional Thai architecture and Eastern spa treatments blend harmoniously with Western ranch life.

Over in B.C.'s Kootenay Rockies region, Three Bars Ranch proves another popular guest ranch experience. Here, guests can learn tricks of the trade from the host Beckley family, and even try their hand at rafting, fly-fishing, ATV tours and archery.


Try a face-forward rappel down a 135 foot rock wall in New Brunswick's Grand Falls Gorge. Known locally as "deepelling," or face first rappelling.  Basically, you go face-first down a 135 foot rock wall into the Grand Falls Gorge!  You can make 3 trips in total, grabbing a revitalizing drink of water between each. No weight restriction, no age limits.  Price is $70.


For those who want to reach new heights!  www.goskydive.ca - The Gatineau Ottawa Skydive will take you to an altitude of 12,500 feet. During the 7 minute jump, you will have an unmatched view of the cities of Gatineau and Ottawa, the GatineauPark and the Ottawa River.

In the same area…the highest jumping platform in North America. Located on a quarry filled with water, it is just 20 minutes from Gatineau in Wakefield, Que.

White water kayaking Slave River Rapids at Fort Smith in NWT attract some highly adventurous kayakers each year.

There are four sets of rapids in a 25 km stretch on the Slave River: the Cassette, the Pelican, the Mountain and the Rapids of the Drowned. The river drops 33 metres through the rapids, and flows at a rate of about four kilometres an hour. A colony of white pelicans nests in the Mountain Rapids. One of the largest birds in the world, with a wingspan of about three metres, the pelicans feed on Slave River fish and raise their chicks on rocky islands in midstream. Depending on river volume, visitors can see the pelicans close up from the polished granite shoreline.

The rapids are considered to have the most accessible and challenging whitewater for kayakers in North America. The local kayaking club can provide an introduction to the best spots. For nearly two centuries, before roads were completed in the mid-1950s, the Slave River was the main route to the Northwest Territories. The rapids brought navigation to a standstill at Fort Fitzgerald, where all goods and passengers were offloaded and passengers travelled a 24 km portage route to Fort Smith. There, passengers and goods were loaded on York boats or, later, sternwheelers, for the trip down the Slave, across Great Slave Lake and down the Mackenzie River. The portage trails still are visible beside the river.

Each year Fort Smith hosts a Paddlefest event, attracting a variety of international and domestic visitors as well as locals of all skill levels.