If you’re anything like us, you’ll no doubt have a bucket list as long as your arm – places you want to see and things you want to do while you’re still active and able. There are all the usual suspects on there; a long distance hike in the Alps, a trek in the Himalayas, a journey along the famous Inca Trail, a polar adventure in Antarctica. You catch our drift. But where do you start to make something like that happen? And what if you don’t want to follow the same path as everyone else?
KE Adventure is a great place to start. They’ve been doing their thing since 1984, first taking British trekkers to the remote Karakoram Mountains in Pakistan. After successful trips there, they started offering trekking trips to Nepal and then China, before adding mountain bike trips, short haul, family adventures, and polar expeditions to its extensive line-up. Today, KE runs around 370 trips in 100 countries – and bucket-list stuff with a twist is their speciality.
So, if you can picture yourself standing atop a remote Himalayan peak at sunrise, trekking through Peruvian canyons or being surrounded by the iconic mountains of the Alps, they’ve got you covered. We’ve selected three of their off-the-beaten track adventures that take a classic sight, like Machu Picchu, and do something different to the rest. These are way more than trips: they’re the stories you’ll tell for decades to come, the moments that will make you see the world – and yourself – differently.
HIKE THE INCA TRAIL
If you’re looking at bucket list adventures in South America, and you want to tick off one of the wonders of the world while you’re at it, Machu Picchu is probably right at the top of your list. There’s one small problem. If you like getting away from the crowds, you’re going to find it impossibly busy. Thankfully, there’s another option.
Over the course of 13 days, you can trek an alternative Inca Trail – heading to the secluded fortress of Choquequirao, where you’ll camp on Inca terraces and hike through the awe-inspiring Apurimac Canyon. You’ll trek over high passes beneath the dramatic 6,000m peaks of the Cordillera Vilcabamba, before crossing the Totora Pass and then turning north to descend the Rio Colpa. Arriving at the cloud forest cloaked valley of the Rio Urubamba, you’ll then be treated to a guided tour of Machu Picchu before returning to Cusco via the Sacred Valley. KE’s ‘Choquequirao to Machu Picchu’ trip is perfect if you’re seeking a genuine experience without the crowds.
Fast facts:
Price: £1,895 (without flights)
Duration: 13 days
Accommodation: Mixed: Hotels and camping
Difficulty: Challenging
Location: Peru
Trip code: CHQ
EXPLORE THE MONTE ROSA MASSIF
Long-distance trekking through the Alps is one of those things that everyone should do at least once. While the Tour Du Mont Blanc in France gets all the love, there’s plenty more to see away from the crowds. KE reckons one of the finest routes is a circuit of the Monte Rosa massif in the Swiss Alps. This challenging hike starts out from the picturesque Alpine village of Saas Fee, and over nine days crosses from Switzerland to Italy and then back again, passing beneath towering Alpine peaks, traversing narrow mountain passes and meandering across frozen glaciers.
On the ‘Tour de Monte Rosa’, you’ll be treated to stunning views of some of the biggest peaks in the Alps, including the famous Matterhorn as you pass through forested valleys and high meadows along good walking trails for between seven and eight hours each day before resting each night in the comfort of an atmospheric mountain hut or hotel.
Fast facts:
Price: £2,385 (without flights)
Duration: 11 days
Accommodation: Mixed: Hotels and mountain huts
Difficulty: Challenging
Location: Switzerland
Trip code: TMR
THE ULTIMATE EVEREST TREK
Nepal’s Khumbu region boasts some of the most extraordinary high mountain scenery on earth and its enduring popularity as a must-visit destination for adventurers is easy to understand. Hiking up to Everest Base Camp is high on the wish list of many adventure travellers – but if you’ve got three weeks to spare and fancy exploring some of the lesser known parts of the region, then KE has got the trip for you.
This extraordinary hike will see you pass through the Sherpa capital of Namche Bazaar, visit the sacred lakes in the stunning Gokyo Valley, and trek up to Gokyo Ri which offers breathtaking views of the jewel of the region: Mount Everest. Continuing to the Khumbu Valley by way of Cho La all the way to Lobuche, you’ll then hike into Everest Base Camp, before dropping back down to spend the night at the highest lodges in the Khumbu at Gorak Shep. From here you can ascend to the trekkers’ summit of Kala Patar for more superb views of Everest and the astonishing Khumbu Icefall. If this the ‘Ultimate Everest Trek’ isn’t a bucket list trip, we don’t know what is.
Fast facts:
Price: £2,445 (without flights)
Duration: 20 days
Accommodation: Mixed: Hotels and lodges
Difficulty: Challenging
Location: Nepal
Trip code: EVL