Cheryl Talbert
Did you know that The Mountaineers offers outdoor adventures not only across North America, but in far flung spots all over the globe? Our hardy team of Global Adventures leaders love outdoor adventure travel, and love to take fun and compatible groups of Mountaineers with them! If you're passionate about expanding your outdoor horizons and would love to share those experiences with fellow Mountaineers, you'll want to check out our trips that have recently opened for registration. Don't wait - trips can fill up months to a year in advance!
Ski in the Alps of Tirol Austria | Mar 6-22, 2020
Ski, snowboard, and walk at two of the largest resorts – Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis and Zillertal - in the alps of the Austrian Tirol, the birthplace of alpine skiing! Choose from 219 lifts, up to 10,633 feet. Non-skiers can enjoy walking paths between villages and up to panoramic mountain huts, with a chance to catch rides on ski lifts or groomers. Explore the charming towns of Zurich, Innsbruck, Mayrhofen, and Munich, sample world-famous chocolate, and pass through lovely Lichtenstein with its historic mountain-top castles.
Price: $3,350, 50% deposit to hold your spot
Leader: Patti Polinsky, meanysports@me.com
Trip Preview: Monday, September 16, 7pm at the Seattle Program Center's Summit Room
Tour Istanbul and Trek the Aegean Coast | Apr 6-19, 2020
Tour Istanbul's old city, mosques, palaces, and historic neighborhoods, cruise the Bosporus, and sample fabulous Turkish cuisine above the Golden Horn. Join an expert local guide to visit the ruins of Ephesus, Aphrodisias and Selçuk before moving southeast to trek 57 miles of the newly established Carian Way, connecting ancient byways of the Carian civilization. We’ll walk past the ruins of Herakleia in Latmos and visit Byzantine wall paintings near Lake Bafa, before heading further south to wander the coastal hills and beaches of the Bozburun and Datca peninsulas. Stay in small village homes and hotels, eat simple but delicious homemade meals, and carry only a daypack. The trip starts in Istanbul and ends in Dalaman Turkey.
Price: $2,200, $1,100 deposit to hold your spot
Leader: Cheryl Talbert, cascadehiker@earthlink.net
Bird and Hike the Cloud Forests of Panama | Apr 15- 26, 2020
See and hear a multitude of bird species, search for monkeys, and find many unique flowers, trees, and plants on early morning and late afternoon hikes with a local naturalist from two stunning lodges in the Cordillera de Talamanca of Panama. Includes eight nights at Mt. Totumas Lodge, the highest-elevation ecolodge in Panama, and three nights at Finca Hartmann, a coffee plantation outside of Volcan that also features an abundance of bird species.
Price: $2700, $1,350 deposit to hold your spot
Leader: Thomas Bancroft, gtbancroft@gmail.com
Trek Peru’s Ausangate Circuit and Rainbow Mountain | May 31-Jun 13, 2020
Explore and acclimatize in the ancient Andean citadel of Cusco and the surrounding Inca ruins and countryside, then set out to trek the remote, stunning high-altitude landscapes of Peru. Trek around the ‘Sacred Mountain’ of Ausungate for nine days, including custom side trips to the ancient pilgrimage site of Qoyllur Rit’I and the Vinacunca ‘Rainbow Mountain’. We’ll be accompanied by experienced local guides, and will camp each night with a support crew carrying our overnight gear and providing tasty meals, so that you only need to carry a daypack. Start and end in Cusco, accessed through Lima.
Price: $2,700, $1,350 deposit to hold your spot
Leader: Cheryl Talbert, cascadehiker@earthlink.net
Hike the Swiss Alps of Zermatt and Saas-Fee | Jul 26-Aug 8, 2020
Explore the high Alps of Switzerland in one of the must-see places of Europe, and day hike among the 4,000-meter peaks that encircle the resort towns of Saas-Fee and Zermatt. The mountains are things of myth; the Matterhorn, Monte Rosa, the Dom, Weisshorn, and many others. The many trails will take you high above the valleys, where you’ll travel through flower-filled mountain meadows, along balcony trails and across rugged passes, visiting alpine huts, and hiking to high mountain glaciers. You’ll enjoy spectacular scenery and views all around you in this fabulous region. Enjoy comfortable accommodations and tasty food in the evenings.
Price: $3,450, $1,725 deposit to hold your spot
Leader: Richard Rutz, richardr1066@comcast.net
Hike and Photograph in Costa Rica | Sep 19-29, 2020
View green sea turtles laying eggs and hatching, and photograph migrating birds, flowers, and wildlife on this ecologically sensitive walking/hiking adventure! Explore on foot through Tortuguero National Park and nearby remote private reserves in search of flora and fauna, and walk a forest trail to natural hot springs. Lodging will be in comfortable small hotels, lodges and bungalows, all with en-suite facilities and relaxing, often open dining areas to observe the wildlife and birds. A local naturalist and photography guide will be with us at all times.
Price: $4,395, $2,200 deposit to hold your spot
Leader: Patti Polinsky, meanysports@me.com
Trip preview: September 26, 7pm in the Seattle Program Center's Goodman A auditorium
