October 25, 2007–Telluride, Colo.
National Geographic Adventure Magazine named the Telluride, Colorado-based tour operator and guide service, Ryder-Walker Alpine Adventures, as one of the Top 10 Best Hiking and Trekking Outfitters on the Planet, in their November 2007 feature, “Best Outfitters on Earth.”
According to National Geographic Adventure Magazine, “Trekking’s most dramatic landscapes-the mountains and desert, are where this company excels.” They add, “Clients enjoy cushy accommodations at the beginning and end of each trail. In between, it’s wilderness all the way.”
Ryder-Walker provides inn-to inn hiking tours and treks throughout the mountainous regions of Western Europe. They also provide local backcountry guiding and instruction at their home base in Telluride, Colo.
N.G. surveyed more than 200 outfitters in their feature story, “Best Outfitters on Earth,” and gave them a score from 1 to 100 in each of the following four categories: education, sustainability, quality of service, and spirit of adventure. Researchers then contacted client references for every company surveyed and generated a fifth score, also between 1 and 100. Ryder-Walker scored 91.7 for client satisfaction based on customer feedback.
National Geographic went further and categorized each outfitter based on their specialty. Hiking and trekking was Ryder-Walker’s specialty and their score of almost 90 out of 100 for all of the categories combined, landed them within the top ten best hiking and trekking outfitters on the planet.
“We’re extremely pleased by this designation,” said Peter Walker, CEO and founder of Ryder-Walker Alpine Adventures. “Now we just need to take it a step further and strive for the ultimate number one position. In fact, we’ve already improved upon the sustainability category now that we’re purchasing carbon offsets. We’re trying to make every round-trip flight to Europe carbon neutral for 2008.”
National Geographic recently launched an online database of all 160 outfitters that received overall scores of 80 or higher. The database includes the same review information published in the magazine, plus advanced search engine features allowing prospective travelers to plan their trips by activity, destination, price range and more. Visit ngadventure.com/ratings to read Ryder-Walker’s review and view the scores. Just enter the search phrase, “Ryder-Walker,” or pick up a copy of the November 2007 issue.
National Geographic also highlighted the Engadine Trek as Ryder-Walker’s signature tour. You can read more about our signature tour, at our website, ryderwalker.com. Just click on “Engadine Trek” or contact Ryder-Walker for more details.
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