Tours Levels Explained

 

Unlike other outdoor activities such as white water rafting, rock climbing and downhill skiing; the bicycle touring and adventure travel industry as a whole have never created a rating scale so that potential travelers could compare offerings on equal terms. What one company ranks as 4 chilis, another company would call moderate. Pedalers has tried to rally our fellow tour operators but most want to stick with their version, as they built it around their marketing style.

Pedalers now describes our tours based on the degree of activity involved plus the terrain encountered and divided it into four categories. The descriptions are about the average conditions a guest may encounter, but trips could have a taste of a higher level included as well. Such as a climb over a high alpine pass on a moderate trip or some class 4 white water on a leisurely trip. You will find more details on the daily cycling or walking distances, passes crossed, etc in the Day By Day itineraries for each tour.

 

Leisurely (A)

3 to 5 hours of cycling, hiking or paddling in flat terrain or smaller hills. These trips are great if you are: a healthy active adult, a budding outdoor enthusiast, a weekend warrior or curious traveler. They can also be enjoyed by intermediate level adventurers, even hard core cyclists looking to relax a bit.

 

Moderate (B)

3 to 6 hours of activity in mixed terrain, flat, hills and mountains, faster water or moderate whitewater. Within reach of everyone mentioned for Leisurely, but we might suggest a bit of pre-trip conditioning. These are excellent choices for weekend warriors, outdoor enthusiasts and more serious adventure travelers.

 

Ambitious (C)

4 to 7 hours of activity in mixed terrain, longer distances covered, longer climbs and higher altitudes, big white water. Our Ambitious trips are great for weekend warriors, outdoor enthusiasts, experienced cyclists and paddlers. Active healthy travelers are welcome, but a fair amount of pre-trip conditioning is advised.

 

Extreme (D)

Need we say more. Travelers need to be experienced in the activity and love physical challenges. Trips can involve high altitudes (>10,000 ft / 3300 m).

The letter after each name was our previous level indicator.