Halintours

03/20/2023

Torghatten - the mountain with the hole through the middle

03/20/2023

Fishing port of Kristiansund

02/11/2022

News from a friend who has been to both poles. Contact Eric if you’re interested.

Want to hear something crazy? I'm feeling good enough to start guiding again! Pretty crazy since last year at this time, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 colorectal cancer and given only a few years to live!?!

Level 1 Polar Training Course
Location: Lake of the Woods, MN
Dates: March 4-11, 2022

Join me for an immersion into the world of winter travel and polar expeditions. Learn valuable skills and techniques that will allow you to travel comfortably, safely and efficiently in cold and snow - whether it is just a weekend excursion or an expedition to the North or South Pole. Based out of a remote cabin on Lake of the Woods, Minnesota, this course covers all aspects of modern-day polar travel through intensive seminars and a 'mini' expedition on Lake of the Woods.

After spending the first three days alternating between indoor instruction and outdoor practicals, students will embark on a four-day expedition. With temperatures well below zero and conditions nearly identical to both the Arctic and Antarctic, this adventure will provide a challenging, yet safe, opportunity to experience the many facets of 'polar' expedition life. This is a very 'hands on' course where students are active participants in all aspects of camping, meal prep and travel. Topics covered: polar travel philosophy, cold weather layering, sleeping in cold weather, equipment, expedition communications and electronics, travel techniques, nutrition and menu planning, safety and first aid, cold weather photography, team dynamics, crisis management and fundraising.

My Level 1 Polar Training course has been a huge success over the years and I have had clients go on to complete bigger polar trips, last degree North Pole and South Pole expeditions and a variety of their own adventures. The course is designed for people who are looking for more winter camping experience, participating in some kind of winter or mountaineering adventure as well as those who are planning to do their own polar expeditions, cross Greenland or either Last Degree North or South Pole.

Gear wise, I provide all 'group' gear - tents, sleds, cooking equipment, harnesses. You are responsible for your cold weather clothing, sleeping and skiing equipment. I do have some equipment to rent - skis, boots or whatever.

Please let me know if you have any questions or would like more information! Cost $3750

06/29/2019

A hydroelectric dam has been proposed for Uganda’s Murchison Falls National Park. This would create serious challenges for wildlife in an important wilderness and would threaten the local tourism industry. Join me, and the growing outcry in Uganda, and speak out against the plan before it’s too ...

08/15/2016

Have you checked this out?

07/28/2016

Don't miss your chance to see Cuba before it changes!

05/22/2016

Only three months out from the date of the Rembrandt Van Rijn sailing of the wild East Greenland coast. Starting at only $3000 including Iceland-Greenland airfare, this is an unbeatable offer for expedition cruising. For reservations email [email protected].

03/31/2016

Great news from Argentina! Argentina has just lifted the "reciprocity fee" that has made travel to that country so very expensive for US tourists. This will make the land of tango, gauchos, glaciers, and waterfalls - and the gateway to Antarctica - much more accessible for Americans.

03/17/2016

In case you missed it! Only a week left for this special offer from Moscow to St. Petersburg.

02/01/2016

Sail East Greenland; Explore the WestThis is your invitation to a once-in-a-lifetime journey - a sailing expedition as we follow the wild eastern coast of Greenland followed by camping on the western slope at the foot of the Greenland Ice Sheet.

08/14/2015

Cuba Now! http://conta.cc/1hCNoMh

Cuba is at the top of the news these days. Everyone is talking about it, but Benny and I have actually been there - and we can confirm that most of what they are saying is true.  It is an amazing country where colonial charm, 20th century nostalgia, and 21st century innovation blend into an exciting…

12/11/2014

Just talked to a very unhappy traveler here at the Hotel Isla Verde in San Jose, Costa Rica. Camera stolen, 2 cell phones stolen, rental car smashed, car company charging entire value of the vehicle to his credit card. Costa Rica is such a wonderful place, but you need to know how to take care of yourself in San Jose, like any other city in the world.

04/09/2014

The Osa Peninsula on Costa Rica's southern Pacific Coast is a gem of tropical biology - a refuge for some of the most diverse rainforest north of the Amazon basin. http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=b6e11b143c0dffdb56f47eb3b&id=399ff714c2&e=004ec10b21

Sage. Teal. Olive. Emerald. These are just a few of the vibrant hues that make up the sea of green that is the Osa Peninsula. With over 700 different species of trees - more than all the northern temperate regions combined - the Osa's forests are truly dazzling jewels of color. Unfortunately, in dec...

01/01/2014

Newsletter: The Gates Are Opening in Pakistan! http://conta.cc/1cljgdD

08/11/2013

Just answered a friend who asked "What is sustainable tourism:" There are articles, books, even associations devoted to this, but I'm going to give you an off-the-cuff answer on what it means to me. Sustainability is always a process rather than something that we achieve. It means watching every aspect of our travel - food, transportation, lodging, energy, water, waste, economics, and impact on the local culture and environment - with a thought to protecting the most important aspects of that experience for generations to come. Gosh, that was a long sentence, but it isn't easy. We are restricted by our own culture and technology and though we might want to get rid of fossil fuel consumption right now, we need to use it. i believe we need to be as low on consumption as possible and look for alternatives. Reduce the number of trips by car, reduce use of AC and unnecessary lighting, prefer solar energy systems in wilderness areas, think where the food we are eating is coming from (eat local), carry out our trash, and (this may be most important of all) invest our tourist dollar in local communities and local enterprises that provide incentives for the community to preserve what they have. It also means being very careful of impact on wildlife and the habitats that sustain them. Much of tourism unfortunately is built on moving masses of people to mega destinations to enjoy bargains in artificially contrived pleasures a la Las Vegas. Sustainable tourism might ask you to spend just a little more to stay in a rough nature lodge rather than a luxurious resort, but it brings the rewards of authenticity, a unique experience, and knowing you have helped preserve a beautiful place in the world..

08/04/2013

The Golfo Dulce is a world treasure and merits international protection. Local activists are working hard, but they are up against powerful interests. They need support from the environmental and the tourism communities. http://osaconservation.org/news-stories/

UncategorizedA Response to Crocodile Bay ConstructionJuly 25, 2013 | By Osa ConservationHome to dozens of marine species, including the four turtles known to nest in the Osa, two species of dolphins, and even Whale Sharks, Gulfo Dulce is an incredible addition to the biodiverse rainforest that surro...

08/02/2013

Costa Rica has fine conservation laws, but until criminals prosecuted and conservationists protected, those laws will be meaningless. Please join us in demanding justice for Jairo Mora.

The shocking murder of Jairo Mora Sandoval, a 26-year-old conservationist working to protect leatherback sea turtles on the Caribbean coast, Friday May 31, demands immediate justice. The Costa Rican government must respond with swift action to send a clear message to all sea turtle poachers that th...

03/09/2013

Sani Isla Community in Ecuador: "We may die fighting to defend the rainforest!"

Empowering communities to save our rainforests

01/22/2013

From the border of Nicaragua (Caño Negro) to near the border of Panama (Golfo Dulce) with Carleton College classmates and friends.

01/04/2013

Alajuela Costa Rica today waiting for arrival of flights from the US. Tomorrow the fun begins!

11/01/2012

Yesterday we were talking to Lara Cottingham about a possible trip to Jordan - surprising place!

Not all great meals come from restaurants. Some are served from carts and stalls and eaten on the go.

11/01/2012

Just four years ago we traveled to Kenya, delighting in the elephant and rhino herds at Lake Nakuru and Masai Mara. Are they still there?

View a video of ‘White Gold’ and other National Headlines videos.

10/27/2012

Who wants to go to Guyana? We have a tremendous opportunity and are accepting applications NOW! What's the catch? Well, you have to be tough, able to take care of yourself in the jungle, and willing to help with a study on 250lb. Arapaima (the largest freshwater fish on Earth).

We need someone who is willing to leave Nov 14th or 15th and be in the field for one month minimum.

If you are interested, and well who isn't? Please send your resume and 1 paragraph about your outdoor experience to [email protected]

10/18/2012

Arenal to the Osa Costa Rica tour is still open! Guided by Enrique Dodero with Carol as tour leader, we savor the best of Costa Rica from north to south. Depart Jan. 3. Email now - [email protected]

09/29/2012

http://wvw.nacion.com/ln_ee/2009/agosto/01/pais2045073.html

El 96% de los pozos de agua en las zonas costeras del país no tienen concesión ni controles adecuados, reveló la Contraloría General de la República.

09/28/2012

URGENT! This has been pending for so long that we stopped following the issue until...SETENA scandalously approved the project in spite of the fact that it will destroy a mangrove and imperil turtle nesting grounds and the very fragile and unique ecology of the Golfo Dulce. Please join me in signing.

Cocodrilo Bay wants to realize a megaproject of marina and resort with a capacity over 300 Boats on 16.000 square meters, facing the wildlife sanctuary “Refugio de Vida Silvestre Preciosa-Platanares”. This megaproject is threatening the delicate balance of the ecosystems in this area, which would be...

09/28/2012

09/26/2012

Bad news at a time when wildlife poaching is at crisis levels in Kenya:

Julius Kipng'etich, director of the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), resigned today in pursuit of personal interests. In a statement on the KWS website Kipng'etich

09/22/2012

Watch this and you’ll never look at wildlife the same way again

09/09/2012

Just updated the website to show that we now offer tours to some off-the-beaten-track corners of Europe as well as Jordan, Kenya, Madagascar, and more. Next will put up a new page for Brazil. http://halintours.com