RYDERWALKER.COM  |  888.586.8365 5 RYDER WALKER PIONEERS IN THE ADVENTURE TRAVEL WORLD R yder Walker Alpine Adventures was formed in 1984 after Jon Ryder and I had gathered experience leading hiking trips throughout Switzerland under the umbrella of other organizations. The field of options was quite limited in the early ‘80s with only a couple of entities offering village based hiking tours. While we appreciate this trip format (and still run such trips ourselves) we found ourselves unable to resist the allure of unknown peaks, cultures and countries hidden around every next corner. We found we could piece together the finest itineraries from village to village and savor the endless adventure of always walking into the unknown. Ryder Walker unwittingly found itself the pioneer in trekking itineraries passing from local culture to local culture across entire mountain ranges throughout the Alps and soon beyond in North and South America and Asia (and of course our Nordic/Arctic, Mediterranean and Adriatic adventures). Ryder Walker was the first to offer a guided Tour du Mont Blanc and summer Haute Route, not to mention piecing together the components of the magnificent Eiger Trail, Engadine and Italian Dolomites Treks, and other itineraries over the years too numerous to mention. Our 2018 catalogue now represents only the tip of the iceberg of memorable itineraries we rotate through from year to year. It must also be mentioned that Ryder Walker originated the concept of Self-Guided travel and offers that option to most of our destinations. Other organizations noted the serious fun and adventure we were having and to greater and lesser extents jumped on board with similar concepts but, they all arrived from unrelated backgrounds in boat or bike trips, or trying to diversify their retail empires. Ryder Walker is the only trek focused Adventure Travel Company of that era that began on foot and remains on foot! Our deep roots as pioneers in the Adventure Travel world also mean we have irreplaceable relationships with an unparalleled array of hotels, service staff and officials/dignitaries in every location we visit. The history outlined above also helps explain why our guide staff is so magical. Your guide on any given Ryder Walker outing will be intimately acquainted with all the history, culture, terrain and minutiae of the regions you are hiking in. What is particularly exciting is that your guide will likely have just joined you from guiding in the Himalaya, the Andes, countries bordering the Arctic Circle, the Desert Southwest, an adjacent Alpine country or the wilds of Eastern Canada and he or she will be moving on to similarly far flung adventures when your trip is done. The result is a unique organization of excited, dedicated and motivated people both in the office and in the field, helping you to craft an unforgettable outing of any level of challenge almost anywhere on Earth. Please join us on one or more of our outstanding adventures in 2018 and learn why for all of us at Ryder Walker this is a calling and not just a career. BY PETER WALKER “This was our seventh Ryder Walker trip; we know you are a top notch operation.” – Diane A. PHOTO: KEN FUHRER