Category Archives: Hospitality

Cyclocross legend Katie Compton, the first American to win the Cyclocross World Cup overall title, is back at it in Waterloo this weekend. We caught up with her once again to learn what got her into cross and to snag her number one tip for newbies looking to join the sport.

What got you into cross?
Friends got me into racing while I was in college. I grew up racing my bike but friends encouraged me to try cross thinking I would be good at it. Luckily I listened to them, tried it and loved it. Been racing cross pretty much since then. That was in 1999.

Why should people try Cyclocross?
It’s a fun and social way to stay in shape through the winter. There’s variety in the training and racing with weather conditions and terrain as well as being able to add some running into your plan.

#1 tip for Cyclocross newbies?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Get to your first race early so you can easily register and see the course without stressing. Find some friends to help you through the process and inquire about any cross practices in your area. Don’t worry about your bike and equipment until you want to commit to racing or really like riding on gravel roads or trails.

Best hand-up you’ve ever received?
Money…always money!

Favorite place to race?
That’s a tough one. I love racing in the US for the fun and ease of it, but my favorite CX course is probably Koksijde in Belgium. It’s the classic sand dune course on the beach.

 

A man of many countries who has spent his first year with Trek Travel guiding in Costa Brava as well as on L’Etape du Tour, Diego has a strong passion for exploring the world, a taste for new adventures and the travel journals to prove it.

So to start off, where are you from?

This is probably one of the hardest questions to answer. I was born in Mexico City, but grew up in Bolivia and spent a few years in Gainesville, Florida. I have three nationalities, Mexican, Bolivian and Swiss. Yes Swiss, but that is a story for when you come to one of my trips. For the last couple of years I’ve just been saying “I’m a citizen of the world.”

What did you do before you became a guide?

When I finished my degree in sustainable tourism and felt like I needed to do something more I grabbed my bicycle and started traveling to visit new towns and taste new cultures. With a group of my best friends we started to ride together and produce a radio show to promote sustainable tourism practices. Being in academia I also had the opportunity to travel around Mexico participating in rural tourism national conventions.

What has been your favorite part about guiding thus far?

Everyday is different. Each week is unique. Even if the days look the same on the website, our trips are memorable. I have the opportunity to meet amazing people from different parts of the world with incredible stories to share. And let’s not forget that we share the passion to ride the bicycle in some of the most beautiful places on earth.

What has been the biggest surprise?

Everything! Last year I had no clue what I was going to do in 2017. My closest friends kept asking, “What’s your plan?” And the only answer I kept repeating was, “I don’t know, but I will surprise myself!”

Well, here I am in Milan, Italy finishing eating the best pizza I’ve ever had while I write these few humbled words to share with you. Meanwhile I also try to imagine who might read this and then who will I have the honor to meet in person. The bonus, and one very important thing for me, is that I’m guiding bicycle trips in Europe with a fantastic group of people that I proudly call my Trek Travel family.

How did you come up with the travel journal idea?

Ever since I was 5 years old I have been traveling by plane alone. Back then, traveling was just a means to get to the final destination. Now I travel to enjoy every single part of the trip.

Since 2016 I started drawing a line and writing the names of the states I was crossing while we were on a road trip from Florida to Washington D.C. And that is the first official drawing in my journal. Now, each detail that happens during the trip I try to put it inside my notebook. I even ask people I meet randomly during my travels to sign their name or write a message. It’s a way to remember where I’ve been and what I’ve done.

Favorite trip to guide?

This year I have been guiding Costa Brava in Spain and during the Tour de France I had the opportunity to guide L’Etape du Tour. I love mountains, they are my favorite place to be. Riding in the French Alps was the most fantastic combination of challenging riding and amazing views.

Costa Brava on the other hand, is just the perfect combination of beautiful roads, rich culture and amazing places to visit. An all around great trip that gives us a new gift every week. Bright red poppy flowers at the beginning of spring or shining yellow sunflower fields towards the end of summer. And let’s not forget that every day we get the opportunity to dip our feet in the Mediterranean Sea.

Trip you’d love to guide soon?

I am very excited for our new trips in South America! I grew up in national parks in Bolivia and when I heard that Trek Travel is introducing Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands to the itinerary my explorer soul jumps from emotion.

And the biggie…favorite ride of all time?

Again a hard question!! I have two in mind. The 385km trip around the biggest lake in Mexico with really good friends. We had never done this together and we tackled every challenge we had on the road. It was the moment I knew I wanted to do multiple day trips by bicycle.

The second all time favorite is when my ex-partner and I gave away all our belongings and started a bicycle trip with our two dogs. We traveled with our bicycles visiting places that we never knew existed, also met wonderful people that open their homes to us so we could sleep in order to continue our trip.

Like I said before, now traveling for me is not only about the final destination. It’s all about the small details along the way.

 

The Lac d’Annecy isn’t such a beautiful place from a windowless conference room. I was locked in with a few dozen bikes and the same fluorescent lights that make a summer day indoors as miserable in Cleveland as it is in the French Alps. The room was stuffed with hot, lathered air from hours of wrenching on bikes. I was dialing in every spoke and screw before the Etape du Tour, a 90-mile sufferfest for thousands of riders tackling the hardest stage of the Tour de France. This is not the most glamorous part of the job.

 

 
 
DanF, my co-guide, is the Obi Wan of Trek Travel. He was delivering lunch, and found me working away in my shop apron and underwear. Guide life is textured by a range of magical moments: summer night swims in the lake, a shared bottle of wine in an alleyway bar. It’s a job (a lifestyle) that enters a dream state easily. These moments happen upon you like a tide that, before you realize it, sweeps you into a surreal world of sapphire sea views and castle-top parties.

This was not one of those moments. DanF’s lunch was a batard served with tins of greasy fish in mustard sauce: Exactly the kind of thing you want to crack open in a warm, confined room. This was an absolutely dog’s breath meal. The fish are neither liquid nor solid, rather a kind of oily gelatin that never leaves your fingers. We ate while watching an illegal broadcast of the NBA Finals on my laptop, and DanF dripped mustard sauce on the keyboard.
 
 

 
 
That meal lifts higher into the echelon of my favorite guiding meals despite the many moments of instagram fodder from years of guiding. Those yellow, pungent fish remind me that this was the same trip when DanF taught me the essence of guiding: how to discover spontaneity in a trip, how to unveil the nooks and crannies that hide France’s subtle delights. It was the trip when we camped on the lakeshore with a van full of Czech paragliders; when we ate troughs of pain au raisin.

Not everything about guiding is poignant or romantic. And not everything you love about travel has to be beautiful.
 
 

 

Within minutes of touching down in Prague, a distinctive sense of history overwhelmed me (and many other first time visitors on the plane). It should have come as no surprise, as trusted friends and travel companions had informed me that the Czech Republic capital is truly one-of-a-kind. But a city largely untouched by time itself was nearly impossible for me to imagine.

 

 
 
If boundless firsthand recommendations didn’t confirm the area’s appeal, then my first view of the iconic red rooftops most certainly did. And in the days that followed, the trip would take us through even more authentic and historic regions of the Czech Republic before continuing into Austria. All made better by experiencing it on a bike – as is the case with most things in life.

Scenic farmlands hinted at the quiet lifestyle of rural Czech Republic. Restaurant menus detailed the ingredients of their delectable beef goulash with just one word recognizable to my American eyes – Pilsner. I knew this was going to be a truly cultural experience and inimitable ride all-around.

Those who make the journey just a bit further east than classic regions such as Tuscany and Provence are rewarded with spectacular, albeit distinct, views. History abounds with walking tours, ancient ruins, and regular conversations with locals who’ve become part of the Trek Travel family. You’re guaranteed immersion into those bygone days.
 
 

 
 
Like a professionally prepared multi-course meal, the highlight of our Prague to Vienna trip was saved for the finish. A stay in the historic Romantik Hotel Richard Lowenherz is the perfect endcap to six days of riding amongst monasteries, castles and monuments. With a name referencing its most famous guest, King Richard the Lionheart, Hotel Richard Lowenherz let’s you walk, dine and sleep in the exact location of one of the region’s most famous man. It was here that the King was held prisoner for over two years before England paid a hefty ransom for his release.

A short hike into the neighboring bluffs serves as a perfect overview of the weeklong tour, which provides an authenticity that’s rivaled by few locations and a chance for unprecedented historic immersion.
 
 

 

Perspective New Guide applicants eagerly ask me year after year, what is it about Trek Travel that you love the most? My answer, without a doubt: the people.

We have a vibrant, strong and uniquely faceted team at Trek Travel. A global team that works together and supports each other like none-other; a team that I proudly call family.

Beyond our team, our guide hiring and training process is another dear passion of mine. Since 2011, this beast of a process has held a special spot in my heart. That spring, I jumped on the greatest ride of my life as a New Guide applicant. I buckled up, bared down and never looked back. Did I know anything about guiding? No. Was I a bike mechanic, picnic queen or even a logistical magician? Not yet. Did I like travel, people and bikes? Of course. Better yet, did I have a zest for life and thrive in fast-paced, ever-changing work environments? You bet! An essential building block for any applicant looking to work for Trek Travel.
 
 

 
 
The Trek Travel Guide position is unique, and not for everyone. But as veteran guide Jake Young once said, “For those that it is for, get ready for the ride of your life.” That perfectly sums up this opportunity which attracts some of the hardest working people around the world. It is a lifestyle full of unimaginable cycling, fairytale travel and some of the most kind, fascinating people on this planet. Being a Guide also means continual change and life on the road for most of the year. A road with unexpected twists and turns that requires major responsibility and quick thinking to maneuver.

I affectionately refer to the process to become a Trek Travel Guide as a “beast”. It has been known as the “World’s Toughest Hiring Process” and we certainly do everything in our power to recruit, train and prepare our New Guides for a successful career with Trek Travel. This beast is a crucial piece of the puzzle that we take very seriously and I think it shows with our team’s five year retention rate.

We believe in top-notch experiences at Trek Travel, from start to finish. This year I am excited to announce we have incorporated an online interview tool that allows candidates to complete the first step of the interview process at any time. In other words, for those traveling the world or tied up in meetings, online interviews are a great solution! No need to step into a conference room at the office or hop off your bike early from a ride to be on time for your first interview. These can be done anytime, at your convenience.

If you’re selected to advance to the first round of interviews, you will receive a notification and link via email on how it works. We ask questions that you have the opportunity to read, prepare for, and answer using video capabilities on a web and video-enabled device. Round-two of the interview process (for those chosen to advance) is a Skype video interview with a Trek Travel team member. This is the last step before being selected to attend our hiring event held in Madison, which kicks off the hiring and training series detailed online.

Learn more about the Trek Travel Guide position, an opportunity that’s been known to produce the most epic campfire stories ever told!
 
 

 

Warning: pictures barely do it justice.

Our Chile bike tour introduces you to a combination of mountainous terrain and natural beauty like you’ve never seen. So when Trek Travel cycling guide and professional photographer Zack Jones had the chance to guide our first ever Chile trip, he jumped at the opportunity without a moment’s hesitation.

Over the past 15 years, Zack has continually surprised and delighted Trek Travel guests with stunning imagery and exceptional service. So we sent him down to South America with one assignment: capture all that Chile has to offer. The Araucarias UNESCO Reserve and Kütralkura Geopark. The outdoor mecca of Pucón, situated on a lake beneath the Villarrica volcano. The Seven Lakes route that leads into the Huilo-Huilo Biological Reserve. And the region’s finest hotels, with majestic views and celebrity pedigrees.

For your viewing pleasure, we’ve created a collection of our favorite photographs from our first season in Chile.

Marcel Peeperkorn has always embraced a transient lifestyle. From Johannesburg to Shanghai, London to Boston, Marcel has lived and worked in many regions around the world. But no matter his location, the bicycle has always remained a constant. And it was his search for simplicity in this ever-changing world that led him to Trek Travel.

Tell us your story. How did you end up at Trek Travel?
After many years working professionally as an architect, completing an MBA, and working in consulting, interior design and property development, I was searching for a different way of living and existing. I was determined to find a way to earn money in a world that demands so, while sharing in something I care about greatly–the bicycle. The bicycle has always been in the background, it is my meditation where I can forget about everything going on, and a place where I can reflect and consider life. It is both simple and complex, a tool for exploring mentally and physically.

Tell us about your favorite ride.
It is impossible to answer in a singular, as each ride is different and gives something different. From dark stormy mornings to beautiful sunny days and midnight commutes through the city, each ride offers something special in different quantities to mind, body and soul.

A ride that I’ll always remember was my first Cape Argus Cycle Tour, one of the first races I ever entered. It stands out more for completing than anything else. Hitting a car in training the week before, and battling wind gusts of 100km/h that sent fences and portaloos flying, let alone the riders! Completing that day was rewarding enough!
 
 

 
What is the best view you’ve seen from the seat of a bike?
Most likely the next one, wherever that may be! If I had to answer the question, I’d say the most impressive view to date was riding through the Chinese New Year fireworks in Shanghai.

When you’re not guiding, what are you doing?
If I’m not on the bike I will be exploring new places/food/drink and always reading, topics that interest me specifically are Philosophy, Economics, Psychology, and Sociology. I do enjoy the finer things in life but to be happy simply. I don’t need more than good company, bread, cheese, wine or beer, coffee with a book, and a bike to explore the world. I live life by a simple philosophy of “better,” inward and outward, for myself and to the world.

What excites you most about the opportunity to show people the world from the seat of a bike?
To show people where their body can take them, and what they discover about themselves while moving under their own mental and physical strength.

What is one thing people should know, but don’t, about being a Trek Travel guide?
We are all very different with different approaches, outlooks and philosophies toward life but share a love for the bicycle and the variety of things that it shows and teaches us.
 
 

 

A new guide for Trek Travel, Grace Heimsness is saying yes to the life she’s always dreamed of. Leaving the comfort of the familiar for the allure of something new is never easy. “I keep waiting for someone to jump out from behind a tree or from the bottom of a slot canyon, punch me in the back of the head, and shout, ‘Gotcha! Go home.'” But there’s beauty in the possibility of finding a new home.

Tell us your story. How did you end up at Trek Travel?
A few years ago, I was a wrench at a local mom ‘n pop bike shop in my hometown when one day our sales rep dropped off a few Trek Travel brochures. I picked it up, thought “Wow, that would be my dream job,” and put it in my back pocket–literally as well as figuratively. It was around the same time that I typed the sentence, “Home is whom you hang your thoughts on.” It was a nice thought, but just that. I wasn’t yet ready to live it, to leave the safety of that familiar hook on which I hung my jersey, to ride without the company of Jerry and Jens and Greenie and the rest of them.

Two years later, I was working as an arts nonprofit administrator and aching to be outside discovering the world instead of hearing about it from a desk. I applied, but didn’t expect to make it to the interview stage, forget receiving a job offer. I was that kid who cried on the first day of summer camp. I was also that kid who cried on the last day of summer camp. Deep and quick attachment is my forte and my fault, and I’ve done my best to live a life that leans least on the discomfort of personal—and personnel—changes. But over the last six months, I have fallen hard for the truth that has for so long been fighting to burn in me. I am ready to live that sentence, ready to hang my jersey on a new hook each night, to burn my legs up on climbs that leave you breathless, to work harder than I’ve ever done in my life in order to give people experiences they’ll never forget.
 
 

 
As a kid, what did you think you’d be when you grew up?
I was absolutely certain I was going to be a writer. I started writing stories in the fourth grade and just never stopped. I still write when I can–my blog and personal essays, mostly. Now well into my 20s, I can say with that same certainty that I want to be a writer in some capacity, regardless of how grown up I am.

When you’re not guiding, what are you doing?
Sleeping! Really though, I like to update my blog when I have a chance, read, maybe catch a re-run of Seinfeld or work on my Netflix queue. I love making dinner with my co-guides at the guide house and starting random dance/karaoke parties, usually simultaneously. Dancing and cooking go well together.

What is one thing people should know, but don’t, about being a Trek Travel guide?
How much you trust and depend on your co-guide for almost everything–not only on-trip, but also in your non-guiding life. This goes far beyond the logistical or practical; being out in the field and away from home for so long throws you into a sort of alternate universe, and your co-guide is the one person who understands completely the unique challenges this situation can introduce to your relationships and lifestyle. It’s a powerful bond and can teach you a lot about communication, commitment, and trust. This immediate bond with my co-guides has been probably the loveliest surprise, for me.
 
 

 
Tell us about your favorite ride.
That’s a tough one. I’d have to say the last day of our Bryce & Zion trip, a simple out-and-back up the canyon of Zion National Park to the Temple of Sinawava. It’s stunning–six or so miles of the Virgin River wend alongside the park road as you make your way up-canyon, the morning is calm and cool, and there’s this incredible morning light shining onto peaks like the Court of the Patriarchs. With 800 feet of climbing, it’s just enough to take the itch out of your legs and give you a great start to the day. And if you’re ever looking for some perspective on life, staring up at 2,000 vertical feet of petrified sand dunes that have existed for 200 million years is one way to find it.

What is your favorite view from the seat of a bike?
I love seeing my hometown from the seat of my bike. I’ve seen a few incredible places by bike and I’d love to see a whole bunch more, but there’s something about cruising down Main Street at dusk, waving at old friends and “checking in on the neighborhood,” that makes me sublimely happy.

What excites you most about the opportunity to show people the world from the seat of a bike?
I’m really stoked every time we roll into a place that I know will make our guests Ooh and Ah. It’s so satisfying to be the person who introduces someone to an entirely new setting, one beyond what they even imagined, and to watch them react. A lot of guests become kids again, in a way—sometimes you can see, if you really look, what they might have been like as an 8-year-old. It brings you back to when you saw this place for the first time, and it’s awesome to think about the fact that our guests will remember their first moments in this place forever, and that you were the one who got to share that with them.
 
 

 

An air traffic controller, professional wedding photographer, motorcycle aficionado, and Ironman triathlete, Trevor Pickard isn’t just a Trek Travel guide. He’s proof that you can make a living while making a life, that you can turn your passion into your profession, and that it’s better to go all in than wonder what might have been.

Tell us your story. How did you end up at Trek Travel?
That’s quite a question to answer. I graduated from the aeronautic Air Traffic Control program at Middle Tennessee State in 2011 at the age of 21, but couldn’t hold a federal aircraft dispatch license until the age of 23 due to federal regulations. So I pursued my passion for photography and focused my attention on further establishing myself as a wedding photographer in the Southeast region. After saving up for a couple of years working odd-end jobs, I backpacked throughout Europe during the summer of 2013. Visiting 9 counties and 21 cities gave me exposure to many cultures and environments that ignited my interest in further engaging with the people and places that surround me. Coming back to the States and working full-time aviation jobs in Southern California, and later Northern Florida, I knew I needed life experiences outside of the corporate grind. And this is where Trek found me!

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Simple. I thought I’d be one of two things: roller coaster designer or test car driver for an automobile magazine.

Tell us about your favorite ride.
My love for two wheels started with motorcycles. Even though I have a fully custom Harley, which I built from the ground up, my first love is a 1996 Honda Rebel 250cc that I bought after saving up money working as a lifeguard during the summer after high school. She’s a two-tone red and white beauty that runs like a sewing machine down the road. I’ve put 25,000 miles on her and she isn’t worth much more than beer allowance during spring break, but nothing puts a bigger smile on my face and for that, I’ll never get rid of her.
 
 

 
When you’re not guiding, what are you doing?
Simplicity is key for me. Traveling on my Harley with a pair of running shoes and a camera wrapped around my neck would boil down my logic. I enjoy training for Ironman triathlons, trail-running, anything on two wheels, and good conversation over a few fingers of bourbon and a good cigar.

What is one thing people should know, but don’t, about being a Trek Travel guide?
What an intimate setting Trek Travel offers. Not only on the bike but the moment you step off the pedals as well. From the amazing backgrounds of guests to the passionate guides in the field, it truly is an experience of a lifetime.
 
 

 
What is your favorite view from the seat of a bike?
The brand new bike path connecting Jackson Hole, Wyoming to Teton Village and Grand Teton National Park. I worked in Jackson during a summer in college but never experienced the Yellowstone environment quite like I have now: one pedal stroke at a time.

What excites you most about the opportunity to show people the world from the seat of a bike?
The allure of traveling and being engaged with my surroundings is terribly exciting. Everything else falls into place from there.
 
 

 

Most of us won’t remember what we did on May 21, 2016. But for Trek Travel guest Grant Curry, that spring Saturday will be forever remembered as the day he completed a 4 day, 400 mile ride through the Blue Ridge Mountains to celebrate 40 years of living with Diabetes. And as he pedaled alongside the Chattahoochee River into the small town of Helen, Georgia, not only had he successfully completed his Ride40, but he had also raised $40,000 for Diabetes Training Camp in the process.

Tell us a bit about your background. How long have you been riding bikes?
I’ve been riding bikes since I was quite young, and got on my first road bike around age 11. I was diagnosed with Diabetes at age 8, and as my love of road cycling grew, I found myself struggling more and more with Diabetes management. The tools available weren’t effective back then, particularly prior to 1983 when home blood testing was first being used. I was into many sports as a kid but my ambitions were thwarted by my Diabetes. I stopped cycling by high school, but returned to it about 11 years ago and haven’t stopped pedaling since. I’m far better able to manage my Diabetes and exercise these days, with the help of continuous glucose monitoring, rapid acting insulin and pump therapy. Those things, combined with an excellent knowledge base for Diabetes and exercise, have enabled me to find a very active and fulfilling life with my illness.

What was your inspiration behind Ride40?
My inspiration for Ride40 started about two years ago when I began really looking at how much my life with Diabetes had changed over the last few years and I was coming up on a milestone of living with Diabetes for 40 years. I wanted to celebrate my life and all of the challenges I’ve had along the way. It became an opportunity for me to share the gifts that a life with Diabetes has brought me. It may be tremendously difficult to live with but it has also helped me become a better person, a better friend, and has brought me a community of amazing people to share my life with. Living with Diabetes has made me resilient. I wanted to spread the message that people with Diabetes CAN lead active and fulfilling lives and there’s a place to learn how called Diabetes Training Camp.

Why did you choose a bike ride as your fundraising method?
Because cycling is my favorite sport and riding a bike is the closest feeling I can get to being able to fly. I wanted to do a ride that was harder than any I’d done in the past. I trained hard for Ride40. I’m not a competitive cyclist but love to ride for the challenge of it. I’m not a gifted climber but have a passion for it nonetheless. I chose to raise scholarship funding for Diabetes Training Camp Foundation because I’ve seen so many adult lives changed through the DTC programs. This was an opportunity to give back to my Diabetes community, to turn obstacles into opportunities. Climbing mountains on a bike is certainly a metaphor for the ups and downs of life.

What was the most memorable moment of the ride?
The most memorable moment of the ride was heading toward the summit of Mt. Mitchell with my dear friend, Townsend Myers, with whom I’ve done a lot of cycling and have been through many life challenges with. He and I went to Utah with Trek Travel in 2012. My wife, Cynthia, was in the support van behind us with our friend, Carrie Cheadle, inspiring us with music as we clawed our way up in the cold, rain and heavy fog. It was such a difficult day for the team. After making the long descent back to our lodgings, I checked my messages to find out that we had reached our $40k fundraising goal. I’ve never been more proud. My wife, who’s lived with MS for the last 14 years, likes to say, “The more difficult the conditions, the more memorable the ride.” It’s certainly true. She and I rode Utah twice with Trek Travel. Our second trip was challenging with poor weather on three days. But we had one of our most memorable days ever, together on bikes, riding from Boulder, UT to the Powell Point overlook in torrential rain, cold and sleet. The landscape had such a beauty in those conditions. We loved every minute of it, even when we were suffering.

What is the most rewarding part about your volunteer work as an Assistant Cycling Coach at Diabetes Training Camp?
I was a camper for two sessions in 2008, and it changed my life in so many ways. Now, working at Diabetes Training Camp has given me the opportunity to help some of our beginner or novice cyclists develop their skills and find a deeper enjoyment of the sport. I like helping people become more confident on a bike and more confident in their ability to ride with Diabetes. It changes my life to see people come to camp thinking they’re not able to ride well and leave feeling like champions. I want my Diabetes to be something that brings me joy and empowers me to live better. Helping others find the same is what drives me each and every day.