CoolBean Bars – Home made no-bake protein bars packed with good stuff - recipe!

How much protein you need seems to vary considerably depending on who you're asking, but the most consistent guideline that I’ve come across is to multiply your weight by 0.8 (not very active), 1.3 (active or pregnant), or 1.8 (extremely active) to get a number of how many grams of protein you need based on your weight in kilograms. So if for example you weight 65kg and are generally active then you’ll need roughly 85 grams of protein a day. 

You can get protein from a number of different foods, but you’ll find that it can be quite hard to get as much as they recommend if you lead an active lifestyle. The other thing to remember is that while a sirloin steak does give you a high dose of protein, it also contains a large amount of saturated fats and cholesterol. Fish contains a very good source of protein, but some fish also has high levels of mercury which is hazardous for the body. So it is a good idea to do your homework on what foods you rely on for protein and be aware of what their negative properties or limitations are. 

Which protein bar to choose??

As a vegaquarian (veggie & fish eater) I’ve had to become a lot more conscious of making sure I do get enough of the essential components in my diet, with protein being one of the most crucial of these. I use protein shakes, but sometimes I want something I can sink my teeth into! I’ve tried various protein bars but the problem I find with the commercial bars is that they are very high in sugars, or even worse, sweeteners, as well as carbohydrates and saturated fats (most often sunflower oil, palm oil or palm kernel oil), and of course artificial flavourings and colourings. Also the quality of the protein in them is not always the best. 

It’s all in moderation though, and some of these protein bars are not that bad. But I wanted a protein bar that is high in good quality protein, low in carbohydrates and sugar and artificial stuff, but tastes great! After searching high and low I could not find anything that provided this off the shelf, so decided to make my own!

The CoolBean Bar is packed 100% with good stuff.  And they’re pretty damn tasty too! (well, at least I think so :)

Before I give the actual recipe, let’s go through the ingredients that make them so healthy and tasty ...

Oats 

Although carbohydrates often get a bad rap, oats are one of the most underrated health foods.  Oats provide sustained-release energy (low GI), which means they have a low effect on your blood glucose level and insulin production and help to stabilize your blood sugar and lower your risk of type 2 diabetes. They are also full of vitamins and nutrients, can aid in the prevention of disease and even help you manage your weight.

I like to use the natural raw “chunky” oats.  Rolled oats (quick cooking oats) have been steamed, pressed and dried, which removes some of their fibre content, which accelerates digestion and raises the food's GI.  The chunky oats also just have a chewier texture which I like.

Whey Protein

Whey protein contains all of the essential amino acids (EEAs), making it a complete protein source. It’s particularly high in a class of EEAs referred to as branched-chain amino acids, or BCAAs. 

Whey protein is one of the most easily digested proteins by the body.  In fact, it is key to understand a bit about this, otherwise you’ll be wasting your money on drinking whey protein shakes where most of the protein isn’t even being absorbed by your body!

Whey is absorbed at a rate of about 8 grams to 10 grams per hour, and navigates your gastrointestinal tract within a matter of 1.5 hours. This means that the maximum amount of whey your body can absorb from a shake is about 12-15 grams.  Anything over that amount just passes straight through. Having your shake with milk instead of water helps to slow down the absorption rate a bit, something about the protein in the milk combining with the whey protein which slows it down (you can read more about it online). 

This is also what inspired me to create my CoolBean Bars ... the additional proteins and fibre and such like in the bar help to slow the digestion process and enable the body to absorb the maximum amount of protein it can.

I like whey protein but there’s nothing stopping you using whatever your preferred type of protein is.  I use a protein isolate, as opposed to a concentrate – concentrate tends to be more affordable but does not contain as high a protein concentration and contains a lot more carbohydrates.  I also use a non-flavoured version as I don’t like all the added sugars and sweeteners and such like, and much prefer to flavour my bars or shakes with healthier options like cocoa powder, peanut butter, coconut, fresh or frozen fruit etc.  That way I can also enjoy different flavours and not be stuck with a massive tub of just one flavour.

Raw Cacoa Nibs

Cacao nibs are bits of the same cacao beans that go into chocolate bars, however they are less refined than chocolate liquor or cocoa powder and thus are more nutritionally potent.

Health wise, cacao nibs' greatest claim to fame is their flavonoid content. Flavonoids are antioxidants also found in tea, grapes and berries, and they appear to improve health by altering cell-signaling pathways. They say more research is needed, but some studies also suggest that flavonoids might help prevent cancer as well as brain ailments such as Alzheimer's disease.  Cocoa has also shown to reduce blood pressure and lower the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Cacoa nibs are quite bitter and it might take a bit of getting used to for you. When I first heard about them and their benefits I immediately ordered a couple of bags online, and as soon as they arrived I excitedly added some to my cereal, expecting a nice chocolately (but healthy) kick. But whenever I bit into one the taste was really quite bitter and I didn’t like it. However I now love the cacao nibs and the taste of them! – this shift in my taste buds may be down to a gradual getting-used-to-the-taste thing, or it may be down to the fact that I have become an 85% dark chocolate addict, and have greatly reduced on my sugar intake per day, which means I don’t need much sugar for things to taste sweet and have gotten to quite like a bit of bitter :).
  
Pumpkin Seeds

These yummy green seeds are packed with protein, vitamins and minerals. On the protein side, 100 grams contains 19 grams protein ... just slightly less than the protein-per-gram content in a chicken breast!  They are a good source of several minerals, including iron, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, which is good for the heart, as well as zinc, a mineral that supports healthy immune function.  These seeds also supply niacin, or vitamin B3, which aids in circulation, and are said to have certain anti-Inflammatory benefits. They do have some fat content (30%) but almost all of this is heart-healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fats ... so the good fats!

Unsweetened Desiccated Coconut 

Besides just being a delicious addition to almost anything (I add desiccated coconut to my cereal, porridge, protein shakes, yogurt, nut mix, and even to my Indian and Thai curries :), coconut contains lots of minerals, fibre, and substances that boost immune function and help your body fight disease. 
Raw coconut is rich in medium-chain triglycerides, which convert into monoglycerides and medium-chain free fatty acids during digestion - two substances your body uses immediately for energy rather than storing as fat.

In addition to their metabolism-boosting properties, medium-chain triglycerides may curb hunger more effectively than other forms of fat, leading to a lower calorie intake over time. As a result, the specific fats in raw coconut may promote a healthy body weight and help you shed unwanted pounds.  For me it’s not so much about the weight bit but more the fact that coconut contains healthy fats which appeals ... you need some fat in your diet so better for it to be heart-healthy fats.

Chopped Almonds & Almond Butter

Almonds are naturally low in the dreaded saturated fat, with a high percentage of the fats found in almonds being of a poly- or mono-unsaturated nature. The unsaturated fats found in almonds are known as oleic and palmitoleic acids and, much like the fats that are found in olive oil, these help reduce bad cholesterol whilst increasing good cholesterol! Almonds are also a nut high in fibre, and they are packed full of vitamin E. The high levels of vitamin E found within almonds helps to boost immune support. They contain high levels of magnesium and calcium, which alongside the vitamin E promotes improved levels of immune function and overall health. Almonds also contain manganese and copper, which help produce and raise energy levels, and can also aid in the stabilisation process of levels of blood sugar.

And just like the coconut, I find almonds to be extremely more-ish ...  life for me would just not be the same without almonds and almond butter!

The important thing to note of course is the type of almonds and almond butter that you use.  The nutritional benefits of raw vs roasted almonds are apparently exactly the same, with the only difference between them being that roasted almonds are digested more easily by the body due to the change in texture (raw almonds have a rigid texture). So really on that front just go with whichever you prefer.  If you choose roasted then make sure that they are dry roasted (i.e. not oil roasted), and do not get salted almonds, whether raw or roasted.  For my almond butter I also only use products that do not have any added salt, sugar or palm oil ... just 100% pure roasted (or un-roasted) almonds.

Cocoa Powder

Cocoa powder comes with the same health benefits as the Cacao Nibs above, just in lower doses as it is more refined. I’ve read things about cocoa having anti-depressant benefits, anti-cancer properties, lowering LDL cholesterol, reducing the risk of blood clots, increasing blood flow to the arteries, lowering high blood pressure, and boosting cognitive performance!  That’s a lot from a little bean :). 

These benefits are an added plus, as the main reason for adding the cocoa powder is for the flavour and a little bit of sweetness.  Again quality is important – I like Green & Blacks cocoa powder which is just 100% pure organic cocoa powder, no sugar or anything else added.

Flaxseeds (Linseeds)

Flaxseed is categorized a super food - a nutrient-rich food considered to be especially beneficial for health and well-being. Flaxseed is an ancient food, prized for its healing properties as far back as 650 B.C. Today, most people eat flaxseed because it is a source of healthy fats, fibre and other disease-fighting nutrients. Flaxseed can be eaten whole or ground, but note that the body cannot break down the hard outer shell so either you need to make sure you chew your tiny flaxseeds to break the shell or grind them!  As such, I find it easiest and most beneficial to pop them in the food processor or blender and grind them first.

Flaxseed is low in saturated fat and high in cholesterol-lowering unsaturated fat. It's also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are recommended as part of a heart-healthy diet. It is high in fibre, and much of the fibre in flax is soluble fibre, which attracts water and forms a gel. Soluble fibre slows down the emptying of your stomach, making you feel full longer, and it helps to stabilize your blood sugar. There is also evidence that it may help reduce your risk of cancer, but this is not conclusive yet.

Sweetness

As you can see from the above ingredients, these CoolBean Bars are really low in sugar (in fact, there is only 2 grams of sugar per 100 gram of bar).  As mentioned above, I have consciously tried to reduce on my sugar intake, and now find that I’m able to appreciate the natural sweetness in raw food types a lot more. As such, the CoolBean Bars get their flavour and “sweetness” from the coconut, almonds and almond butter, cocoa powder and cinnamon.  Even the pumpkin seeds have a slight sweet taste for me!

But depending on your preferred sweet-levels you might want to add a little something more.  For some healthier options you could add a bit of honey, raisins and/or dried cranberries, or dark chocolate chips. I often melt some dark chocolate and drizzle it on top of some of the bars ... for those harder training sessions when I need a sugar boost!

So without further ado, here is the recipe ...

CoolBean Bars!

~CoolBean BARS~

Ingredients
Makes about 9 bars (approximately 40 grams each) - I often double the recipe to make a bigger batch

• 1 cup Oats
• 1 tbsp Cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp Raw Cacao Nibs
• ¼ cup Unsweetened Desiccated Coconut
• ¼ cup Pumpkin Seeds (unsalted)
• ¼ cup chopped Almonds (roasted or unroasted, unsalted)
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 2 tbsp Flaxseed/ Linseed (ground or crushed)
• 1 cup Whey Protein powder (isolate)
• 1/3 cup Almond Butter (or Peanut Butter if you don’t have Almond Butter)
• ¼ - ½ cup Milk (see guidelines below on how much milk to add)

Method

1. Spread the oats out on a baking tray and dry roast at 180 degrees Celsius for about 15-20 mins. Every 5 minutes or so, give them a stir so they get evenly roasted. Leave them to cool a bit on the side.
   
2. Mix all the ingredients from the oats down to the flaxseeds in a bowl.
   
3. In a separate bowl, mix the whey protein powder, almond butter and milk. This will be a very sticky gloopy mush!
4. Now add the protein/ almond butter/ milk gloop to the dry ingredients and get your muscles out because now comes the hard part ... mixing it all together!  It is really stiff work but you want to make sure it is all mixed up evenly, and that all the dry ingredients are mixed in. I mix with a sort of stabbing/ cutting motion. If you’re on the higher side of the milk content (see below) then the mixing will be easier, but still quite hard work.  In the end you will have a pretty firm blob of protein bar!
5. Press the blob out onto a baking tray (or anything similar ... the bars are unbaked so it doesn't need to be an oven dish) to the desired thickness. Mine are usually about 1cm thick. I usually break off pieces from the large blob and mash it down, then add another blob and so on.
   
6. Put the tray into the freezer for about 20-30 minutes.  This just helps to harden it which makes it easier to cut (less sticky and more compact).
   
7. Cut into desired shapes and size.  I usually cut mine to be rough rectangles of about 4cm x 5cm x 1cm, and about 40 grams in weight.
   

How much milk to add?
I add the milk so the bar is not too dry or powdery. Less milk means it will be dryer and more crumbly, more milk means it becomes more chewy and softer. I usually add about a 1/3 cup of milk (a bit more than a ¼ but not quite a ½).

Due to the milk content in the bars, they need to be kept in the fridge, and will only last in the fridge for max 2 weeks.  So I wrap mine in foil and keep them in the freezer, and just keep a small supply handy in the fridge. They are fine to be out the fridge for the day, so grab one before heading out to the crag or before work, and it will be fine to eat later that evening at the climbing wall.  If you don’t end up eating it then you can put it back in the fridge and it’s usually fine the next day. But definitely don’t leave it out the fridge for too long!

Nutritional content of the CoolBean Bar/ per 100 grams
Energy 1960 kJ
Protein 36 grams
Carbohydrates 18 grams
~ Of which sugars 2 grams
Fats         28 grams
~ Of which saturates 6 grams
Sodium 0 grams

The CoolBean Bar contains just over 33% protein, and has a 2:1 protein to carbohydrate ratio.  It’s super low in sugar and contains zero sodium (I think we get enough sodium from all the other food that we eat during the day!). It does contain quite a high fat content, but as detailed above, almost all of these fats are the healthy fats which are an essential component in ones diet.

So stop reading and get mixing and make yourself some CoolBean Bars!

Monkey Pump

Montagu rock!

Just recently I was in South Africa. It was only a short 2 week visit, and a working holiday at that, since I still needed to put in an 8 hour working day … just doing it next to the ocean in SA instead our usual offices in Nottingham :)   

This is what you see as you're driving into Monties

But I did manage to squeeze in a couple days climbing in Montagu, a beautiful spot just a 2 hour drive from Cape Town, surrounded by the Langeberg mountains and part of Route 62, known as the longest wine route in the world.

But on this visit there was no time for wine-tasting, just climbing :). I picked a route that I figured was do-able for me, considering my current level of fitness and that I only had 2 days to climb – a 7c+ called Monkey Pump at the Scoop. 

I was blessed with clear blue skies and temperatures of around 28 degrees C, a typical day in Montagu!  And I was even more blessed with awesome climbing buddies who came up from Cape Town and Stellenbosch to crank with me. Within a matter of minutes it felt just like old times :). I was so blown away by the incredible support that the climbers gave me, and each other, when one was going for a route. The comradeship was really palpable and totally unbiased, it didn’t matter what grade or what attempt, the cheering and boosting was unrestrained and super encouraging.

This made a huge difference for me, it helped me to push beyond what my mind and body were telling me, and it is what made it possible for me to redpoint the route on my first day, 3^rd go. The remaining time there I played on another 7c+ and a sandbag 7b+ (definitely more like 7c) but my fingertips, softened from months and months of indoor climbing, were so sore that I could barely manage to tie my rope let alone crimp down or pull hard.  

But at the end of the 2 days I was satisfied.  I’d had a super weekend with amazing friends, got a couple routes ticked, and walked away with aching arms, stinging fingertips and a massive smile on my face :)

Just Drifting?

Since getting back from my travels in October last year I’ve pretty much gone with a do-as-I-feel approach to my climbing sessions, sometimes doing  a power session on the campus board, or going for some strength gains on the system board, to focusing on technique and movement by working boulder problems or hard routes.  And then occasionally feeling compelled to finish off with an endurance run.   This has been successful to some extent, and while I have got a bit fitter and stronger this was almost inevitable since I was coming from a largely unconditioned starting point. Which is the very reason why I decided to go with this approach for a few months – being so unconditioned I felt that I needed to build up a solid base across all the facets of climbing, while at the same time giving my body (and mind) the freedom to do pretty much what I felt like at the time.

Me competing at the World Championships ... a big goal
at the time which gave me a lot of motivation and focus.

But now it’s been just over 3 months and I find myself feeling unmotivated for the climbing wall. Luckily it seems we’ve got the worst of winter behind us (hopefully!) but it’s still a while before the weather in the UK will be warm enough for the likes of me to venture out into the great outdoors. After a couple weeks of rather unmotivated and aimless sessions I realized what was missing … a goal! Whether it’s for a particular route, or to get a PB, or just to be fit for a climbing trip, I realized how much having a goal helps me to feel enthused and push myself both physically and mentally.  As soon as I started to think of what my goals might be, I immediately itched to get onto the computer and make up a training program in order for me to achieve these goals.  

But setting a goal is not always as easy as it sounds.  If your goal is based around a grade or route, then how high do you set it? For sure we all want to climb 9a, but there’s no point in setting that as your goal unless it really is realistically achievable for you.  Getting the balance of setting a goal that challenges you, but which is still realistic, can be quite tricky and requires you to be absolutely honest with yourself. 

Factors to consider are things like how much time do you have or are willing to dedicate to training, how long you’re giving yourself to achieve this goal, what your current physical state is, and how much can you push your body such that you remain injury free. This will differ for everybody, so there is no point setting your goal based on what someone else has done or is doing, it needs to be a personal decision based entirely on what YOU can do.

If your goal is focused around a climbing trip then you’ll have some very definite time frames to work with, which should be taken into account, along with the other factors mentioned above.  You should hopefully also have some idea of what type of routes or boulders you’ll be getting on there, so you can tailor your training sessions around this too.

The reason for setting a goal is so that we can enjoy the satisfaction of achieving it, and to inspire us to push ourselves into new realms.  Set your goal too low and the lack of challenge will rob you of that feeling, set it too high and not only will you not get any fulfilment, but you’ll also end up feeling extremely frustrated.  

So if you find yourself feeling a bit aimless, floating from session to session without much drive ... just drifting ... then consider setting a goal and dare yourself to achieve higher, faster, stronger!  

But the one thing that I do want to stress is that, above goals and training programs and everything else, make sure you’re having fun and enjoying the journey!  That is, after all, why we climb in the first place :)

Climb Green

The one thing I’ve certainly become more attentive of over the past few years is what I wear when climbing … and increasingly more aware of the impact-trail that item has placed on the planet on its journey into my wardrobe.

Back in my student days it was all about wearing the cheapest oldest clothes possible (not sure if this was actually due to my student status or more just due to the laid-back carefree mind-set of my fellow South African climbers). Gradually this transformed from “I don’t care how scruffy I look” to wanting to look (and feel) a bit more presentable, so that at least I could go to the supermarket after climbing without drawing disdainful looks :)

This change came about due to a number of factors … first of which was me taking my climbing more seriously and regarding myself as an athlete rather than a bum climber.  It’s hard to feel like an athlete if you’re dressed like you just scrounged through the sale bin at the local charity store (not that I condemn buying from charity stores mind you! I think they make a whole heap of sense and some of my best and favourite items are from one).  But I think you get my point :)

Another reason is simply from experiencing the difference between wearing an item designed for activity versus any old clothing.  Although I think a lot of outdoor clothing is over-jargoned with high-tech-ness than is actually necessary (or beneficial), there is definitely some value in having the right thing for the job. 

And finally simply because there are awesome options out there nowadays! Active wear clothing has become the latest trend, and even the most slothful never-had-a-splash-of-mud-on-my-shoes individual struts around fully kitted out in Adidas, Nike and The North Face gear.

On the green side of side of things, my awareness of this has been building up gradually over the years, and my readiness to do something about it even more so. We’ve all seen video footage on, or at the least have heard or read about, child-labour factories and the exploitation of the land – but how feasible is it to avoid buying clothing that is marred by these things?  Where can I get it and at what sacrifice on cost, quality, design and comfort? As much as I wanted to be planet-friendly, I wasn’t aware of any brands out there providing me an enticing alternative.




That is until I discovered 3rd ROCK. They are an ethical company focused on protecting the environment while still producing high quality climbing clothing (and general active wear) from high quality materials. Their motto of “Our Planet, Our Playground” says it all really … let’s have some fun, but no need to destroy our planet in the process!
  
They only use organic cotton for their clothing - which means the cotton is grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers or toxic pesticides and is GM free, all of which is better for the soil, for the animals, for the workers, for the air (less greenhouse gases), and for the end user (no allergenic, carcinogenic or toxic chemical residues on the fabric).

Organic cotton field

They also use up-cycled fabrics wherever possible - up-cycling represents a truly cyclical, balanced process of creating a product of higher quality or value than the original. They’re even ethical down to the inks and trims, using water-based phthalates-free printing inks and recycled fibres. And they strive to keep their carbon footprint to a minimum by sourcing their fabrics locally, and using local factories which they have personally visited and can vouch for their humane working conditions as well as the quality of work produced.

They also donate 1 euro from every item sold under their “earth” collection to the Environmental Justice Foundation, which is a worthy and admirable contribution coming from a small starting-out company.

You can read more about their principles on their website.

I know what you thinking … this all sounds great, but surely with all this “goodness” there must be some loss of quality or comfort in the final product? With 3rd ROCK my experience has been quite the opposite. The clothing is super comfortable, with well-fitting fashionable cuts, and the quality is commendable. 

I got my set of kit from them just after Christmas … the Saturn sports bra top, Eden trousers, and the Alexis hoodie and I’m loving the look and feel, to the point that I plan my laundry days to try and ensure I always have my 3rd ROCK kit for my climbing sessions at the wall :)

Climbing in my 3rd ROCK hoodie and trousers

The hoodie top has an innovative cut that is designed for arm movement – basically the cut reduces the top riding up and exposing your midriff to the cold when you’re swinging around on the wall.  It fits snuggly but doesn’t inhibit movement, and it’s warm.

Climbing in my 3rd ROCK hoodie and trousers

The trousers are incredibly comfortable, with deep hand pockets and a side slip pocket for little things. They have an integrated thick elasticated waist band that is stylishly done and feels really comfy, with a draw cord which prevents the trousers from riding down at the back when you’re in a flexed position.  I love the cut - they’re fitting and stretchy, allowing movement whilst looking good and not being too baggy. They are quite thick which means they should handle wear and tear well, but I wouldn’t recommend them for warmer climates (3rd ROCK is looking at producing a lighter range at some point in the future).

And finally the sports bra top, with which I cannot find a flaw.  It’s comfortable, slightly padded, sits well through all ranges of movement, and has a flattering design.

These are just the clothes that I’ve tried out, check out their website to see their full range, which includes leggings, t-shirts, shorts, chalk bags and more. 

Cost is of course a factor for most, and here I think it’s important to consider the whole package when looking at the price … not just the end product, but everything from start to finish: farms, workers, factories, transportation, chemicals, ethics, the air we breathe and the land we so heavily rely on. Ask yourself, what do you want to support and how you will feel wearing that product?

A lot of the well-known brands of clothing that we buy keep their costs down at the expense of scruples, with some of them we know this for a fact, and for others it may be to a greater or lesser extent, but invariably we don’t fully know what shortcuts they’ve taken along the way, and who or what that may have affected.  3rd ROCK is a company which is not willing to sacrifice on their morals, and they feel this heavily with their profits, but despite this they still offer their garments at comparable prices with other climbing and outdoor brands.   

All in all, I really think this company is on to something good … they’re producing high quality garments that do the job AND look stylish, while also doing their part in protecting our planet. 

Perhaps you will find, as I have, that this is the opportunity you’ve been waiting for to do YOUR part! 

… “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” - Gandhi

Wide Open Spaces

"Anything of importance in a man's life must take place beneath the open sky" ~ excerpt from the book 'Game of Thrones'

My body may be back in the UK, but my heart and soul are still at the incredible places that we encountered during our travels, flying free like majestic eagles under the open skies and immense beauty.

It has been both a mental and physical challenge to get back into 'normal' life after the incredible 7 months of travelling that I've just had. It's not easy to adjust from being outside 10 or more hours a day, 7 days a week, to being reduced to such limited sky time, especially having come back to winter! It's meant a change from being out and about every day - either hitting the crags from morning till sundown, or heading off on a long hike surrounded by magical scenery,  or walking our socks off to see all the sites a city has to offer, or even sometimes just chilling on a beach or lying on the grass in a park and reading my book - to sitting in an office 8-10 hours a day, and really feeling the limits on time for sport and outdoor activities.  

Spending the day under the open skies is what drew me to climbing way back when, and has kept me climbing for over a decade, and will keep me climbing for many more years I can guarantee you :) I can't imagine life without these wide open spaces where my soul is free to soar and I feel alive with energy and vitality. I've also found that the people I meet and friends I make through climbing (mostly) share this same appreciation for the great outdoors, whether it's to climb or hike or just soak up the goodness, and this is another big reason why climbing has become such an integral part of my life.  

Over-population, development, cultivation, expansion ... it's happening at a rapid pace all around us.  But there are still loads of breath-taking places to experience, all you have to do is go! Here's some ideas for your next trip ...

1. Torres Del Paine, 4 day trek - Patagonia, Chile (Trekking)

Getting here does take some initiative and planning, but is worth the effort 100-fold, no make that 1000-fold! To get there you fly from Santiago to Punta Arenas, and then take a bus to Puerto Natalas. You can choose to do the trek full-board, staying in refugios each night, or half-board, or go hardcore style and camp (but remember this means you've got to carry camping and cooking gear with you!). We did the easiest option which was full-board, and made our booking through Fantasico Sur.

2. Yosemite - California, USA (Big wall trad, bouldering, hiking) 

Super easy to get to - you can fly into either Los Angeles or San Francisco, hire a car and within 3-5 hours you're there!  I had heard a lot of horror stories about unpleasantness due to crowds in Yosemite, but I didn't find it that bad. I actually think they have organized it really well considering the sheer volume of tourists that pass through each day, which is inevitable considering how spectacular the place is. I would definitely recommend staying in a campsite out of the valley, and just driving down into the valley to do whatever you might want to do down there. This way you're not constantly surrounded by the crowds and so it doesn't feel so bad.  They cater for the organized and not-so-organized with pre-booked and first-come-first-served camp grounds/ RV parks, as well as providing different campsites from the full-electric to the primitive to the hike-in only sites. Definitely a place every breath-taking-view-seeker should go to!

3. Bryce Canyon - Utah, USA (Hiking, horse-riding)

This place was simply incredible.  I just happened upon it while Googling different national parks in the USA, and it did not disappoint, in fact it was one of the highlights of the entire trip.  Your closest fly-in city would be either Las Vegas or Salt Lake City, and from either it's only about a 4 hour drive. The canyon offers a range of hiking options as well as horseback riding, and since it's not as deep as something like the Grand Canyon you can actually walk down and around the canyon floor which I really liked.

4. Rifle - Colorado, USA (Sport climbing)

This spot was recommended to me by a climbing buddy and definitely lived up to it's name as a world-class sport climbing destination.  The only downside that I found was that many of the routes were quite polished, with some being so bad that climbing on them was simply unpleasant. The climbing is in a narrow gorge so not quite what one would class as a 'wide open space', but you're still surrounded by some lovely scenery and a bubbling river, and the campsite provides an uninterrupted horizon to horizon sky view.

Refer to my previous blog for details on the climbing, how to get there, where to stay, etc.

5. Moab - Utah, USA (Hiking, think some trad climbing too)

Moab is a place that provides it all ... a charming little town with great atmosphere and range of accommodation options to suit all preferences, while being surrounded by the most gorgeous and dramatic scenery I've ever seen. Within less than an hour drive of Moab you have Arches National Park & Canyonlands National Park, and an hour or so further there is Goblin Valley State Park & Colorado National Monument. Moab is not too far from Las Vegas or Salt Lake City, and it's super easy to combine a visit here with a number of other national parks like Bryce Canyon, The Grand Canyon, and Antelope Canyon, as well as loads of climbing options like Rifle, Maple Canyon, and American Fork. 

Canyonlands National Park

Arches National Park

Arches National Park

6. The Grand Canyon - Nevada, USA (Hiking, horse-riding)

To be honest, Bryce Canyon topped The Grand Canyon for me, but that is purely from a visual point of view.  When I read about the history and stats of the Grand Canyon it totally blow my mind and opened up a whole new appreciation for what I was seeing.  The downside for me for the Grand Canyon is that any walk you do within it literally goes straight down, and the straight back up again.  And unless you are equipped to camp overnight you never get to the canyon floor as you can't hike it in a single day.  So the hikes are a little boring in that you're just going down and up, but the view is spectacular and the geology so rich that it is worth the visit.  For getting there, Phoenix, Albuquerque, and Las Vegas are all nearby and the drive there would be through some stunning countryside so just sit back and enjoy!

7. Antelope Canyon - Arizona, USA (Ooo-ing and aahing)

Even before our trip started I had seen photos of the most incredible flowing rock formations on the front cover of books and such like. I never knew where they were from but I knew I wanted to go there! I'm not even sure how to describe Antelope Canyon ... the best I can do is compare it to Alice in Wonderland, where everywhere you look you just cannot believe your eyes.  There is an upper and lower canyon, which from what I could ascertain from all the blogs I read, offer the same magnificence.  The actual canyon is not very long, and the tours through it take approximately 1 hour, with some extra time added on for driving there and back. Unfortunately as with many accessible attractions of this splendour you are one of many wanting to experience it, and you just have to accept that and move on.  You can only enter the canyon with a Navajo Nation tour group, of which there are many.  We chose ours based on the length of the tour, their prices, and which canyon they offered (we chose the lower canyon).  The canyon is near the town of Page in Arizona, 3 hours drive north of The Grand Canyon.

8. Red Rocks - Nevada, USA (Sport & trad climbing, hiking)

This is one magical place! Just half hour drive from the Las Vegas Strip and you're gazing up this ochre & rust coloured landscape. It offers awesome sport and trad climbing, and hiking, as well as the perfect break after a couple days of Vegas craziness. For climbing, the one thing to be aware of is that the rock is a very porous sandstone and requires a drying out period of 2 days after heavy rain. Definitely time your visit too ... summer is VERY hot and there is extremely limited shade. As sun-hardened South Africans we managed to climb still, but it felt like we were being baked in an oven :) Super easy to get to from Las Vegas, you can even stay in a cheap Vegas hotel and drive out each day, but we preferred to stay in the Red Rock Canyon campground which was absolutely stunning. 

Refer to my previous blog for details on the climbing, how to get there, where to stay, etc.

9. Sayward Forest Canoe Route - Vancouver Island, Canada (Canoeing)

I never realized how big Vancouver Island is until we did this canoe trip up north.  One morning as we were gliding across a glass-like lake I pointed to some snow-capped mountains far in the distance and asked my brother (who lives in Victoria on Vancouver Island) if those were the Rockies over on the mainland.  Nope, he replied, those are on the island! 

This canoe trip was such an adventure and pretty easy to organize too.  We hired canoes from an outfitter about 45 minutes from our launch point.  The biggest logistical problem was firstly finding a car for hire with roof racks, and then actually fitting two canoes onto the roof.  One canoe is easy, two a bit more tricky ... but nothing a family of adventurous Vargas can't overcome :) It's a 4-6 day circuit and you don't have to pay anything to do it.  There are campsites all around so you can plan your day according to distances you're wanting to do. Some campsites are on the mainland and offer facilities, while others are on the islands in the lakes and are more primitive.  However even the primitive ones still had wooden tent platforms, tables & benches, and fire pits. This is a true Canadian experience and if you're ever in Vancouver or visiting the island then I would highly recommend it!    

Bear food cache!