The newest addition to YACC’s program lineup is related to the Retreat Yourself family, but don’t let it fool you. This isn’t a restful excursion.
We feel responsible to give you all the info on what to expect in rural Newfoundland so you’ll know what you’re signing up for before you send in that application. These are adventure tourism activities, so you don’t have to be an endurance athlete to attend, but you have to be up for a difficult day-long hike and some salt-water kayaking.
Sue Rendell is from Gros Morne Adventures (the company with which we’re planning the kayaking and hiking) and she sent us the following descriptions to share with you:
Sea Kayaking Day Adventure
Level of difficulty: easy to moderate. Double sea kayaks (very stable and easy to paddle).
Estimated time: 5-6 hours. Leisurely paddling for the most part with lots of time to stop and explore.
Location: Bonne Bay, very sheltered waters with lots of beaches and coves. Water temperature should be around 15-18°C
Click here for details, photos, and video.
Hiking Day Adventure – Gros Morne Mountain
Level of difficulty: high. The trail from the base up the mountain and back down to the base is very rocky underfoot. At places you will need to steady yourself with your hands to step up or down over rocks. The views are quite spectacular from the top as you overlook 10-mile pond fjord and the Long Range Mountains. Hiking boots and rain gear are essential items to have for this hike.
Estimated time: 8-9 hours
Click here for details, photos, and maps.
Hiking Day Adventure – South Side
We have an option of doing one of these three hikes and it will depend on how everyone is feeling and the what the weather is like.
The level of difficulty is moderate for all three.
Lookout Trail offers a great view of Bonne Bay, the Tablelands Mountains, and the Long Range Mountains. It will require a day with good visibility. The trail is very well groomed with switchbacks and board walk in sections and climbs to an elevation of about 1000 ft (300m).
The Tablelands trail hike is about 14km return on a well groomed trail. There is an elevation gain of about 300ft (100m). It offers great views of the Tablelands (which is a unique geological feature composed of the earth’s mantle) and Trout River Pond Fjord.
Green Gardens is about a 10km return hike with an elevation gain of about 1000 ft (300m). It leads to an incredible volcanic rock beach along the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Zip Lining
We will also spend a day on a zip lining excursion with Marble Zip Tours. For those of you who are not familiar with zip lining, you’ll be suspended from a harness as you fly through the trees and over the river of Marble Mountain. If you’re afraid of heights, this one will definitely push you outside of your comfort zone.
Click here for a video.
So if you think you’re up for day-long hikes up rocky mountain terrain, multiple hours on the open water in a little boat, and a few breathtaking moments in a harnass hundreds of feet in the air, you’re just who we’re looking for.
We can’t wait to share this brand-new program with you!
