Tips & Advice

Get Tips and Advice from the guides at Mountain Trek. Nutrition, Hiking, Sleep, Detox and Fitness are just some of the topics we cover.

Why Mountain Trek loves Rancho La Puerta

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It’s exciting for us at Mountain Trek to be able to set up our hiking weight loss program at the oldest fitness and health spa in North America, Rancho La Puerta. It’s the best of both worlds. For many of our guests who make decisions day in and day out, it’s a welcome break to drop into our program which is highly structured- the reason we call it a boot camp. We make the decisions for you.

It’s a pretty tight schedule. The beauty about coming to RLP is to take advantage of what they shine at – fitness classes.  With five gyms and three pools,  it’s more than fitness- it’s about discovering how good it feels to move our bodies.  That’s why we are setting up base camp there for the second year. Plus we found out the last two years when we were in North Carolina during US Thanksgiving (we were full both years), that people were looking to spend the holidays in a different way. A more active, healthy way. It’s another reason to find us at RLP, we want to offer an opportunity to start a new trend for the holidays, become a fat burner, not a fat storer.

That way when the annual writing of  New Year’s resolution rolls around, “eat better and exercise more” are already well under way.

Where do you get your Vitality?

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New Zealand Scenery Mountain Trek Adventure Trek

At the top of mountain peaks, near fast-flowing rivers, in a spectacular forest setting, or simply sitting near a lake listening to the birds sing to the light. These are a few things of my favorite ways of increasing my vitality as a guide at Mountain Trek. I can appreciate that our guests come for a kick start to their metabolism, to lose some excess weight, and no doubt we are the weight loss program that does just that. But, I’m thrilled when I hear our guests while hiking on the trails, stop suddenly to take in the beauty that surrounds them, to remark on how good they feel simply by being in the outdoors, how more balanced they feel, and how alive they have become. It’s about connecting to the life force energy that surrounds us, that essence called vitality.

Where do you find yours?

What is Mountain Trek?

Mountain Trek is the health reset you’ve been looking for. Our award-winning health retreat, immersed in the lush nature of British Columbia, will help you detox, unplug, recharge, and roll back years of stress and unhealthy habits. To learn more about the retreat, and how we can help you reset your health, please email us at info@mountaintrek.com or reach out below:

Hot news straight from the hills of Rancho La Puerta

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Kirk here. I’ve been hiking in the Chaparral country of Baja California which is the area surrounding Ranch La Puerta, the next base camp of MT. In all my guiding and hiking experiences, I find this area uniquely spectacular. My senses have been stimulated … seeing eon eroded boulder sculptures, touching and feeling the yucca and eucalyptus plants, listening to the beckoning birdsong while I hike and enjoying the feel of a cool breeze. This is nice.

On the look out for undulating trails and good elevation gains suited for the MT program (one of the reasons I was here), I’m happy to report that there is plenty of opportunity to get one’s heart rate in that sweet spot! Ahh…just what we want, great hiking, great fat burning, and a place to completely destress.

And I can’t say enough about the facilities, simply first rate! And the food, I’m looking forward to how Jeff (our dietician/guide) and the kitchen here at Rancho La Puerta recreate our delicious spa cuisine. They have their own organic farm and support the local farms which one of the beauties of this particular spa…local and organic food.

Mountain Trek…Baja/Mexico style…hope to see you there in February!

Kirk out.

(Kirk – MT’s program director/guide)

The Call of the Carolinas

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The colors of summer flowers and weather continue to please us in the month of September here at Mountain Trek, British Columbia. It is the beginning of our Indian summer. Fall feels distant in the warm air.

Fall arrives for us when we gather our gear and head back for another Mountain Trek adventure in North Carolina where we are open from November 7th to December 5. Near the hot springs, come and enjoy amazing vistas, the fabulous Mountain Trek cuisine, and great weight loss results. Our base camp once again, is Bent Creek Lodge, a Bed and Breakfast nestled away on 8 acres of forest, just 15 minutes outside Asheville.

It’s the same high intensity hiking program with a maximum of 10 guests to ensure you get the personalized attention you’ve come to expect at Mountain Trek. Multiple flights arrive daily from all major centers to the Asheville airport a mere twenty minute drive from Bent Creek. Check out North Carolina for more info.

It’s Still Summer Edition

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And the Winner is…

Congratulations to Terese Vekteris! She’s the winner of our “Enter To Trek” contest. This fall she will find herself hiking up the beautiful mountains of British Columbia and enjoying the delicious spa cuisine Mountain Trek is famous for. Thanks to all who participated in the contest and are now Facebook fans of FitPath at Mountain Trek. And for those of you not yet on Facebook, become a fan and keep up to date on news about Mountain Trek and an opportunity to connect with other “alumni” in your area. Thanks again for playing!

Reinventing Aging

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We have to thank the rock stars like Mick Jagger for continuing to push the limits of what we can do at any age (I know he sorta looks like a piece of grizzled chicken). And I can thank our guests who continually give us feedback on what the program has provided for them. From our turkey burn program, a woman who was in her early 60’s was with us for the two weeks. At the end of it, she believed we had “de-aged” her which is what we call vitality.

I won’t lie and say I haven’t thought about aging before but this woman’s comment to me stuck. What do we do here at Mountain Trek that people leave feeling uplifted, less heavy, and really, less wrinkles on their faces! Of course, I do know what we do (exercise, eat well, detox) but I wanted to go deeper into the whole “aging” thing.

This is the beginning of a series that I will explore aging, what it means, and what measures we can take to not necessarily stop it, but prevent it’s acceleration.

Stay tuned!

A Brand New Year…2010…

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I had every intention of writing a list of New Year’s resolutions for this blog before 2010 descended upon me. However, like all good intentions, things get in the way. I have a good excuse (as far as excuses go) as Mountain Trek’s Turkey Burn program was in full force and I can say I hit the ground snowshoeing after the holidays. Whew! We were a full house of 14 guests, some new to our snowshoe program and some familiar with us. So as a guide and New Year’s Eve host, my dance card quickly filled up and only now, I can kick back and start my list. Perhaps, I shouldn’t call them resolutions but suggestions for the year to support you on your journey to finding vitality in your life.

In the area of Nutrition:

1. For two weeks every three months, adopt a mini-cleanse. Limit and if you can, eliminate, dairy, wheat/flour products, sugar (all forms), processed foods, caffeine, and alcohol. This supports the body’s own natural cleansing process and supports what we promote at MT, detoxing through dietary changes. Enjoy more veggies, fish like salmon, lean meats, and be generous in using good fats like flax oil or Udo’s Oil.

And speaking of Detox:

2. Brush your Body. Dry skin brushing is an easy way to help the skin eliminate toxins, drain and cleanse the lymphatic system, and help support the immune system. Gently sweep the brush in a circular motion, moving from the outer areas of the body (legs and hands) towards the heart. Try it three times a week for 5-10 minutes before your morning shower. Dry skin brushes are available at most drugstores or health food stores.

How about fitness?

3. Text yourself messages reminding you to work out.

And of course, we can’t forget, relaxation or destressing.

4. Breathe. That’s it. Take a moment each hour of each day to simply take a deep breath.

On the Tropical Horizon

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Our Costa Rica Program has enjoyed a successful following since opening in 2007. We are currently seeking another venue to run our FitPath program in 2010. Stay connected via our Facebook page for the status of our “Tropical Trek.”