The great companies you'll read about here are identified through our consulting practice and our friends who are guides or operators. Past editions Off the Radar can be found at www.xolaconsulting.com/news.htm. If you have a great company you'd like us to consider for Off the Radar, send an email to Christina@xolaconsulting.com.

June Photo Contest Winners
All right Susannah! Washington D.C. Capitol Hill staffer and outdoor enthusiast Susannah Cernojevich had the first correct guess for the June photo: majestic Denali (Mt. McKinely) in Alaska. Taken from the air on an unusually clear day, the photo provided a great view of the well-known West Buttress climbing route and the upper reaches of the Kahiltna Glacier.


4226 18th St. N.W.
Washington, DC 20011

Every summer we seem to find ourselves amidst the desert beauty of the 4 Corners Region in the western United States, and this summer is no exception. Living this summer in Santa Fe, New Mexico, has introduced us to one of Santa Fe's newest adventure travel operators - Santa Fe Mountain Adventures.

Read further to learn about owner-operated SFMA's unusual approach to adventure travel and also to get an update on Carolyn McIntyre's journey retracing the steps of famed explorer Ibn Battuta, first featured in the February issue of OTR.


When we met SFMA founder Owen Perillo for a coffee in a shop just off Santa Fe's historic downtown plaza, we immediately knew we'd discovered a gem. Here's a company with a passion for the entire adventure experience - mental & physical - and that has pulled together all the elements of a beautiful adventure trip: the exhilaration of active play in the outdoors, as well as the restorative powers of a little TLC after you've conquered the mountain.

It's a little like going to visit a good friend for a week and having them give you the insider's tour - all best places to play outside, dine in town and at the end of it all, send you off for a nice massage.

The Frisch's told us about a recent five day trip with SFMA to celebrate their anniversary, which included hiking the Rio en Medio trail in Santa National Forest, rafting on the Rio Grande, and in the afternoons chilling out with yoga and stretching classes, and even a cooking class.

To learn more about Santa Fe Mountain Adventures trips contact them directly at 800-965-4010 or go to their website at http://www.santafemountainadventures.com/default.asp.


You may remember reading about our friend Carolyn McIntyre's plan to retrace the steps of Ibn Battuta - well, she's finally off and running! Check out her newly launched, fascinating website: Girl Solo in Arabia. This site is a combination travelogue/sociologue that will eventually lead to a book. Read her posting on Sousse, known as the ' Pearl of the Sahel' for a chuckle and a good little history lesson.

And of course, if you're interested in learning more about joining Carolyn's trip, contact her at carolynenroute@yahoo.com.



Photo Credit: Eythan Sontag

Where Is This?
This picture was taken by our climbing pal Eythan on a recent trip... think you recognize the place? To submit your guess or a photo for a future contest, send an email to info@xola consulting.com. The first person to answer correctly earns bragging rights and will enjoy seeing his/her name in print in our next issue.

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