NEW YORK, May 12, 2000 — GORP.com, the leading online outdoor travel and recreation information and retail site, has adapted one of the Internet's most popular capabilities — live interaction between people called "online chat" — to the vacation planning and purchasing process. Now users can research more than 35,000 outdoor adventure trips on one-half of their computer screen, while chatting in real time to an expert on the other.

Customers can make a decision with the help of a professional travel consultant, and have detailed trip information "pushed" directly to their computer. No longer is it necessary to send an email, go off-line to free up the telephone and wait for a return call. GORP has streamlined and simplified the process.

"Planning and buying a vacation requires careful thought and considerable information in order to make an informed, and ultimately rewarding, choice. It's essential for our users to be able to talk with experts while they are doing their research online. Our chat service means they don't have to wait for replies and can get their questions answered in real time," said Jon Guttenberg, CEO of GORP.com.

GORP.com, named after the famous trail mix beloved by hikers and outdoor enthusiasts, provides more than 100,000 pages of information on worldwide destinations, packages and trips, and the broadest range of outdoor activities, including hiking, trekking, horseback riding, whitewater rafting, Scuba diving, skiing, and biking. The site provides full-service online booking of trips and vacations and an online store offering 180 brands of outdoor apparel, footwear and equipment.

To take advantage of GORP's unique chat service, users simply log on to GORPtravel.com and click on Contact Us. There you will find three choices including, "Chat Online with a Travel Consultant." After filling out a short form supplying identification information, customers are given a choice of having an expert consultant call back or join the user online immediately. Then it is as easy as carrying on a typed conversation while reviewing the information at the same time. The GORPTravel consultant can even send web pages with additional information while engaged in discussion. GORP's online chat service is available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mountain Time and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mountain Time. There is no charge for using the service.

Other ways of obtaining information from the experts at GORP include using the site's toll-free telephone number, 877-440-4677 (international callers may dial 720-887-8500), by emailing requests or questions to info@gorptravel.com, or by fax (303-444-3999). In planning their vacations, many GORP users also take advantage of the site's live discussion forums on such topics as conservation, hiking, biking, paddling, climbing, outdoor gear, family travel and destinations around the world. In addition, GORP provides continually fresh information about these topics and more in the form of articles and advice columns from leading experts in their fields.

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