NEW YORK, June 8, 2000 - Sunrise hikes to Machu Picchu, whitewater rafting in Utah, and multi-sport adventures in Hawaii top the list of the hot adventure travel activities and destinations, according to GORP.com, the leading Internet site dedicated to outdoor recreation and adventure travel.

GORP's top ten destinations and activities are:

"Our top ten list has some perennial favorites, like Canada - due to the favorable exchange rate - and Hawaii," said Bill Greer, founder and editor-in-chief of GORP.com. "The surprising thing is who we are seeing going on these trips. The age range has broadened considerably - even in the past six-months."

The top ten list of outdoor recreation activities and destinations were drawn from a survey of the travel and recreation experts at GORP.com who were asked to identify the top selling outdoor recreation destinations for the coming months. The list encompasses three continents, mountains and beaches, cultural interests, family activities and a wide range of sports.

Outdoor recreation has become a huge part of vacationing, not just for the hard-core sports enthusiasts, but for mainstream travelers of all descriptions, including families. The survey revealed that people are increasingly looking to combine their favorite recreational interests, even learn a new sport or activity, with vacationing, whether it is in the Rockies or the Andes.

"For example, the top trip for the fall is trekking in South America's Andes Mountains in search of the ancient Inca civilization," said Greer. "Machu Picchu has traditionally been a popular destination, however we are seeing more seniors taking this fairly challenging trip that requires some high-altitude hiking. More people are adding a more strenuous level of activity to their trips."

While the top ten destinations appeal to a broad demographic of travelers, more seniors are taking the trips to Machu Picchu, volcano exploration in Hawaii and eco-tours to Costa Rica than in previous months. Families with young teenagers are favoring African photo Safaris and multisport trips to Canada. Singles have increased their interest in culinary tours through Tuscany and horseback riding (including dude ranch vacations) in Colorado. Whitewater rafting and kayaking continues to be a favorite of singles, and heli-hiking has emerged as the must-do activity for the younger set.

"Clearly the trend is that adventure travel is appealing to a wider and wider audience," continued Greer. "And all types of people are looking for ways to stay more active. It's a very good thing - they'll feel better, look better, have a better attitude and have something to brag about when they get back from their trip."

GORP (a.k.a. Great Outdoor Recreation Pages) is the largest and most trafficked Web site dedicated to outdoor recreation and adventure travel. With more than 100,000 pages of content, GORP offers a complete package of authoritative, award-winning content, a large, active community of outdoor enthusiasts and a full-range of e-commerce offerings drawing nearly 13 million page views per month. Started in 1995, GORP offers a full-service adventure travel booking feature, accessible via the Web or telephone, with more than 35,000 departures in addition to a gear store with 180 brands of clothing, footwear and equipment. GORP has been cited by Yahoo!, US News & World Report, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and many others, as the leader in this category and a "Best of the Web" site. To reach GORP's world of outdoor recreation, including an incomparable selection of vacation packages, log on to www.gorp.com.

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