NEW YORK, July 18, 2000 - There is a breed of outdoor enthusiast and intrepid traveler who, marching to his or her own tune, is incapable of following the crowd. For these many independent spirits, GORP.com, the most visited Internet site dedicated to outdoor recreation and adventure travel, offers an ideal concept: the self-guided tour. In Europe, Ireland, Scotland and the Americas, GORP offers vacation programs that combine the important necessities - accommodations, meals, luggage handling, transfers, maps and route information - with the freedom to set one's own pace and explore individual interests on foot or bicycle, even skis or snowshoes. In short, a hassle-free, completely independent exploration of the world.

"Self-guided tours are rapidly joining the ranks of GORP's top-selling vacations. Easy to book, even on a short term basis, and allowing complete freedom to set one's own schedule, they are a great way to explore Provence, Tuscany, Ireland, the Scottish Highlands and many of America's most magnificent landscapes," said Bill Greer, co-founder and editor-in-chief of GORP.com. "Self-guided programs are particularly appealing to travelers who enjoy being on their own but do not want to have to worry about getting their bags from hotel to hotel, or about where to stay and where to eat."

A sampling of self-guided tours found at www.gorptravel.com include:

The Haute Route, Switzerland $1,040 for nine-day trips through September, including inn to inn accommodations, some meals, transfers from Geneva to Arolla and Randa to Geneva.
	Offers hiking through the famous Val d'Herens, the Col de Torrent, two nights in the shadow of the Weisshorn and the Mattertal Valley to Randa and Zermatt.
Treasures of Tuscany, Italy $1,410 for 11-day trips through October, including bed and breakfast accommodations at two- and three-star hotels and guesthouses, plus some meals.
	Features hiking through the best of Tuscany's hilltop towns starting in the Etruscan town of Volterra and traversing San Gimignano, Castelvecchio, San Donato, Colle Val d'Elsa, Monteriggioni, Radda in Chianti, Gaiole in Chianti and others.
Kerry Walking Tour, Ireland $910 for eight-day trips through October, including bed and breakfast accommodations in country inns, luggage transfers, maps and route notes.
	Walk or hike along a network of green roads connecting mountain lakes and waterfalls that showcase the natural beauty and serenity of the Irish landscape and enjoy the country's tradition of hospitality and warm welcome to strangers.
Cinque Terre: A Mediterranean Coastal Walk $700 for six-day trips through October, including inn accommodations in Monterosso Al Mare and daily breakfast.
	Day hikes and walks along the Italian Riviera to such towns as Monte Rossini, Montenegro, Monte Molinelli, Riomaggiori and others.
The Black Forest: In the Footsteps of Mark Twain, Germany $985 weekly through October, including inn to inn accommodations, all breakfasts and dinners.
	Features the beauty of the Black Forest from a starting point in Baerental and including Feldsee Lake, the Feldberg (the highest peak in the Black Forest), Wiedenereck, Menzenschwand, Belchen peak and others.

Other GORP self-guided tour programs include cycling in the Loire Valley or Provence in France, walking in Alsace, hiking in Utah, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in Vermont, eco-safaris in Costa Rica, and many others.

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 with more than 4,000 trips, accessible via the Web or telephone, 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.

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