Expedition Calendar
- November 16th - 28th, Santa Cruz, BO and Peru Expedition
Click for Details
- December 13th - 24th, Holiday 2012 Expedition
Click for Details - March 9th - 18th, Spring Break 2013 Peru Expedition
Details Coming Soon! - May 18th - 28th, Summer Break 2013 Peru Expedition
Details Coming Soon! - June 10th - 20th, Summer Break 2013 Peru Expedition
Details Coming Soon!
= Open Expedition
= Closed Expedition
= Medical Mission
= Private Expedition
September Peru Expedition with Mary Graham Information and Sign up here!
No expeditions for October, create one!
2012 Bolivia/Peru Expedition November 15th - 27th - Information and Sign up here!
Holiday 2012 Expedition December 14th - 24th - Information and Sign up Here!
No expeditions for January, create one!
No expeditions for February, Create one!
Spring Break 2013 Expedition March 9th - 18th - Details Coming Soon!
No expeditions for April, Create one!
Summer Break 2013 Expedition May 18th - 28th - Details Coming Soon!
Summer Break 2013 Expedition June 10th - 20th - Details Coming Soon!
No expeditions for July, Create one!
No expeditions for August, Create one!
Ascend Service Expeditions
#1 Humanitarian Expedition
5 days, 4 nightsCustomizable service expedition and intercultural exchange
See Details
#2 Medical Mission
5 days, 4 nightsMedical Missions - rural health clinics, training and CME
See Details
#3 Productive Reforestation
2 days, 1 nightReforestation with productive trees and environment training
See Details
#4 Improved Stoves
3 days, 2 nightsImproved ventilated stove construction and home-stays
See Details
Service Expeditions are the cornerstone of our approach to humanitarian development. Ascend Adventure Travel empowers you (the socially-conscious traveler), to lend a helping hand to poor, rural communities via sustainable development projects.
Ascend expeditions are an important part of our mission and provide the opportunity for volunteers to give meaningful service to the impoverished communities where we work. While an expedition of a few days by itself cannot offer sustainable development, Ascend is able to combine its expeditions with ongoing programs which are sustainable. With professional staff in country year-round, Ascend expeditions are organized in advance so they can serve as a great catalyst for communities, families and individuals to set and achieve development goals in a short period of time.
Benefits of Ascend Expeditions
"One of the great things that our family has ever done was spend time in Peru this last summer with Ascend Travel. The experience could not have been better. Before the trip there was a lot of talk about going to Machu Picchu, and how cool that was going to be, and yes we did have a great experience at Machu Picchu, but in talking to our children after the trip they unanimously said that the real treat of the trip was living and working in the village amongst the Peruvian people. We all can't wait to go back."
- John Edwards, 2011
Expeditions are typically 5 days in length and start on Monday and end on Friday or Saturday. Anyone over the age of 10 can participate and past participants have included individuals, families, couples, organizations and companies. In-country staff will work alongside trip leaders to plan and carry out all transportation, food, lodging and humanitarian activities - so all of the organization is taken care of! Take a look at the various different expeditions currently being offered (on the expedition calendar located to your right) and sign up for the trip that most interests you. The typical service expedition costs between $1200 and $1800 (excluding airfare and touring) depending on the length of the trip and the cost of the humanitarian project. Also, check out a few of the available service options below if you are interested in organizing a personal service trip with between 2 and 10 people.
Expedition Leadership is an amazing experience. It is also hard work! Leaders coordinate with Ascend Travel staff, endeavor to meet the expedition group's travel needs/desires, train and empower team leaders, follow up and pick up the pieces left undone, keep the budget in check, implement appropriate procedures and accomplish mission objectives. At the same time you maintain your composure, sense of humor, compassion and fun! We provide you all the tools you need to recruit, train, manage and follow-up with your expedition team and as an added bonus - you can fundraise for your own trip expenses! By working with our non-profit partner Ascend Alliance, all expedition expenses excluding cultural/adventure tours can be tax-deductible!
Medical Missions to Cusco are one of our specialties. We have the connections to enable quality medical missions that bring together local and international medical providers. Groups of doctors, physicians, dentists, etc. come together to provide portable medical clinics in rural communities, assistance and training in medical posts, and CME (Continuing Medical Education) at local hospitals and Universities. Medical missions are customizable based on the composure of the medical team. Also, we work together with local strategic alliances such as the OPC (Police Office of Citizen Participation) and the Regional Hospital, which provides equipment and local doctors. We merge our Medical Missions with year-round medical training delivered by Ascend Travel Staff, and international and local interns - in this manner, giving our health efforts a sustainable edge! Please contact us for more details and about signing up or leading a medical mission
At Ascend Adventure Travel, we offer a variety of service options that can be arranged with little anticipation and can accomodate smaller group sizes. These packages include rural homestays, important sustainable development projects that have already been initiated, trained humanitarian tour guides and Ascend Travel Interns, cultural activities, local cuisine, and local transportation. These packages are a great way to get into the rhythm of humanitarian development in poor, rural communities without having to overthink the logistics (that''s our job!). Pricing includes donations for project materials and skilled labor - and we maximize the value of your contribution by working closely with the municipal government and the community we are serving (a win-win situation!) Check out our options - but remember that all tour packages are customizable so please tell us what your ideal service experience would be so we can make it a reality!
Productive reforestation with native trees along with environmental education for adults and children is a recipe for success. "Productive" reforestation means that the trees being planted produce fruits for better nutrition, flowers and leaves for dying wool and alpaca, natural medicines, and wood for artisan goods. This type of reforestation helps community members earn additional income while simultaneously improving the environment. Coupled with environmental training workshops in which we teach about recycling - reducing and reusing, and install trash and recycling containers is a great way to fight the harmful deforestation and trash problems that plague Southern Peru.
Something as simple as better kitchen ventilation can have a big impact on an individual's health. Peruvian families in rural areas have traditionally cooked over open fires using coal or firewood, generating a great deal of smoke, ash and carbon monoxide. Often, food preparation and cooking take place in small areas with poor or no ventilation. These conditions lead to respiratory, skin and eye issues and illnesses. The World Health Organization estimates that 1.5 million people in the world die prematurely each year from exposure to indoor smoke as a result of burning solid fuels. Our answer to this problem is improved ventilated stoves. In this activity, we will build an improved stove over the course of three days. This rewarding and life-saving opportunity will have a Peruvian family thanking you for their improved health AND the extra years you will have added to their lives!
In the rural communities in Southern Peru, most bathrooms are little more than a hole in the ground surrounded by four pieces of pleated tin. This setup, besides general discomfort, leads to ground water contamination as well as diseases that are spread through lack of hygiene. Many children in the communities we serve are perpetually sick and weak due to poor hygiene - and our answer to this problem is eco-latrines! In this service opportunity, we will spend three days building an eco-latrine from the ground up. Eco-latrines are inexpensive and they recycle human waste and use no water. Human waste becomes fertilizer that is used for crops. Also, we install electric showers and sinks as part of our effort to improve hygiene and stop the spread of disease. In rural communities, this project can be the catalyst for a bright and healthy future!
At Ascend Travel, we offer customizable service expeditions based on our project solution areas and our current projects. Expeditions are typically 5 days in length and start on Monday and end on Friday or Saturday. Anyone over the age of 10 can participate and past participants have included individuals, families, couples, organizations and companies. In-country staff will work alongside trip leaders to plan and carry out all transportation, food, lodging and humanitarian activities - so all of the organization is taken care of! We are always looking for trip leaders to help with expedition leadership and recruitment - and a trip leader can fundraise for their own trip!