In my previous mail this may not have been made sufficiently clear; but of
course I agree absolutely that tour leaders should always keep to the
'promised' and scheduled programme, and not cut out certain harder daytrips
because of the wishes of part of the participants. The trip should always
follow the scheduled programme, and if some participants are not up to that,
they can stay at the hotel that day. When we were in Madagascar with
Rockjumpers, almost the opposite happened: the leader offered an extra
extension of a day trip, which involved a steep and prolonged climb, and here
only the couple that was fittest---and the best birders---took part, while the
other participants--me too- returned to the lodge on the Masoala peninsula.
The various tour companies almost always in their prospects have an indication
of the grade of difficulty of the tour and ask participants to make sure they
are up to that. It seems technically complicated, however, for them to have any
control that the participants are in fact as fit as they claim to be; many
people tend to overestimate their own fitness. Personally I feel that certain
trips (PNG, Philippines, maybe Surinam) are already beyond my capacities,
although until now I have had no particular difficulties to follow the trips I
have been on, including Madagascar and bhutan. And I still maintain that it is
for people like me that these trips probably yield optimal enjoyment and
results; there are other outlets for the most dedicated and accomplished
birders.
Happy New Year to all!
Wim Vader,
Tromsø Museum
9037
Tromsø, Norway
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