EF Adventures, a leader in active-travel and cultural immersion, and Backcountry, the online specialty retailer for outdoor gear and expertise, today announced the launch of a collection of hiking and multi-adventure tours across three continents departing in 2027. The tours in the EF Adventures x Backcountry Collection were designed by two trusted experts in travel and outdoors gear, helping adventure seekers take on extraordinary terrain across stunning landscapes and waterways, supported by the right guidance and preparation intended on delivering EPIC, memory making experiences. Visit here to learn more: https://www.efadventures.com/backcountry.
The collection starts with a tour close to Backcountry’s global headquarters in Utah. American Southwest Hiking with Backcountry: Sedona, the Grand Canyon & Zion takes travelers through the red-rock canyons and high-desert trails of Backcountry's home state of Utah and the greater Southwest — the terrain the brand's Gearhead® Experts know best. From there, the collection of new tours reaches three of the world's most iconic mountain landscapes: the glaciers and fjords of western Norway, the alpine ridgelines of Italy's Dolomites, and the wind-scoured peaks of Patagonia.
Every guided tour in the collection is led by a tour director working with EF Adventures who has expertise in the local destination and the various activities involved, be it hiking, kayaking, white water rafting, etc. Tour directors go beyond logistical support, helping travelers learn about the local destination, inclusive of culture, food, environment, and about the locals living within a community. Tour directors also focus on community building within a traveling group, with the goal of turning strangers at the start of each hike into a community of lifelong friends once they summit the peak of each trail.
Tours are built around a Backcountry signature moment — a defining day on the trail or water, supported by gear selected specifically for that itinerary's conditions. Travelers are also paired with a dedicated Backcountry Gearhead, an outdoor expert who works with them one-on-one ahead of departure on gear selection, layering and packing, so they arrive prepared for the environment ahead.
“Our travelers come to EF Adventures because they want more from an active trip - incredible experiences in the outdoors, but also a deeper connection to the places, cultures and people they encounter along the way, guided by experts and local guides who bring each destination to life.” said Heidi Durflinger, CEO of EF World Journeys, operator of EF Adventures. “Our partnership with Backcountry extends that experience to how travelers prepare for the adventure ahead. Confidence on the trail or on the water starts long before the trip begins, and connecting every traveler with a Gearhead who understands exactly what their adventure will need in terms of apparel or equipment gives them a new level of personalized support. Starting the collection in Utah, on Backcountry’s home ground, felt like the perfect place to begin — and from there, we can’t wait to help travelers explore this beautiful world.”
The four tours span moderate to challenging activity levels and run from 7 to 14 days, with one departure per itinerary in 2027.
A GEARHEAD FOR EVERY TRAVELER
Backcountry's Gearheads are the retailer's in-house outdoor experts — climbers, skiers, paddlers and hikers who advise customers one-on-one. In the co-branded collection, every booked traveler is introduced to a named Gearhead after booking and can reach that expert directly in the months before departure, working through a curated gear list built specifically for their itinerary's terrain and conditions.
"We've spent thirty years helping people figure out what they actually need for the conditions they're heading into, and the honest answer is that most gear questions are really trip questions," said Kevin Lenau, President at Backcountry. "These four itineraries gave us something specific to solve for, glacier travel in Norway, wind and rain in Patagonia, sun and heat in the Southwest. Our Gearheads get to work with travelers on a real adventure with a real date on it and then see them use the gear where it matters. Having the collection start in Utah, in our own backyard, makes it that much better.”
TRAVELER BENEFITS
- A dedicated Backcountry Gearhead for one-on-one gear, layering and packing guidance ahead of departure
- A curated, itinerary-specific gear list built by Backcountry's outdoor experts
- Select Backcountry gear provided for use on tour, matched to each destination's terrain and conditions
- A 15% Backcountry discount and Summit Club+ access
- A co-branded welcome kit
- A full-time EF Adventures Tour Director, plus local guides, throughout the itinerary
REFER A FRIEND
Any traveler who has booked with EF Go Ahead Tours, EF Ultimate Break, or EF Adventures can now share a personal referral link via email, text, social media, or their respective EF World Journeys mobile app. Travelers receive $100 in travel credit for every friend who books using their referral, with every fifth referral earning $500. There is no limit to how many referrals can be made, and rewards never expire. Click here to learn more.
NOW WORKING WITH TRAVEL ADVISORS
EF Adventures, EF Go Ahead Tours and EF Ultimate Break are now working with travel advisors and travel agencies across the EF World Journeys portfolio, giving advisors access to the full range of guided, experiential travel for adults — including the new EF Adventures × Backcountry Collection. Interested advisors can sign up or learn more about commission details, partnership opportunities and exclusive advisor resources. Click here to learn more.