Gretchen Traut recently joined Adventures Within Reach, an adventure travel operator based in the United States. Adventures Within Reach offers expert advice, custom itineraries, and authentic adventures worldwide to adventurous travelers seeking great value for guided private and group travel. Traut will be providing expert travel advice to Adventures Within Reach’s clients and takes “great pride in passionately assisting other travelers as they begin to plan their own adventures.”
Traut’s life travels, studies, and work in South America, Asia, and Europe, particularly Thailand, Argentina, Switzerland, and Spain, ignited within her a deep and ever-broadening desire to venture into the unknown and seek out intercultural experiences and adventures. And her upbringing in the Pacific Northwest instilled in her an intense enthusiasm for hiking, rock climbing, biking and anything outdoors. She also has a passion for cooking and language - she speaks English, Spanish, French, Slovak and Thai and is hoping to add to the list. Though she has strong connections with many other parts of the world, her true love and second home lies in South America.
Traut’s top favorite adventures in South America include:
- Volcano climbing in the Atacama Desert, Chile
- Completing the Torres del Paine W-Trek, Chile
- Biking through the vineyards of Mendoza, Argentina
- Boating under Iguazu Falls, Argentina
- Hiking the Inca Trail, Peru
- Trekking and caving in Chapada Diamantina, Brazil
- Canopy climbing in the trees and swimming in the Amazon, Brazil
“We are delighted to welcome Gretchen Traut to the Adventures Within Reach team.” said Robin Paschall, the owner of Adventures Within Reach. She continued, “Gretchen is an expert in many of the destinations offered by Adventures Within Reach, particularly South America. We are looking forward to expanding the depth of knowledge and services concerning South America to our clients.”