Cambridge, Mass. and Salt Lake City – – October 06, 2026 -- Active-travel operator EF Adventures and outdoor retailer Backcountry have launched a four-tour collection of guided hiking and multi-adventure trips departing in 2027, pairing EF's travel-guiding expertise with Backcountry's gear know-how.
The collection opens on Backcountry's home turf in Utah
The anchor trip, American Southwest Hiking with Backcountry: Sedona, the Grand Canyon & Zion, runs 7 days (9 with a Zion extension), departs April 25, 2027, and starts at $6,190 per person, land only. Travelers descend the Bright Angel Trail into the Grand Canyon and hike Zion's slot canyons, with an optional two-day Bryce Canyon add-on.
Three more itineraries reach Norway, Italy and Patagonia
Norway Multi-Adventure with Backcountry: Bergen & the Sognefjord Region spans 9 days from $6,290, departing July 15, 2027, including a glacier hike on Nigardsbreen and kayaking the Nærøyfjord. Italy Hiking with Backcountry: The Dolomites runs 11 days from $7,150, departing August 21, 2027, featuring a ridgeline hike along Seceda and a stop at the Messner Mountain Museum. Chile & Argentina Hiking with Backcountry: Patagonia is the most demanding at 14 days from $11,290, departing November 4, 2027, covering Torres del Paine and the Southern Patagonian Ice Field.
Every traveler gets a named Backcountry gear expert before departure
Booked travelers are matched with a dedicated Backcountry "Gearhead" who builds an itinerary-specific packing list and advises on layering ahead of the trip. Select gear is provided on tour, matched to each destination's conditions — sun hoodies and hydration packs in the Southwest, insulated jackets and crampons in Norway, down vests in the Dolomites, and rain shells in Patagonia.
Backcountry's president frames the gear choices around real trip conditions
"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,