High-adrenaline relaxation: adventures on the road less traveled.

• Author: Gates, Ann
• Position: ExecutiveLiving

MOST people like to use vacation for relaxation, but 23 years ago, Dick Bass, the owner of Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort, left on a different type of vacation. Instead of spending time on the beach, Bass spent 13 days dragging himself up Mt. McKinley. Although extreme conditions, physical labor and life-endangering risks aren't everyone's idea of an ideal vacation, adventure travel is on the rise. In the five years prior to the travel slump that began with September 11th, half of all U.S. adults had been on some sort of adventure trip. When Utah executives are able to carve out time for a well-deserved vacation, many choose adventure travel.

For William Nelson, president and CEO of Intermountain Healthcare, adventure travel is a natural fit.

"I grew up camping and exploring around here, so of course I like doing the same on vacation," says Nelson. One of his favorite trips was traveling through Central America, where he and his wife explored ancient Mayan cities, floated a river through limestone caves and went diving in the cenotes (underwater caves) of the Mayan Riviera.

As president of the nation's top integrated healthcare system, Nelson is accustomed to taking risks, so when his children suggested a canyoneering adventure in Switzerland that included rappelling and cliff jumping, he was all for it. While many would consider it crazy, to Nelson, "It sounded fun."

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Cindy Gubler, a partner at Vanguard Media Group, agrees: "Some people like to go to the same place year after year and sit in a chair on the beach, which is fine, but I already sit in a chair every day," she laughs. Like Nelson, one of Gubler's favorite places to vacation is in Latin America. "Often we North Americans are so excessive and make our lives so complicated," says Gubler. "But when I go on vacation, being around a simpler way of life and spending time in nature helps me become more aligned." Gubler loves adventure travel so much that on a trip to France, her least favorite activity was sightseeing in Paris. Once she leaves downtown Salt Lake City, Gubler says, she's simply not interested in much city time. However, just because she stays out of cities...