BAGK TU BASICS

The latest trend in high-end travel? Stripping away all the luxuries and getting some dirt under your fingernails.

- Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon

LAST FOURTH OF JULY weekend, while most people were scarfing hot dogs and knocking back beers, I was embarking on a 46-mile trek through Denmark, weighed down by a 25-pound backpack and the emotional fallout of a pandemic divorce. I'd signed up for a three-day endurance-hiking event known as the Fjällräven Classic Denmark (three-day trips from $213), which is held every summer on the island of Funen, a couple hours west of Copenhagen. By the end of day one, I'd covered 18 miles (most of them in torrential rain), grunting my way through barley fields, along seaweed-strewn coastline, and up challenging hills.

By the time I collapsed into my tent that night I was exhausted, and so grungy I wondered if a hot shower would even help-not that one was available. What I didn't ask was, Why am I putting myself through this?

Lately, I've discovered a different way of traveling, one that satisfies not only my desire to see new destinations but also a newfound yearning to push my physical (and often emotional) limits.

Prior to 2020, my trips revolved around beachfront resorts and butler service. But my priorities have since changed-and, it turns out, I'm in good company.

"We see travelers seeking out activities that require more mental and physical exertion," says Misty Belles, vice president of global public relations for Virtuoso, a network of luxury travel advisors. "C-suite clients in particular want experiences that go beyond their comfort zone. Executives at the highest levels are willing to push boundaries, and they like to test themselves."