Planning in progess for the next tour…looks like it will be in September 2012. Stay tuned for details!

Why a Cycling Tour in the Flint Hills of Kansas?

Soaring and diving from hilltop to valley along one of the quiet country highways through the Flint Hills will quickly challenge your notions of prairie. Flat? Not here. Empty? Not if you look closely. The continent’s largest remaining tract of tallgrass is also one of America’s unique places, harboring a wealth of adventure, beauty, and history. The region’s sweeping horizons and carpets of wildflowers captivate artists and enchant visitors. (from Kansas Flint Hills)

The Flint Hills are an incredible, wonderful, almost magical place. There’s no other place like it. –Naturalist Jan Jantzen

Read the National Geographic article on this mysterious and beautiful area.

What is the best way to experience the Flint Hills?

Simply by bicycle, there’s no better way to fully take in the beauty of the area. Hence the Adventure Monkey Flint Hills Photocycling Tours.

We offer a three day tour allowing you to get away and cycle through the last expanse of open range tall grass prairie in North America.

Base camp is located at Camp Wood YMCA in Elmdale, Kansas. Here are a few images of our beautiful and serene base camp.

 cabins with electricity

 Delightful Eats (all you can eat buffet)

 Amazing Views

Beautiful sunrises from the patio

Tour Details

The Adventure Monkey Flint Hills Photocycling Tours are a perfect getaway and educational weekend for the intermediate cyclist and above. These tours are perfect for people that:

• Want to learn more about digital photography and post processing of images
• Want to experience the beauty and remoteness of the Flint Hills of Eastern Kansas by bicycle
• Want to experience a challenging cycling trip through the Flint Hills

If this sounds like you, there are a few things to consider.

The Flint Hills are remote and hard on bicycle tires and therefore: 

• You must be an experienced enough cyclist to be able to handle 35 miles of hilly gravel roads in one day of riding   
• You must own a bike that can handle riding on gravel (a mountain or XC bike with good tires)
• You must be at least 16 or have a record of handling longer, challenging bicycle tours

This is a photo-cycling tour which means we will be stopping to shoot and discuss the photographic aspects of shooting in the Flint Hills. If you are looking for a racing atmosphere, you won’t find it here. The point of this tour is to allow people to fully experience the terrain, beauty, remoteness and peace of the Flint Hills. But remember, it is the Flint Hills and we also want the ride to be challenging for the participants. Be ready to climb hills, fight the wind and have a great time.

• This will be a weekend tour going from Friday to Sunday. One day options are available if you cannot make the whole weekend.
• Price includes meals*, lodging and two classroom photography sessions
• We will use Camp Wood as our base camp for the entire weekend
• Camp wood provides the lodging and you must bring your own bedding, pillow, towels, toiletries and soap.
• There will be two route options for Saturday, a longer 60ish miler and a shorter, more relaxed 30ish miler.

You will need to bring the following supplies for the weekend:

• Your bike

• extra tubes
• on the bike nutrition
• water bottles or hydration pack
• camera and supplies (see details below)
• cycling clothes (three days on the bike)
• lounging clothes
• cycling shoes and lounging shoes
• personals and bedding
• something to take notes with in the classroom

Tour Itinerary

Here is a general description of the weekend (times and activities may change):

Friday

Saturday

• 7-8am   Morning sunrise photo shoot       
• 8-9:00   Breakfast

Short Route Option

• 9-10:00   Photo Class #2
• 10-11:00   Prep Bikes
• 11-12:00pm   Ride
• 12-1:00   Lunch in the Flint Hills
• 1-5:00   Finish Ride

Long Route Option

• 9-10:00   Prep Bikes
• 10-12:00   Ride
• 12-1:00   Lunch in the Flint Hills
• 1 – 5:00   Finish Ride

All Schedule

• 5-6:00   Clean Up
• 6-7:00   Dinner
• 7:00-??   Social Time/Campfire

Sunday

• 8 – 9 am   Breakfast
• 9-10:00   Prep Bikes
• 10:00-??   Final ride around camp (Lunch is not provided at Camp Wood on Sunday)

Participants are not required to meet in Emporia on Friday, however, this is a great opportunity to get any last minute or left behind supplies and to also explore beautiful downtown Emporia!

*Price of Lunch in Emporia and Dinner in Cottonwood Falls not included in Tour price.

The sunrise shoot

Costs:

$125 for the Friday to Sunday Tour which includes:

• Cabin Lodging with showers and beds (you provide bedding)
• All meals (Friday - Dinner, Saturday - breakfast, lunch and dinner, Sunday - breakfast) at a healthy all you can eat buffet
• 2 evening photography classes with Eric Benjamin
• 3 opportunities to ride (Friday, Saturday and Sunday with Saturday being the long ride)
• One on one with Eric in the field
• Three relaxing days spent in the Flint Hills on bikes
• Lots of gravel

$75 for 1 night stay (Friday dinner to Saturday dinner)

What kind of Camera should I have to come to this tour?

Do you have a camera? Do you want to learn to capture better pictures by getting the most out of your camera? If yes, then this tour is definitely for you.

Everything from point and shoot cameras to top of the line dslr’s are welcome. Not only is the riding good and the scenery breathtaking but everyone will learn something about photography on this tour too. I work with beginners to get the most out of their cameras along with experienced shooters to maximize their ability to capture the most from every shot. Don’t worry about not having a fancy camera. It’s not the camera that takes amazing pictures, it’s the person using the camera, the photographer that captures the image. I shoot many pictures on this blog site with my phone camera to prove that to you. Photography is the art of “seeing.” I try to teach you to “see” along with using manual settings to get the most from your camera. Everyone is welcome! Just remember all your equipment will be riding along gravel and dirt roads, so plan appropriately!

Something to keep in mind too. This is a stress free weekend for you. The riding will be challenging, the shooting will be relaxing and the friendships will last forever. This is not about being the best photographer, it’s about riding your bike, taking better pictures and new relationships.