Several Firms Offer Excitement For The Adventurous

There’s nothing that says testing one’s limits requires buying into something organized or costly. In this country, wilderness is accessible for the cost of a few tanks of gas, a good pair of boots and a backpack.

But sometimes we need help. Sometimes we need somebody to - literally and figuratively - supply the horses.

Companies have emerged to organize everything from Himalayan climbs and wildlife watching trips in Antarctica to all-women expeditions to the North Pole.

What follows are adventure travel companies that offer experiences awaiting those with a little nerve, some extra time, a large chunk of imagination and, in some instances, a healthy credit limit.

Abercrombie & Kent, Oak Brook, Ill.; 630-954-2944; 800-323-7308.

American Wilderness Experience, Boulder, Colo.; 800-444-0099.

Backcountry, Bozeman, Mont.; 800-575-1540.

Backroads, Berkeley, Calif.; 800-462-2848.

Geographic Expeditions, San Francisco.; 800-777-8183.

KE Adventure Travel, Aspen, Colo.; 800-497-9675.

Mountain Travel Sobek, El Cerrito, Calif.; 510-527-8105.

Nantahala Outdoor Center, Bryson City, N.C.; 704-488-2175.

Overseas Adventure Travel, Cambridge, Mass.; 800-353-6262.

Rainbow Adventures (for women), Bozeman, Mont.; 406-587-3883.

Wilderness Travel, Berkeley, Calif.; 800-368-2794.