About Me

Leigh McAdam is a Calgary-based writer, photographer and social media enthusiast with over 55,000 followers. Her blog: HikeBikeTravel is frequently cited as one of the top travel and outdoor adventure blogs in Canada, and consistently receives over 135,000 monthly page views. She shares her enthusiasm for the outdoors as a brand ambassador for Sporting Life, and has worked on campaigns for Travel Alberta, Expedia and Flight Hub. Leigh is the author of Discover Canada: 100 Inspiring Outdoor Adventures. Currently, she is co-authoring: 125 Nature Hot Spots in Alberta (spring 2018). A true adventurer, Leigh will try anything once, except perhaps bungee jumping.

Leigh has been recognized internationally in magazines, television and radio. Leigh is a member of the Travel Media Association of Canada (TMAC) and the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW).

Leigh is also a published author. Following a multi-year journey across her home country, Leigh compiled the top experiences to whet your appetite for adventure in Canada. You can purchase Discover Canada: 100 Inspiring Outdoor Adventures HERE.

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Some of the more interesting adventures I’ve done over the years – apart from the 100 in the book include the following:

  • Hiked a section of the Lycian Way in Turkey – one of the world’s great walks
  • Biked 2000 kms from Iringa, Tanzania to Victoria Falls, Zambia as part of the Tour d’Afrique
  • Did a stellar backpacking trip in Colombia’s Sierra Nevada del Cocuy Mountains
  • Yachted in the Galapagos and explored and biked in Ecuador
  • Did a fantastic self-driving adventure through Namibia
  • Climbed Mount Kiliminjaro
  • Climbed Mount Rainier, Washington
  • Did 100’s of hikes in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado over 10 years
  • Mountain biked in the Moab, Utah area including The Maze and The White Rim Trail
  • Biked northern Portugal
  • Biked Mexico from Puerto Vallarta to Colima
  • Biked the Dordogne and Provence areas of France
  • Backpacked remote valleys of the Cordillera Blanca in Peru
  • Trekked for 30 days around Manaslu in Nepal
  • Sea kayaked in the Sea of Cortez, Mexico, Rangiroa, Tahiti and Belize
  • Hiked the Tour du Mont Blanc through France, Italy and Switzerland
  • Climbed 36 peaks over 14,000 feet in Colorado
  • Trekked the Cradle Mountain walk in Tasmania
  • Canoed the Green River to the confluence of the Colorado River in Utah
  • Kayaked the Chama River in New Mexico
  • Skied to 10thMountain Division Huts in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado on more than a dozen occasions

Featured Media

Recently I’ve been included in several top blogger lists – and I’ve been interviewed on radio and TV as well. Check out a few of these links.

Ongoing Professional Contributions

  • Ambassador for Sporting Life in Calgary (ongoing)
  • Regular appearances on radio and TV (ongoing)
  • Panelist at the annual Professional Development Conference for Alberta TMAC members – May 2016
  • Panelist at the annual TMAC Convention in Cape Breton on the topic “Travel Blogging in Today’s Evolving Market” – June 2016
  • Judge for the 2016 and 2017 Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) Annual Awards in adventure, social media and sustainability
  • Took over the official Instagram account of Visit Czech Republic – September 2016
  • Judge for TIAC Awards (2018)
  • Panelist for Mappy Hour (2018)
  • Co-author of the bestseller 125 Nature Hot Spots in Alberta
  • Award winning photographer (TMAC 2018)

A Few Random Facts about Me

My husband is my best friend. There aren’t too many couples that say that after 34 years.
I have two grown kids and a dog we call a Caribbean Cocktail, a stray from the island of St. Maartens. She’s the smartest dog we’ve ever had.

Professionally

In January 2015, I became a member of TMAC. I amlso a member of the Professional Travel Bloggers Association.
Recently I have ramped up the speaking engagements and have appeared on CTV, Global, Calgary Breakfast TV and numerous radio shows – speaking about outdoor adventure travel.