MOUNTAIN-BIKE
THE DEATH ROAD
WHITEWATER PADDLEBOARD CANADA
You’ve heard of whitewater rafting. And you know about stand-up paddleboarding (SUP). What about combining the two? Put your balance, courage and core strength to the test on Ontario’s Ottawa River. The waterway is renowned for its Class III to V rapids – turbulent, fast-flowing water that pummels over rocks and boulders, plunges off ledges and churns into strong whirlpools. With sections named Hell’s Half Mile, Bus Eater and White Faced Monster, it’s clear this is not a serene Sunday-morning paddle. You’ll need sharp manoeuvring skills and plenty of flat-water SUP experience. For those who want some instruction, try Liquid Skills (liquidskills.com), which hosts whitewater SUP clinics as well as private tuition. Regardless, wear a helmet and prepare to get wet.
HALO SKYDIVE UNITED STATES
In the inimitable words of Point Break’s Bodhi, skydiving is “100 per cent pure adrenaline… all you gotta do is jump”. But even if you’ve leapt from planes before, a HALO (highaltitude, low-opening) skydive is literally the next level. Skydive Hawaii (skydivehawaii.com) offers formidable tandem experiences from an altitude of 20,000 feet (rather than the standard 12,000), requiring supplementary oxygen. After you’ve jumped you’ll plunge towards the ground, falling at terminal velocity. Regain your composure once the chute opens and breathe deeply as you take in the stunning views of Hawaii’s islands and the expansive blue sea. ↑ If the 64 kilometres and more than 3000 metres of vertical descents don’t get your heart racing, perhaps the name will: North Yungas Road is better known as “Death Road”, thanks to its high fatality rate. Carved into the side of the Cordillera Oriental range near La Paz, the rocky, unpaved path is a favourite with intrepid and madcap mountain bikers. Join Gravity Bolivia (gravitybolivia.com) on a daylong excursion to tackle this extreme track, which features sheer precipices, impertinent boulders encroaching on road space and the occasional waterfall to drench riders. But there’s also dramatic scenery: snow-covered peaks, mystical cloud forests and lush valleys. Keep your wits about you as you cycle into the blind corners.
DESCEND INTO ÞRIHNUKAGIGUR VOLCANO ICELAND
Begin with a three-kilometre trek across windswept lava fields, clamber up to the Þrihnukagigur volcano’s mouth then sink on a platform lift 120 metres down the throat of the beast as part of a half-day tour with Inside the Volcano (insidethevolcano.com). Down below, a spectacular cavern awaits, encrusted with kaleidoscopic volcanic rocks. Located 30 minutes south-east
of Reykjavik, Þrihnukagigur last erupted more than 4000 years ago but note, it’s dormant, not extinct. The knowledgeable guides say there are “no indications of it erupting again in the near future” but yes, it could go again. With you inside. Try to enjoy the striking geological beauty; try not to think about flying boulders, searing lava, suffocating ash and a force that would obliterate you in a second.
TACKLE THE CANYONS OF ZION NATIONAL PARK UNITED STATES
Squeezing into ravines, scrambling over boulders, navigating down waterfalls and wading through rivers. This is canyoneering – and with its stunning network of rust-hued canyons, Utah’s Zion National Park is a hotspot for the sport. Be prepared for rappelling, swimming, hiking, climbing and a fair amount of problem-solving: you might manoeuvre all the way down a chute only to find a dead end. You’ll need skills, strength and grit to approach sites such as The Subway, Fat Man’s Misery, The Narrows and Keyhole Canyon.
SOAR ON THE LONGEST ZIP-LINE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
← Fly through the air with the greatest of ease – at breakneck speed. In the remote Hajar mountain range of Ras Al Khaimah is the UAE’s tallest peak, Jebel Jais (jebeljais.ae). Here, thrillseekers can ride the longest zip-line in the world, which clocks in at 2.73 kilometres. Starting from a suspended platform 1680 metres above sea level, the flight, which takes about two to three minutes, reaches speeds of up to 150 kilometres per hour. Get a permit and pack proper gear (ropes, carabiners, harness and helmet). A healthy dose of daring also helps. If you haven’t been canyoneering before, build up some experience first with Zion Adventure Company (zion adventures.com), which is based outside the national park.
HIKE THE CAMINITO DEL REY SPAIN
Vertiginous heights, narrow walkways and sheer drops: that’s what you’ll find on the Caminito del Rey (caminitodelrey.info), a 7.7-kilometre walking trail in AndalusÍa. The notorious path traverses hand-carved tunnels and slender gorges, along a boardwalk that clings precariously to the side of canyons, in some places up to 105 metres above the Guadalhorce River. The original track, built more than 100 years ago, is still visible hanging below the new, improved version, which opened in 2015. So while this may no longer be considered “the world’s most dangerous pathway” (a moniker it earned pre-renovation), the dizzying heights, tight passages
and a gobsmacking glass-floored platform still require nerves of steel. Those with a fear of heights or tight spaces need not apply.
RIDE THE STEEPEST ROLLER-COASTER JAPAN
Meet Takabisha: a heart-thumping, panic-provoking roller-coaster. In the course of the 1004-metre, 112-second ride, you’ll lurch in and out of dark tunnels, turn through loops and corkscrews and, most importantly, plunge from the world’s steepest roller-coaster drop – an electrifying 121 degrees. You’ll find Takabisha at the Fuji-Q (fujiq.jp) theme park in Fujiyoshida, just over 15 kilometres from Mount Fuji. If you can open your eyes, you might catch distant glimpses of the famous mountain.
SWING OVER THE ZAMBEZI RIVER ZIMBABWE
Remember that childhood feeling? The wind in your hair, legs pumping, flying higher and higher on the trusty swing set… This giant swing will bring the memories flooding back but it may also cause some hyperventilation. The Gorge Swing, operated by long-standing local outfit Wild Horizons (wildhorizons. co.za), starts with a 70-metre freefall from the Zimbabwean side of the Batoka Gorge. Then the pendulum action begins as you arc back and forth over the rushing river. The bungee variant is less than a kilometre from the torrents and cascades of Victoria Falls – a location we’re betting is far more picturesque than that of the swing set you once played on.
CHINA
Nose-diving from great heights is an essential activity for adrenaline junkies but while most bungee jumping is done in nature’s backyard, this leap takes place against the backdrop of urban Macau. At 233 metres, Macau Tower is the highest bungeejumping playground in the world (macautower.com.mo). Brave souls can even take the plunge at night, with views of the glittering “Vegas of the East” skyline.
PARAHAWKING GO SPAIN
↑ Algodonales is a paragliding hub, known for its excellent flying conditions. It’s also home to a unique adventure, parahawking, which teams paragliding with falconry. Pioneered by Skywings Falconry (skywingsfalconry.com), this half-day experience allows you to soar alongside trained vultures. Glide in tandem with the raptors using the same thermal currents and updrafts above the stunning Andalusían countryside and foothills of the Sierra de Líjar mountain range. Funds from this invigorating encounter go towards vulture conservation efforts so when the bird lands on your outstretched arm mid-flight, it’s not just a simple physical buzz but also the deeper exhilaration of goodwill.
SCUBA-DIVE AT THE GREAT BLUE HOLE BELIZE
A tropical atoll that encircles a dark, unfathomable abyss, the Great Blue Hole is the largest natural formation of its kind and a bucket-list destination for scuba-divers. Sinking into the steep-walled hollow – some 300 metres across – requires courage given you might chance upon a Caribbean reef shark or even a hammerhead. Experienced divers can descend 40 metres to see oversized stalactites that were first documented by underwater explorer Jacques Cousteau. Sign up for Belize Diving Services’ (belizedivingservices.com) full-day trip, which caters to all experience levels and includes two other incredible sites, Half Moon Caye Wall and Long Caye Aquarium.
SANDBOARDING IN THE DESERT NAMIBIA
Hurtling down 100-metre-high sand dunes face-first sounds exhilarating enough but this white-knuckle ride gets even more dramatic in the Namib Desert, which has some of the steepest sand dunes anywhere. This other-worldly landscape is said to be the oldest desert on earth, with myriad undulating ridges that stretch along the country’s Atlantic coastline. From the city of Swakopmund, Alter-Action Sandboarding (alteraction.info) runs daily dune trips where plucky riders can propel themselves off the edge of sand cliffs, reaching up to 80 kilometres per hour. Hot tip: keep your mouth shut on the way down or you’ll be crunching grit for days.