No Mountain High Enough Nepal The magical kingdom of Nepal is, without a doubt, one of the most storied destinations in the world, and a mecca for adventure travelers of every stripe. What better way to see this exotic land than on a mountain bike? Well, actually, there is a better way—on a mountain bike … Read more
Channeling Orville & Wilbur Nags Head, North Carolina, U.S.A. Dreams of flying are as old as mankind, and the same thrill Orville and Wilbur Wright felt over 100 years ago when they lifted into the heavens and made that dream come true can now be yours. The two brothers from Ohio had their pick of … Read more
Fly over Water & onto Ice Milford Sound, New Zealand Have you ever heard of Helicopter Flightseeing before? Standing on an ancient glacier, thousands of meters above the earth’s surface, is an exceptionally rare experience—typically reserved for expert mountaineers or intrepid heli-skiers. But adventurers up for the flight of their life can have the same … Read more
Flying over an Active Volcano Big Island, Hawaii, U.S.A. The roiling red lava spurts out of a pitch-black lava tongue that extends from the volcano and into the ocean. As the molten liquid oozes into the water, steam rises into the air. While the beat of the helicopter’s rotors keep you from actually hearing any … Read more
Buzzing the Roof of the World Everest & Annapurna Mountain Ranges, Nepal Mount Everest Helicopter Tours “It’s like seeing the world through 3-D glasses,” is how one person described flying in the mountain range around Mount Everest in a helicopter. The speaker, on a helicopter excursion arranged by Cox & Kings, explained that right after … Read more
Locations throughout U.S.A. If the words, “T minus 30 seconds and counting . . . ” make your heart race in anticipation, here’s an adventure for you. Leave the gravitational pull of the earth behind and join other would-be astronauts in the same kind of zero gravity environment that NASA trainers used to prepare Buzz … Read more
Hot air balloon rides aren’t a cheap thrill, but the experience will undoubtedly knock you off your feet. When French brothers Joseph Michael and Jaques Etienne Montgolfier launched the first modern hot air balloon in Paris in 1783, they used the smoke from a fire to blow hot air into a silk bag attached to … Read more
When it comes to naming the Adventure Capital of the World, there’s no contest: Queenstown is indisputably the heavyweight champion. The list of fear-factor offerings in this city is too long to recount. But the scariest one, by far, is the Shotover Canyon Swing. As co-owner Hamish Emerson says, “The greater the initial terror—the feeling you’re … Read more
Skydiving in Orlando, Florida, U.S.A. The world looks different from 11,000 feet (3,353m) above the ground, especially when the airplane door opens and there’s nothing between you and the ground below but 2 miles of thin air. And when you’re about to make your first solo free-fall jump, the wind rushing past the airplane is … Read more
Indoor Skydiving: Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A. The anticipation is half the fun. As you nervously wait, dressed in a colorful flight suit, helmet, gloves, ear plugs, and protective eyewear, while lying on a trampoline-like wire mesh floor of a padded cell, your excitement almost gets the best of you. You’re waiting for a giant fan … Read more
Fayetteville, West Virginia, U.S.A. For the past 30 years, hundreds of parachutists have been leaping off the New River Gorge Bridge during the world’s only legally sanctioned BASE jumping event Bridge Day. More than 450 BASE jumpers and up to 200,000 spectators attend this fall festival in Fayette County to celebrate and be entertained by the world’s … Read more
Skydiving has always attracted thrill-seekers and daredevils. Whether you’re interested in overcoming a fear of heights or feeding an adrenaline-sports addiction, skydiving won’t disappoint. Below are areas and outfitters who offer some of the best skydiving in the world. As usual, before you make the leap (er, fall) be sure to inquire about instructor experience … Read more
Lumberton, Mississippi, U.S.A. If you want to get high, really high, try HALO jumping out of a DHC-3 “super otter” airplane at more than 30,000 feet (9,000m) above the earth’s surface. That’s the cruising altitude for most commercial airlines, more than 1,000 feet (305m) higher than Mount Everest, and almost 6 miles (10km) from the … Read more
This is the world’s highest swing, and safety is an important goal. Those who dare are strapped into a full body harness and attached to a pair of ropes, each of which is capable of holding 2 tons of weight.
Use the Force, SkyWalker Auckland, New Zealand Maybe there’s something in the water down in New Zealand, but Kiwis seem to have a perverse attraction to scary, adrenaline-rush-inducing sports and events. Among these is the SkyWalk, the latest “terrortraction” from the land that brought jumping off a bridge with a skinny elastic band to the … Read more
The guaranteed adrenaline rush of bungee jumping for fun is a fairly new phenomenon, first attempted just 30 years ago, and not an activity for the faint of heart.
Hanging Out over the Alps Chamonix, France Sure, you could hike up or ski down the French Alps, both adrenaline rushes in their own rights. (In fact, if you suffer from severe acrophobia, you really should keep your feet on land with one of those two options.) But if vertigo doesn’t typically bother you, hop … Read more
Denver, Colorado, U.S.A. Imagine flying like a hawk, gliding over the landscape as thermals lift you and move you along. And imagine that landscape is some of the most dazzling on earth, the Rocky Mountains, to be specific. This is how it feels when you’re soaring for miles in a hang glider high above the … Read more
On a Wing & a Prayer Interlaken is Europe’s nerve center. The array of spine-tingling adventures available in this staggeringly pretty place makes it something of a mecca for adrenaline junkies. But before you get busy with the many ground-level activities here (hiking, biking, rafting, sailing, or canyoning, just to name a few), get a … Read more
Landing on Rio’s Beaches Rio de Janeiro, Brazil One minute you’re standing there like any normal person, both feet on the ground, and the next you’re running off the side of a tall cliff, like any abnormal person. Then, without a word, you’re suddenly floating, quietly, aloft like a bird hovering over the majestic cliffs … Read more
Up Among the Treetops Ghana is one of the most exhilarating places in West Africa, with vibrant cities, dense rainforests, picturesque coastlines, historic UNESCO sites, and heart-pounding traditional drum and dance performances. At times, it can be a solemn place, given its tragic past as a major shipping point for Africans being sent to America … Read more
Climbing trees and swinging from their branches is exciting, but zipping between them is even better. For centuries, miners used cable-and-pulley systems to transport supplies through inhospitable terrain. For decades, biologists and researchers in Central and South America used similar mechanisms to get themselves across low narrow river valleys and into the rainforest’s high canopies. … Read more