The Traveller's Magazine
Extreme sports are a mix of physical strength, technique but above all, they’re psychological. They’re all about taking you beyond and overcoming frontiers men before only dared to cross. Whether it’s adrenaline you seek or to prove something to the world or to yourself, extreme sports make excellent travel stories. Let the adventures begin!
Adrenaline. Those who seek it love to feel it pumping through their veins. This is, after all, the main reason why people do extreme sports: they’re thrilling… and fun! The risk is the attraction. Abroad there are endless opportunities to get your taste of adrenaline, of adventure while experiencing the landscapes around you in a totally different way.
Base Jumping
Man has always wanted to fly. And while we can take flights to just about anywhere in the world these days, that’s not enough. The newest fad? Base jumping. It combines the thrill of a long free fall off a structure or cliff at 180+ mph rather than out of an airplane like skydiving in a body suit whose structure resembles something like that of a flying squirrel. Just watching this video is enough to make you dizzy. The real question is, how do you learn how to fly like this without dying on first attempt? Are you crazy enough to try this?
Best place to base jump: Norway
Extreme mountain biking
Classic bike ride, but with the thrill of taking you to a new level. This is no ordinary “bike tour” and is also not recommended to those who aren’t limber on two wheels. Impossible routes over rocky terrain… jumps, skids and antelopes.
Wait, what?
When mountain biking, you should always look out for antelopes. Everyone knows that! This video is just proof of that.
Best place to mountain bike: South Africa, Canada’s west coast
Base diving
Very similar to base jumping, trained divers take their skills to new heights. Summersaults from the tops of skyscrapers, landing safely below thanks to a parachute. Looks easy, right?
Extreme ski
Winter is coming up pretty soon which mean ski season is closer than we think. In this next video, two pro skiers ride an avalanche of snow down a mountain right off the edge of a cliff. They parachute the rest of the way, landing safely in the snow below.
Best place to ski: French Alps
Parkour
Parkour is all about fluid movement around and over obstacles in your way. How about through the city of London during the morning rush? The things people do to get to the office on time! This “urbanite” sport combines fast sprinting, climbing, jumping, vaulting and leaping… sometimes in rabbit-like motions. The best part is you can do it anywhere and everywhere!
Best place to parkour: any urban metropolis
Free climbing with Dan Osman
Let’s turn to the expert of thrill-seeking, Dan Osman who became an icon in rock climbing. His skills? Free-soloing rock climbing, scaling zip lines between mountains, fighting against nature… he took on anything that was both a challenge and had a risk to it. He also knew that at some point you can only push limits so far and that time came in 1998, ironically when he jumped from a cliff with rope and harness.
Best place to rock climb: USA – Yosemite National Park
How far are you willing to go? Where will your next thrill ride take you? What’s the craziest thing you’ve done while travelling?
