Top Rock Climbing Destinations in the World

Rock climbing is an exciting and challenging adventure sports which require the combination of physical strength and mental focus. Rock climbers use their hands and feet to climb up a rock. It is a great exercise that benefits both the physical and mental health.  The body and mind have to be alert and constantly be aware and react in a split second when obstacles come along the way. The sport helps you build muscle and increase your heart rate, but it also enhances your problem-solving skills. Knowledge of how to use ropes, carabiners and harnesses are also required. Despite the fact that this adventure sport is fun, it is also undeniable that it is dangerous. Picking a route that suits the climber’s level is of paramount consideration. Where you go rock climbing contributes to making the rock climbing experience worthwhile. Here the top rock climbing destinations in the world:

Red River Gorge, USA

The Red River Gorge is a canyon system on the Red River in east-central Kentucky. The canyon system features an abundance of high sandstone cliffs, rock shelters, waterfalls, and natural bridges making it a perfect place to go rock climbing. In fact, it is considered one of the most popular climbing meccas east of the Mississippi. The multitude of sandstone and cliff-lines have helped this area become one of the world’s top rock climbing destinations. It has been designated a National Natural Landmark and National Archaeological District, and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Rock climbing in the Red River Gorge is spread out over a large geographical area. Rock climbers get to choose between a wide region of national forest land and remote areas with sandstone cliffs for all-level climbers. The climbing season is usually between March and June, and peaks again in October.

Pembrokeshire, UK

Pembrokeshire

The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park is home to 4,500 of the best sea cliff climbs in the UK. Rock climbing has been a popular sport in Pembrokeshire for many years. Pembrokeshire has miles of steep, solid limestone for climbing with spectacular features, big holds and the potential to do some seriously wild climbing above clean blue seas making it one of the top rock climbing destinations not just in the UK but also in the world. The coast from the south round to the north at St David’s offers some excellent and diverse climbing, ranging from bouldering and short slabs for beginners to steep and technical climbs up to E9 standard. The main areas for rock climbers are the limestone cliffs of south Pembrokeshire, particularly around Lydstep, Penally, Stackpole and the Castlemartin MOD ranges.

Frankenjura, Germany

rock climbing destinations

Known for its pocketed limestone and variety of route lengths, Frankenjura is one of the top rock climbing destinations in the world. Frankenjura has over 8,000 established routes, including nearly 300 graded under 5.9. There are approximately 1,000 crags spread out in a beautiful forest terrain, making Frankenjura a perfect rock climbing destination for climbers. There is something for climbers of all abilities from beginners, intermediate climbers, through to top end hard climbers. Beginners can fool around, build up technique and pick up some knowledge by watching the experts go hard on their downtime.

Wye Creek, Queenstown, New Zealand

Wye Creek, Queenstown

Wye Creek offers some interesting sport climbing in a beautiful location. It sits just outside of Queenstown, the “adventure capital of the world,” and is home to an annual climbing festival each January. The area is considered by many as the best rock climbing in the Queenstown region and is known for its incredible scenery and good rock quality. There are 90 routes shared between the left and right branches of Wye Creek. It is set on a cliff overlooking a bright blue, glacier-fed lake, even a short and simple climb feels like you’re on top of the world.

Railay, Thailand

Railay, Thailand

Railay Beach is one of the best rock climbing destinations in the world. It features soaring, dramatic cliffs over the sparkling, blue water that surrounds the tiny island. The Railay Beach which is accessible only by boat has routes ranging from beginner to advanced and plenty of climbing schools and experienced climbing buddies milling around, it’s a great rock climbing destination for climbers at any level.

Top 5 Most Dangerous Sports In the World

Most dangerous sports in the world offers high adrenaline rush and thrill. Generally, sports help build team spirit, character, and sportsmanship. Sports help you grow physically strong and learn to take a few risks. Sports can vary from easy, to adventure to the extreme. Here are the top 5 most dangerous sports in the world.

Wrestling

wrestling

In wrestling, showmanship matters more than anything else. Although we all know that professional wrestling is one big scripted show, we also know that putting on a great show to make people believe in the fight comes at a steep price. It can often get painfully real because of the sheer pressure to be the best and put on the best show possible. To convince the viewers, wrestlers always take a serious pounding. To combat the constant pain, many of them are constantly medicated. Evidence also shows that the continuous head trauma severely damages the brain like the tragic case of Chris Benoit. He developed severe dementia as a result of the repeated concussions which went largely unnoticed until a 3-day breakdown in which he killed his wife and son and then hung himself by a rope.

Bull Riding

bull-riding

This is a rodeo sport that involves staying mounted on a bull for as long as possible while the bull tries to buck off the rider. With no safety equipment and only a rodeo clown to draw away the sharp horns, bull riding is the most dangerous 8 seconds in sports. The deaths may occur as a result of the fall which simply cannot be prevented, which is, in fact, the very point of the sport. It has been considered as one of the most dangerous sports in the world with damage to the neck, head, and face, as well as concussions, accounting for most of the injuries. This sport, however, is considered a great favorite with the extremely macho men who like to boast about their high testosterone level and are ready to take on any pain for the sake of it. Wearing protective vests made of ballistic material was made compulsory in 1989 after a bull gored and punctured the heart of cowboy Lane Frost. This and other protective measures have brought down the number of accidents in the sport since.

Big Wave Surfing

big wave surfing

Big wave surfing is a discipline of surfing in which surfing maestros paddle into or are towed onto waves which are ludicrously big with the height of at least 20 feet. The most coveted crown is to ride an intimidating 100-foot wave which offers a prize a $100,000. Drowning, by being pulled under by the current, by smashing your head against hidden rocks, or by being whacked by the board are the biggest hazards of this sport which could result in death.

Base Jumping

most dangerous sports

Jumping off a building isn’t for the faint of heart, neither is jumping out of a plane or off a mountain. That is why this is one of the most dangerous sports. BASE jumping was first developed by Carl Boenish in 1978 it has grown in popularity since.  BASE is actually an acronym for the type of objects people jump off. It stands for Buildings, Antennas (like a tower), Spans (like bridges) and Earth (like natural formations like cliffs, canyons, and etc.). These are the fixed structures from which individuals hurl themselves. BASE jumping is essentially parachuting. BASE jumpers climb to the top of tall buildings, jump off, free fall and float to the ground with a parachute to keep them from landing to their deaths. Apart from the obvious risk of jumping from hundreds of feet above, there’s a chance of being thrashed by the wind. This sport is actually lethal. Most of the deaths occur when parachutes fail to deploy and the jumper crash into the ground or obstacles like power lines.

Mountain Climbing

mountain climbing

Mountain climbing includes hiking, rock climbing, and crossing glaciers. Mountain climbing is one of the most dangerous sports in the world because every element of this activity is risky. Mountain climbing essentially involves the risky activity of climbing up and down the highest of natural rocks, i.e. mountains. Most mountain climbers go up mountains as a hobby or as a recreational activity. Mountain climbers use the strength of their arms and legs to climb up mountains. Many mountain climbers use ropes and wear special shoes and safety equipment. Climbing can twist ankles, sprain muscles, tear ligaments, break bones, injure your back, suffer frostbite or even suffer a concussion.  Climbers can be seriously injured or even killed from falling, being covered in an avalanche of snow, or getting too cold.

 

Some Of The Best Wingsuit Flying Destinations Worldwide

If you have decided to attempt a very exciting new hobby called wingsuit flying, this is going to be a hobby that you will enjoy. If you have ever seen a flying squirrel before, it functions in a similar manner. You are literally in a suit that allows you to have extensions, giving you the ability to increase your lift. They are also called birdman suits, and there are places all over the world where you can fly these and see the most amazing scenery around you. You will often see videos of this where people are wearing their GoPro camera and they are able to do base jumping from high above. Here is an overview of where some of the best places are to do wingsuit flying that you ought to try out.

Why These Need To Be Different Than Skydiving Locations

Part of the reason that you will want to choose spots that are specifically designed for people that are going to wingsuits is that instead of just jumping out of an airplane and landing, you are actually flying over the landscape that can be very exciting and dangerous. You will often start at the top of the huge mountain, overlooking beautiful scenery, and as you drop down you will be flying at high speeds right over the sloping terrain. This is why you need to choose specific areas which are not only beautiful, but have been done by others that have tested this before. Essentially, you are looking for any mountainous area where there are ravines, slopes, cliffs, gullies, all of which will make your jump more exciting.

Mont Blanc – France

You are going to start at the top of this mountain which is almost 16,000 feet above sea level. It is literally the highest peak in the Swiss Alps. It attracts hikers every year, but many people do much more than simply hike up to the top of the mountain. They are actually jumping off of the edge. Even though it may take eight hours to get to the top of the mountain, when they fly off in their wingsuit, it takes about three minutes to get to the bottom. They are actually coming within 20 feet of rocky cliffs and reaching speeds of over 100 mph, which is what makes this such an astounding jump.

Yosemite National Park – United States

If you are in the United States, not only is Yosemite National Park a sight to behold, but it’s also a great place to do base jumping. Most people go to Taft Point which is close to glacier point, and you will get to see Yosemite Valley, but El Capitan off to the side. There is a vertical drop of about 700 feet, a winding valley, it is a beautiful jump for most people. It’s only about 3000 m, so it is relatively short, but the scenery helps you make up for all of it.

Although wingsuit flying is relatively new, as the designs continue to improve, along with safety measures, more people will get into this sport. It really does take a lot of skill, and if you have never done this, there is the possibility that you could get hurt. However, as more locations are found where people can do this in practice, it will allow people that might be apprehensive to try the easier falls. It really is fun and if you do get a chance to do this, it will be something that you will always remember because of the beautiful scenery, speed, and the exhilaration of the experience.

The Top 5 Adventure Sports

If you are the adventurous type, no doubt you are interested in learning about the top adventure sports that you can engage in. In this article, we will discuss just that so you can be out enjoying yourself in no time.

1. Rock Climbing

The first adventure sport on our list is rock climbing. Rock climbing is not just a challenge to your body, but one to your mind as well. You can go to what is called a rock climbing gym, which will have manufactured hand and foot holds, or you can get out in nature to climb.

When rock climbing, you can practice bouldering, which is when an individual climbs without being roped in and stays below ten feet, or you can belay, which means being roped in. You need to be roped when you begin to climb at any unsafe height. Rock climbing, when done regularly, is not only fun, but it conditions your body and builds your strength. It is recommended that, if you have never before climbed, you start at a rock climbing gym. You can really take advantage of the community and learn to climb safely when you get to know veterans of the sport.

2. Hiking

Another great adventure sport you can enjoy is hiking. Chances are there are some lovely trails you can explore within the state that you live, so if you are interested in hiking, research where you can go that’s close to you.

It is recommended for beginners that, when you start hiking, you begin slow. Start with trails that do not have much of an incline, and that are not longer than you can handle. Some trails go on for miles and miles, and some experience is needed when you hike to the extreme like this.

3. Scuba Diving

Scuba diving is one of the best adventure sports you can get into, due to the fact that you can see some fantastic sights in the water. There are lots of sights to see, such as marine life and even sunken ships. If you decide to enjoy scuba diving, the good thing is that you can dive almost anywhere in the world. There are also companies that will offer packages for diving so you can safely explore the waters safely and under supervision.

4. Snowboarding/Skiing

If you live where it commonly snows during the cooler season, you may find that taking up a snow sport suits you. Two of them that we recommend are snowboarding and skiing. Snowboarding involves putting both of your feet on one board, and when skiing, you have a ski on each foot. You may want to try both in order to find which set up you like best, or you may find that you enjoy both equally.

5. Hunting and Fishing

Hunting and fishing alike present an excellent opportunity to enjoy a sport, while also exploring nature. You can hunt and fish, when having the proper licensing, in property that is not private.
Not only can you quench your thirst for the adventure you crave, you can enjoy eating a meal that you yourself earned.

In conclusion, if you like adventure, there are sports out there that you may find appeal to you. If you have not done so previously, try the sports mentioned in this article. You’ll be glad you did.