Everyone wants the adrenaline rush, no one wants to find the adrenaline. Well, I’ve found it for you. Strap into your 5-point harness and hold on tight.

10 Air Combat USA

At the top of every kid’s wish list, at some time or another, are the words “fighter pilot.” Air Combat USA is an opportunity for adults to actually be one, with a full day’s experience in aerobatics and dogfighting. You spend some time in a preflight briefing learning about the aircraft, an S1A1 Marchetti SF260, and your tactical maneuvers. The Marchetti is an Italian plane that can perform unlimited aerobatics. It also allows your instructor to sit right next to you while you fly, instead of behind you. Thanks to this setup, you will have the controls 90 percent of the time.  You even get your own flight suit, helmet, and parachute! You’ll take your aircraft up with the help of your instructor and practice some of the maneuvers you learned in preflight.

When you feel like you know what you’re doing, the dogfight begins. There’s an electronic tracking system on the planes that will give you sound effects, and will cause smoke to trail from the tail of the enemy plane when you’ve hit your target. They also include cameras from different angles of the flight (including one from the gun sight). When you land, you get to see your flight from the other plane’s perspective and go over it all with your instructor. To keep reliving your day (and to show off to your friends), you can keep the video footage. They also offer the opportunity to let you bring a friend, so that you two can fly against each other. 

9 Covert Ops Miami

You know what’s also on wish lists everywhere? Being the ultimate soldier. And this adventure doesn’t mess around. Held near Miami, Florida, Covert Ops is your chance to learn all of the counter-terrorism skills your brain can hold. There’s a scaled-down two-day adventure, or a four-day one if you’re feeling hardcore. In both you’ll have weapons training (pistols) followed by the use of Krav Maga (a form of martial arts developed in Israel and designed to seriously mess somebody up) to disarm your enemy in close combat. You’ll also learn how to shoot from moving vehicles and identify an ambush attack. If you think you can handle the four-day adventure, you’ll learn all of these skills more in-depth, as well as learning additional skills like military gas training, combat first aid, close-quartered battle techniques, vehicle take-downs, and assault rifle handling and use. Basically, you learn to be a badass. Both adventures have missions for you to carry out on the final day.

8 Stock Up

It’s time to put up or shut up in your own stock car race at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama (or one of eight other tracks across the country). All cars are Sprint Cup Series racers. You’ll go through a ground school, learning about the racetrack, the cars, and track safety. After you get suited up in your jumpsuit, helmet, and HANS device and are given your raceway orientation, you’ll head out onto the track with about eight other cars. The cars can top out around 275 kph (170 mph), and both drafting and passing are absolutely allowed. You will not be required to follow a pace car. You can bring friends down to try and fill the grandstand, but in the long run, you’ll only be reliving your race in your mind on Monday morning as you sit in traffic on the way to work. (Although it’s probably cooler than what the guy next to you is thinking about.)

7 World War II Underwater

In the middle of the Pacific, a part of the Caroline Islands in Micronesia, lies the protected body of water of Truk Lagoon (also known as “Chuuk Lagoon”).  Once considered “Japan’s Pearl Harbor,” the location was a main base for the Empire of Japan during World War II. Everything from aircraft carriers to destroyers to submarines was anchored at this site. American forces attacked the location on February 17, 1944 during Operation Hailstone, lasting two days and taking the Japanese completely by surprise. They had moved some larger ships out to sea, but many were still anchored in Truk. After an attack involving subs, ships, and aircraft, the battle ended in the defeat of Japan. The Americans sunk 12 warships and 32 merchant ships, and destroyed 249 aircraft. The number of wrecks and the clear, warm waters make Truk Lagoon a scuba diver’s paradise. 

One of the greatest ways to experience as much as possible is aboard the dive ship the SS Thorfinn, which covers more than 70 dive sites in the area—mostly ships, but also airplanes and even a sub. Wreck depths vary from the surface all the way down to below 60 meters (200 ft). Several of the larger ships carry some cool cargo, too: Things like tanks and Jeeps still sit in the cargo holds. You can swim right through the ship and see many of the rooms and artifacts that were left when they sank. Many of the shells and munitions are still considered “live,” so be prepared. If you’re a diver and a history nerd, this could be an awesome opportunity. 

6 Heli-Intense

Crave speed and deep powder runs? Ever wanted to ski or board down the open face of a mountain? Telluride Helitrax can hook you up. Located in the San Juan Mountains, they have 200 square acres of varied terrain accessed by a Bell 407 helicopter. You can ski from 3,050–4,115 meters (10,000–13,500 ft) of elevation, each run dropping 305–915 meters (1,000—3,000 ft). Each day of heli-skiing allows at least six runs, giving you a massive amount of vertical skiing, with most runs ranging from around double-blue to double-black grade. Telluride hooks you up with all the stuff you’ll need: food, water, avalanche beacons, safety equipment, and powder skis and poles. If you’re a boarder, you have to bring your own board, preferably the biggest one you’ve got. This is not for the faint of heart; you should be an “advanced-intermediate or above” skier (“advanced,” for snowboarders), in pretty good shape, and already be pretty confident with black diamond runs. You’ll ski in a group of four to five, with one guide. If you’re feeling crazy, they offer two- or five-day heli-skiing trips to run you into the ground.

5 Basic Instincts

Always watch Doomsday Preppers but don’t know if you would actually survive? Or wonder why Bear Grylls drinks his own pee? The BOSS course just might be for you. BOSS is the Boulder Outdoor Survival School in Boulder, Utah. It offers a bunch of different options for courses you can take to learn and use primitive and traditional survival skills. This school doesn’t just teach it, they make you live it.

Take, for example, the most intensive and challenging course they offer: the 28-Day (“Standard”) Field Course. You’ll work with up to 11 other students using nothing but a knife, water bottle, blanket, and poncho. You can hike about 25–50 kilometers (15–30 mi) each day. You’ll learn skills while on the move, including primitive skills like how to build fires and shelter, purify water, and even how to select edible and medicinal plants. You’ll go through a course about “large-game processing” using, generally, a sheep (you don’t have to watch if you don’t want to) but you do need to learn how to prepare and store the meat. You’ll also have what they call a “solo,” when you’re put into a site to create and use your new skills to live on your own. You get to have an expedition that lets you (and your class) travel without an instructor. There’s a very mysterious “Final Challenge” on the curriculum, but your guess is as good as mine. The best news of all? Going through the course usually has you losing 10–30 pounds by the time you’re done.

4 Get Mushy

Seriously, you’ve never driven your own Alaskan dog sled team? Get with the program. The Golsovia Lodge Mushing Trip out of St. Michael, Alaska, may be just what you need to open your eyes. The company was founded by Jerry Austin, who made it to the Iditarod Hall of Fame. For the Golsovia trip, you’ll mush for up to 40 kilometers (25 mi) each day, including one leg that goes over 6.5 kilometers (four miles) of ocean ice to an abandoned Eskimo village, and another leg that covers 11 kilometers (seven miles) uphill. You’ll get to stay at lodges or heated tent camps with your dogs each night. And if you’re going to have a sled dog team, you might as well really bond with the group.

3 Scenario Paintball

If you want to practice saving the world, it’s time to check out some scenario paintball events in Indiana. Scenario paintball is a theme-based game with missions to complete, usually relating to the military or law enforcement. Hundreds of people show up to play. This place has 11 fields with cool names like “Cambodia,” “Omaha Beach,” and “Jungle,” plus an indoor arena. Their grounds include towns, woods, towers, forts, and different vehicles as part of their games. They also have special missions covering things like “search and rescue” and “demolitions.” Paintball extras like grenades, rocket launchers, and tanks could make appearances. And no, “tanks” is not a typo.

2 Skydiving And White Water Rafting

Coming out of Millinocket, Maine, you’ll find the Jump and Raft, a combination of two fantastic adventures: skydiving and white water rafting. You can opt for the two-day adventure package (one on each day) or take each individually. The tandem skydiving starts with a 30-minute ground school where you learn the basics. The jump takes place right near Mount Katahdin, giving you some fantastic scenery to take in on the way down. You jump from 3,350 meters (11,000 ft) with your instructor safely strapped to your back, giving you a freefall of almost a full minute, flying towards Earth at 195 kph (120 mph), then a nice five- to nine-minute glide once you pop your chute. Rafting takes place on the Penobscot River and is rated as Class V rapids (the most dangerous is Class VI). You’ll hurtle through 21 kilometers (13 mi) of chutes and holes, and tackle rapids with extreme names like “Exterminator.” Gear up.

1 One Tough Mudder

Number one on this list is not just an ultimate adventure, it’s an ultimate challenge. It requires mental, physical, and emotional strength you probably never even knew you had. Are you up for it? Created by a member of the British Special Forces, the Tough Mudder challenge event is a 16–19 kilometer (10–12 mi) obstacle course created to test endurance, stamina, strength, and teamwork. It is not a race, although you can time yourself for bragging rights. (The average Mudder gets through in about 3.5 hours.)

The true accomplishment comes from just completing and overcoming the course itself. There’s an entire training “boot camp” designed to prepare you for what you’ll face. Mud comes stock with everything, and obstacles include things like low-crawling through long pipes and under barbed wire, swimming through icy water (called the “Arctic Enema”), and running through strands of wire charged with 10,000 volts of electricity. You’ll also climb insanely high walls, crawl under nets, drag tires, and jog through flames to cross the finish line. Everyone who makes it to the end gets a free beer. Tough Mudder raises money for the Wounded Warrior Project, a charity offering help and recovery services to injured military vets. Events take place across the US, the UK, Australia, and Germany. If you feel like you’re a tougher Mudder than the others, you can go on to enter the World’s Toughest Mudder competition and spend 24 straight hours running obstacles, if you somehow didn’t already punish your body enough.

Our past is filled with colorful characters who often get left out of the history books. From swashbuckling adventures to love stories to tales of rags-to-riches, their lives seem plucked right out of a Hollywood blockbuster.

10“Lord” Timothy Dexter

Sometimes it is better to be lucky than smart, and nobody exemplified this better than 18th century Massachusetts businessman Timothy Dexter. Born into a family of laborers, Dexter was largely uneducated but had a lifelong desire to integrate himself into the upper echelons of society. He took the first step in the right direction when he married a well-off widow while working as a leather craftsman apprentice.

Dexter’s true stroke of fortune came towards the end of the Revolutionary War. By that time, Continental currency had depreciated so badly that $40 in paper money bought $1 in goods, hence the expression “not worth a Continental.” As a sign of good faith, wealthy Americans began buying Continental dollars from destitute soldiers. Wanting to fit in, Dexter spent his entire wealth on Continental currency. Afterward, Alexander Hamilton enacted his financial plan, and Dexter traded his Continentals for treasury bonds and made a fortune.

Apocryphal stories soon arose of Dexter undertaking foolish financial ventures, yet, somehow, still making a profit. He was allegedly convinced to export wool mittens to the tropical Indies where they were bought by merchants headed for Siberia. Another time, people told Dexter to ship coal to Newcastle which he did, supposedly, during a miners’ strike and sold his cargo for a premium.

Yearning to show off his intellectual side, Lord Dexter, as he called himself, wrote a 9,000-word half-biography, half-philosophy book. It had no punctuation, random capitalizations, and numerous spelling errors. Not surprisingly, the title made little sense: A Pickle for the Knowing Ones or Plain Truth in a Homespun Dress.

9Howard Blackburn

Howard Blackburn came from humble beginnings as a fisherman trying to make a living, first in Nova Scotia, then in Massachusetts. A 24-year-old Blackburn became a local legend in 1883 when a winter storm blew his schooner off course. The captain had to row back in freezing temperatures without the benefit of heavy mittens. Knowing what would happen, Blackburn maintained his hands in the curved position so he would be able to continue to row, even when they froze. He returned after sailing for five days without food, water, or sleep. His fishing mate died, and Blackburn lost all his fingers and a toe.

Blackburn’s fishing career was over, but his heroic, new reputation helped him open a tavern which still stands today. Soon enough, though, the call for adventure beckoned again, in 1899, Blackburn returned to the sea. He performed a solo crossing of the Atlantic (his first of two) aboard the Great Western in 62 days. While this had been accomplished a few times before, it was done by people who still had the use of their fingers. Even a year before dying, a 72-year-old Blackburn was planning another transatlantic voyage.

8Henry Every

Henry Every might not be among the most famous pirates in the world, but his exploits were enough to rival those of any real contemporary or Hollywood creation. He was not known as the “King of Pirates” for nothing—in 1695, Every made off with one of the biggest plunders in buccaneering history.

Every heard of a Mughal Empire fleet returning home to India with a vast treasure of gold and silver, defended by scores of cannons and riflemen. To even stand a chance, Every had to ally himself with other pirates and ambush the 25-ship Mughal flotilla.

Every’s partner, Captain Thomas Tew, fell in battle against an escort ship. However, this allowed Every’s ship the Fancy to catch up to the Mughal flagship Ganj-i-Sawai. After a fierce fight and more than a few strokes of good luck, Henry Every took the Ganj-i-Sawai and plundered up to £600,000 in valuables, instantly becoming the richest pirate in the world.

The attack significantly soured Anglo-Indian relations and, with a huge bounty on his head, Henry Every became the most wanted man in the world. Astoundingly, this did not stop him from leaving the pirate life behind and enjoying his spoils. Unlike most of his fellow pirates, Every was never captured or killed in battle. He simply disappeared from the history books, and nobody knows what happened to him or his treasure.

7William John Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck
5th Duke of Portland

Like his father and his father before him, William John Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck became Duke of Portland and served as a Member of Parliament while residing at the family estate, Welbeck Abbey in Nottinghamshire. However, he became better known for his eccentricities and for a bizarre paternity suit occurring almost two decades after his death.

There is no doubt that Lord Cavendish valued his privacy. Many stories paint him as an extreme introvert. Allegedly, his valet was the only person allowed to see him. The duke communicated with everyone else either through him or in writing. All of the servants and workers on his estate were instructed to never acknowledge him and ignore him even if they had to pass by him in the hallway.

The duke’s introversion led him underground, and he oversaw the extensive building of halls and tunnels underneath Welbeck Abbey. This included a secluded passage for his carriage all the way to the station, and a giant ballroom, even though Cavendish never invited anyone over, let alone throw a party.

Eighteen years after his death, a widow named Anna Maria Druce came forward, claiming that Cavendish’s reclusiveness allowed him to lead a double life as her father-in-law, Thomas Charles Druce, before faking his death. The case dragged on for over a decade, leading to an exhumation, several counts of perjury, and two people being committed to an asylum.

6General Gregor MacGregor

There are two vastly different chapters in the life of Gregor MacGregor, a member of the clan made famous by Rob Roy MacGregor. The first was his military career. MacGregor served as an officer in the British Army between 1803 and 1810, fighting in the Napoleonic Wars and rising to the rank of general. Afterward, he joined Venezuelan forces in their war for independence against Spain, becoming a hero worthy of full military honors upon his death.

Then there is also the Gregor MacGregor who tried to pull off one of the most audacious cons in history. Upon his return to Britain, MacGregor claimed to have been made Cazique (prince) of a new country called Poyais near the Black River. This eight-million-acre area was rich and fertile but needed investors and settlers to develop it. Due to the disintegration of the Spanish Empire, investing in new Latin American governments was considered the smart thing to do, and MacGregor generously offered a £200,000 Poyais bond at a six percent return rate.

Overall, MacGregor made £1.3 million off Poyais bonds, but there was just one problem—Poyais did not exist. Many of the Scottish settlers died in their new “home,” and when word reached London, MacGregor fled to Paris where he tried the con again and was arrested.

5Sidney Weinberg

Hollywood loves a rags-to-riches story and few, if any, top that of early 20th-century investment banker Sidney Weinberg. He came from meager beginnings—one of eleven children of Jewish immigrants who came to New York chasing the American dream. He dropped out of school at 15 and started looking for work.

In 1907, sixteen-year-old Weinberg wanted to work on Wall Street. He picked a nice looking, tall building—43 Exchange Place—and went into every office asking if they needed a boy for errands. He landed a position as a janitor’s assistant at a small brokerage house named Goldman Sachs.

One day, Weinberg delivered a flagpole to the Sachs residence where he made enough of a positive impression on Paul Sachs to get promoted to the mailroom. His hard work continued, and Weinberg went to business school on the company’s dime. By 1927, Weinberg became a partner. By 1930, he became CEO of Goldman Sachs after saving the fledgling company from bankruptcy. He kept this position for 39 years, earning the moniker “Mr. Wall Street.”

4“Red Legs” Greaves

The story of “Red Legs” Greaves’ life reads like a fanciful tale out of a book. Greaves was born sometime in the mid-17th century to Scottish parents exiled to Barbados by Oliver Cromwell for participating in the Scottish Civil War. Sold into slavery, Greaves tried to escape by stowing away on a ship, unknowingly boarding a pirate ship commanded by one Captain Hawkins. When he was discovered, Greaves had little choice but to join the crew, even though he despised Hawkins’ cruel treatment of his prisoners. Eventually, Greaves challenged Hawkins’ leadership and, after besting him in a duel, became the new captain.

Greaves was a merciful, lenient captain and after a few successful scores tried to retire as a plantation farmer. Eventually, though, his past caught up with him, and “Red Legs” was arrested for piracy and sent to Port Royal to be executed. This was in 1692, the year of a massive earthquake that plunged two-thirds of Port Royal into the water and killed around 5,000 people.

Greaves was one of the lucky survivors and escaped by joining the crew of a whaling ship. He would later become a pirate hunter and did such a good job that he earned a royal pardon. This allowed Greaves to live happily ever after and retire on his plantation home in Nevis.

3Henry Cyril Paget
5th Marquess of Anglesey

Henry Cyril Paget, Earl of Uxbridge and 5th Marquess of Anglesey, lived a life that would make any 1970s glam rocker jealous. At age 23, Paget inherited a title, a giant estate called Plas Newydd, and a fortune. By age 27, it was all gone. In 1905, aged 29, Paget died with millions of pounds in debt. The marquess embodied the “live fast, die young” mantra, although he preferred to spend his money on jewelry and luxury clothing.

A typical outfit of the marquess consisted of a lavish dressing gown (he favored French tailor Charvet), accessorized with numerous jewels, and some sort of headdress or tiara. Most of these items were only worn once. When debtors sold his collection at auction, they found over a hundred bath gowns alone.

A fan of the performing arts, Paget turned his home chapel into a theater. He hired one of the best acting troupes in the country to stage productions where he could play the leading role. The highlight of each performance was Paget’s sensual, snake-like dance which earned him the moniker “the Dancing Marquess.”

Unsurprisingly, Paget’s flamboyant lifestyle sparked rumors that he was gay, but this was dismissed by his ex-wife of six weeks. According to her, the only person Henry could ever love was himself.

2Julie d’Aubigny
Mademoiselle de Maupin

Few artists led a more thrilling life than 17th-century opera singer Julie d’Aubigny, known as Mademoiselle de Maupin. Her youth was marked by a string of duels and love affairs as the young swashbuckler roamed the French countryside looking for adventure.

It all started in 1687 when 14-year-old Maupin fled Paris with a fencing master named Sérannes, staging singing and dueling exhibitions to earn a living. When she got bored of him, Maupin started a love affair with a young woman who was promptly sent off to a convent by her parents. Supposedly, Maupin followed her and gained entry into the convent as a postulant. There, Maupin faked the death of her lover by setting her room on fire and leaving behind the body of a recently-deceased nun. This prolonged their romance for a few more months before Maupin got bored and moved on again.

Eventually, Maupin settled back in Paris where she became an acclaimed opera singer. However, this did not deter her from her wild ways. At a party at the royal palace, Maupin attended wearing men’s clothes, as she often did, and tried to strike a dalliance with a young woman. Three suitors, offended by her actions, challenged her to a duel. Maupin accepted and bested all three, although she later had to flee the city as duels were banned in Paris.

1Adrian Carton de Wiart

Adrian Carton de Wiart started his military career in 1899 by dropping out of college and joining the British Army to fight in the Second Boer War. He was sent back to England after being shot in the stomach and groin.

At the outbreak of World War I, Carton de Wiart joined the Somaliland Camel Corps. During an attack, he was shot in the face, losing an eye and a bit of ear. Again, he was sent back to England to recuperate where Carton de Wiart acquired the black eye-patch which became his distinguishing feature. He went back to the war on the European front.

At the Second Battle of Ypres, Carton de Wiart’s left hand was mangled by artillery. His hand was amputated back in England, and, after a quick break, Carton de Wiart was back on the frontline. This time he led the 8th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment, at the Battle of the Somme and was awarded the Victoria Cross for commanding the entire battalion after all other commanders died in battle.

Between wars, he spent time in Poland where he survived a plane crash. When WWII came around, Carton de Wiart gladly went into active duty again despite being in his 60s. He survived another plane crash over Libya in 1941 and spent the next two years as an Italian POW. In his autobiography, Carton de Wiart quipped, “Frankly, I enjoyed the war.”

Bear Grylls of Man vs. Wild fame has lived an intense life. He was a member of the British SAS, has adventured all over the world, and has walked away from things that would kill an average person. There aren’t many things Grylls won’t do, but everyone has a limit — even him.

These ten adventures are those Grylls hasn’t done, and they may even be too extreme for him… or he hasn’t gotten to them yet. Either way, these adventures are some of the most extreme you can go on if you think you’re anywhere near Grylls’ level of intense adventuring.

10 Wild Stories Of How Celebrities Got Their Scars

10 Volcano Boarding Down Cerro Negro

If you’re not familiar with “volcano surfing,” and think it has something to do with surfing a lava flow, you’re not too far off. Granted, the lava you’ll be surfing on the Cerro Negro just outside Leon, Nicaragua, has cooled considerably since it first erupted from the mountain.

That said, Cerro Negro is an active volcano, as it’s relatively new, having formed a little more than 160 years ago. The cone of the volcano is comprised of small grains of volcanic rock, and somebody figured out that it wasn’t only possible to surf down, it’s also a hell of a lot of fun!

This is one of those adventures that’s not prohibitively dangerous, though it isn’t without risk. To partake of the volcano’s thrills, you need to strap a wooden board to your back and hike 728 meters (2,388 feet) up the black, rocky mountain. It takes about 45 minutes, but once you reach the top, you get to surf down.

Depending on your level of skill (or insanity), you can either sit or stand atop the board as you head down. You have to wear a one-piece suit for crash protection, and you’ll be happy you have it if you fall. Volcanic rock is incredibly sharp, and falling could mean shredding your skin.^[1]

9 The Running Of The Bulls

This particular adventure is one that most people have heard of before, as it’s quite well-known worldwide. Every year, the city of Pamplona, Spain, features the highly publicized running of the Bulls as part of the San Fermín festival, which is held annually from 6-14 July. A run is conducted first on the 7th and then continues each day of the festival at 8:00 am.

The running of the bulls has been publicly broadcast for more than 30 years, and that has resulted in all manner of tourists and locals coming to the city to participate in the event. To do so, you have to be at least 18-years-old, run in the direction of the bulls, not antagonize the animals, and not be under the influence of alcohol.

Participants don’t so much run with the bulls as they run from them, and it’s fairly dangerous. There are six bulls used in each run and two oxen groups, which amounts to several tons of freaked-out animals running like crazy at speeds reaching 24 kph (15 mph).

There are often injuries, and rarely, people are killed, though only 15 deaths have been recorded since record-keeping began in 1910. Participants are more likely to be injured by bumping into one another, or if a pileup occurs, which can result in high numbers of trampling injuries.^[2][3]

8 Wing Walking

Bear Grylls has shown the world that despite his fear of heights, he’s more than willing to jump out of just about anything that flies. Still, he hasn’t done one of the most dangerous extreme sports available to a willing few. Wing walking is pretty much what it sounds like, and it’s not only dangerous, it’s difficult.

To wing walk, you’ll need a couple of things. First, you’ll need some training, and secondly, you’ll need a plane suitable for the endeavor. A jet isn’t going to work due to their speeds, so you’ll want to find a good old fashioned prop plane, and “old fashioned” is key.

Wing walkers typically use biplanes for their aerial acrobatics, which is what performers first used a century ago for daredevil shows. Wing walking is often more than merely strapping one’s feet to the wings of a plane. Many performers have demonstrated an ability to hang on during various aerial maneuvers.

Some have even crossed from one plane to another, though it’s not without risk. In 2018, Canadian rapper Jon “Jon James” McMurray died during a wing walk, which he was doing for a music video.^[4] Typically, wing walking is left to professionals. Still, an average person can give it a shot — they’ll just need to attend training at places like the Mason Wing Walking Academy in Sequim, Washington.^[5]

7 Shark-Diving Around Guadalupe Island Without A Cage

If you’ve seen Jaws, you probably have a fear of sharks, and while it’s rational to give these large fish space, the truth of Great White sharks is that they don’t like eating people. Unfortunately, they like to test bite things they don’t recognize, which could be incredibly dangerous for a diver.

Despite this, people cage-dive among sharks all the time, and because they have the protection of the cage, it’s far less dangerous than it looks. That’s fine for most people, but believe it or not, some divers prefer to chuck the cage and dive right in, though it’s incredibly rare.

It used to be more common, but Mexico rarely grants permits for people to swim its waters without a cage. Still, specialized shark diving permits are granted, so if you can meet the nation’s stringent requirements, you can share the water with a Great White shark, sans the cage.

Because there are far more interesting things for the sharks to eat than a diver, the risk is far less than most people think. Still, it is a risk, and shouldn’t be attempted without knowing what you’re getting yourself into, and at the end of the day, it’s always best to use a cage.^[6]

6 Kayak Across The English Channel

The English Channel is between 240 km (150 mi) and 34 km (21 mi) wide, and like any stretch of dangerous water, it’s one people have been crossing in various ways for centuries. The waters are often frigid, and the Channel is one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, which makes kayaking across dangerous.

It’s not the same as kayaking a dangerous river filled with rapids because it’s on open water. It’s best to charter support craft and guides to ensure you get to where you’re going safely. (LINK AAA) Making a crossing can take around six hours, so it’s not for the faint of heart.

Still, it’s possible to go on this particular adventure without being an expert kayaker. Training on the small craft for only a few months may be enough to ensure you get from the United Kingdom to the European mainland in one piece.

While it’s possible to make the crossing with minimal training, it would be wise to train for as much as a year before taking the trip. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, you could attempt this without a support craft nearby, but it’s not recommended.^[7][8]

Top 10 Most Dangerous Places on Earth

5 Ice Climbing Wolverine At Helmcken Falls

Bear Grylls is no stranger to dangerous climbs, and throughout his long adventurous career, he’s tackled some of the world’s most difficult mountains. There’s one climb he has yet to attempt, and it’s one that’s considered the most dangerous ice climb on the planet: Helmcken Falls.

Helmcken Falls is a gorgeous waterfall that sits along the Murtle River within Wells Gray Provincial Park in British Colombia, Canada. The falls measure 141 meters (463 feet), making them the fourth-highest in Canada. It’s a beautiful sight during the summer months, but once it gets cold, the whole thing freezes into a jagged and perilous series of sharp icicles.

It is possible to climb the falls, though it shouldn’t be attempted by anyone who isn’t an expert climber. When the falls freeze, they create an ice cone extending as high as 50 meters, so climbing them requires going up the cave the falls extend over, and it’s incredibly steep.

The most dangerous climb is called Wolverine, and it’s been rated a WI 11, which is the highest rating on the WI numeric scale. Wolverine is the only known climb to feature this rating, which involves steep climbing through aerated spray ice. The designation was given by Klemen Premrl and Tim Emmett after becoming the first to accomplish the feat in February 2012.^[9]

4 Free Solo Climbing El Capitan

When a person goes rock climbing, they have a ton of gear, and depending on their level of expertise, that gear could mean the difference between life and death. For those climbers far more experienced than most, another option called “free solo climbing” is something they can do, but it’s not for novices.

Free-solo climbing means climbing all on your own without any rope, harnesses, or protective equipment. Essentially, it’s about the closest a person can get to becoming Spider-Man in real life, and there are an intrepid few who do it regularly.

The most dangerous rock to climb in this manner is arguably El Capitan, found in Yosemite National Park. The granite cliff is nearly 3,000 feet high, and it’s almost entirely vertical. If that sounds impossible, it’s actually been done before… by one person.

In 2017, Alex Honnold managed the climb without any ropes or safety gear. He began climbing at 5:32 am and made it to the top just under four hours later. While it’s certainly possible to attempt such a climb yourself, it isn’t recommended unless you’re at Honnold’s level.^[10]

3 Cave Diving The Blue Hole

Diving is a relatively safe activity, so long as you have the proper training. When it comes to cave diving — that’s an entirely different activity, and it’s one of the most dangerous things a person can do. While diving any cave is potentially deadly, the most hazardous underwater cave is “The Blue Hole,” which is found north of Dahab, Egypt, in the Red Sea.

There are many so-called “Blue Holes” around the world, but only one people call The Blue Hole. It is a submarine sinkhole that is 100 meters (328 feet) deep with a shallow opening to the sea, known as the saddle. It has a 26 meter (85 feet) tunnel called “the Arch,” and the area has an abundance of coral and fish.

The Blue Hole attracts freedivers and cave divers from all over, but it’s widely known to be the deadliest dive spot anywhere on Earth. Estimates of fatalities have reached as high as 200+ divers.

People have found the bodies of divers in the Blue Hole’s depths, and there are memorial stones scattered about, marking their passing. The Blue Hole is navigable, and plenty of people survive diving it every year. Still, experienced divers have succumbed to its depths, so enter with caution.¹¹

2 BASE Jumping Mount Everest

This adventure requires an excessive amount of training to do, seeing as it starts with climbing Mount Everest. Grylls famously climbed to the summit at the age of 23, but he didn’t take a flying leap off while wearing a wingsuit.

The feat seems impossible, but it’s actually been done once before. Valery Rozov was a famous Russian BASE jumper, and his biggest claim to fame (of many) was a successful BASE jump from the Changtse (northern peak of Mount Everest) using a specially-designed Red Bull wingsuit.

Rozov managed to jump from a height of 7,220 meters (23,690 feet), which was a record at the time. He glided down to the Rongbuk glacier more than 1,000 meters below, reaching speeds up to 125 mph on the trip.

It is possible to do what Rozov did. Still, it requires several things: you’ll need to use a similar wingsuit, you’ll need to train and hike the summit of Mt. Everest, and depending on where you do it, you may need permission from the Chinese government so you don’t violate their airspace.^[12]

1 Solo Cross Antarctica

One of the most dangerous expeditions a person could ever undertake is a crossing of Antarctica. The frozen continent has long been a goal of many an explorer, and it wasn’t until 1911 that an expedition made it to the South Pole. That’s something Grylls has done but crossing the continent… that’s something altogether much more dangerous.

Crossing the continent with a team has been done to death — literally, on many occasions — but doing it solo wasn’t accomplished until 2018. Colin O’Brady and Louis Rudd started on the same day, but took slightly different routes, and managed to cross the continent unsupported and unassisted while dragging a 300 lb. sled behind them.

To do this, they had to make it across without resupplies or supply drops, and they had to make the trek entirely on their own. Their expeditions began at the end of the Ronne Ice Shelf on November 3rd. Both men passed through the South Pole Research Station to complete their trek on 26 and 28 December.

Antarctica is open and ready for anyone willing to make the journey, so it’s possible to attempt a crossing. Doing so requires quite a bit of training, supplies, money, and conditioning, but it is possible.^[13]

10 Insane Tours That Are Extremely Dangerous