16 thrill-seeking adventures everyone should have in their lifetimes

0 29

03 Nov 2019 14:12

skydiving

Thrill-seekers are constantly searching for their next source of adrenaline.
Insider has compiled a list of 16 heart-pounding activities that everyone should try at least once in their lifetime.
From skydiving and rock climbing to spelunking and zorbing, your next extreme adventure is right around the corner.
Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Daredevils and thrill-seekers are constantly looking for their next source of adrenaline.

Whether it's paragliding or skydiving, there's always an extreme adventure around the corner that will leave your heart racing.

Keep scrolling four our list of 16 thrill-seeking experiences everyone should have in their lifetimes.

FOLLOW US: Insider is on Facebook

Paragliding and hang gliding are both thrill-inducing ways to take in gorgeous views.

Although these activities are only suitable for people comfortable with heights, paragliding and hang gliding are great ways to find the perfect view.

The two sports share a number of similarities, but the major difference between them is that hang gliders have rigid frameworks while paragliders do not.

You can take in breathtaking undersea views while scuba diving.

Strong swimmers will find that scuba diving is the best way to explore what lies beneath the ocean's surface.

Fiji, Mexico, and South Africa are just some of the stunning locations where divers can view coral reefs, colorful fish, and shipwrecks.

Bungee jumping certainly isn't for the faint of heart.

Bungee jumping involves leaping off of a tall ledge while attached to a nylon cord and free falling. The slack in the rope eventually gives out and snaps you back up into the air.

Those looking for an adventure in the US can try bungee jumping off the Rio Grande Bridge in Taos, New Mexico.

Navigating river rapids during a white water rafting trip is trickier than it looks.

White water rafting is much more complicated than just floating along a river.

According to Western River Expeditions, rivers are rated on a "class" scale based on the size and intensity of the rapids. You should consider your previous experience and just how much of an adventure you're looking for when selecting a level.

Exploring canyons through canyoneering involves swimming, climbing, hiking, and rappelling.

According to Zion Rock and Mountain Guides, a canyoneering trip can last anywhere from a few hours to a couple of days. Different landscapes provide unique challenges, and each canyon route requires a different combination of skills to navigate.

Skydiving is a popular option when it comes to adventurous activities.

First-time skydivers are strapped to an experienced guide who will walk them through the process of jumping out of the plane and safely landing on the ground below. Divers free-fall until they pull a cord to release their parachute.

Ice climbers use spiked shoes called crampons to make their way up mountains, frozen waterfalls, and glaciers.

According to the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation, ice climbing is an extremely technical activity that requires core strength, well-thought-out strategy, and "nerves of steel."

Adventure enthusiasts can strap on wingsuits to soar through the air.

Wingsuit jumpers can reach speeds of 200 miles per hour and often jump from heights comparable to that of skydivers. Like skydivers and BASE jumpers, wingsuit jumpers deploy parachutes in order to gently return to the ground.

Skiing and snowboarding are relatively common winter sports, but both can be incredibly thrilling when done in extreme locations.

Between alpine and freestyle skiing and snowboarding, these winter sports can be very intense. There are even skiers and snowboarders who drop out of helicopters in order to ride in remote locations.

You can ride a zip line over an active volcano or through a forest.

If you're not afraid of heights, then zip lining could be the ultimate opportunity for an adventure.

Attached to a pulley, zip liners fly down a cord at rapid speed to get from one destination to the next. Thrill-seekers can ride a zip line over an active volcano or through a forest.

Though it sounds straightforward, rock climbing involves incredible strength.

For an added thrill, some skilled climbers practice free soloing, which involves scaling rock walls without ropes or protective equipment.

In June 2017, American rock climber Alex Honnold became the first person to complete a free-solo climb of the 3,000-foot El Capitan in Yosemite National Park.

You can take in stunning views while bridge climbing.

Although participants are strapped in, bridge climbing is undoubtedly a nerve-wracking experience.

Tourists commonly climb to the top of the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge when they visit Australia's largest city. According to BridgeClimb Sydney, more than four million people have made the 440-foot climb to the bridge's apex.

Sandboarding swaps out the snow for sand and a warmer riding experience.

While sandboarding is an activity that is found almost exclusively in deserts, you can race down sand dunes in plain view of the Rocky Mountains while visiting Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado.

Spelunking involves exploring caves and crevices.

Also known as caving, spelunkers rappel into the depths of caves that are not typically explored commercially.

The US offers a large number of beautiful caves waiting to be explored, including the world's longest known cave system in Kentucky.

There are plenty of places where you can swim with sharks, stingrays, and more aquatic animals.

Animal lovers looking for an adventure will want to check swimming with sharks off the bucket list.

You can swim alongside eight different species of sharks in Fiji or get up close to a great white when you cage dive in South Africa.

Perhaps the most eccentric activity on this list, zorbing involves tumbling down a hill while inside a giant, transparent bubble.

Popular in New Zealand, zorbing can take on multiple forms. Hydrozorbing involves filling the inside of the Zorb, or plastic ball, with water so that the rider slides around. Water Balls, meanwhile, can be used to walk on water.