If you thought Class IV rapids and running with the bulls made you badass, then we've got a question for you: How's the water in the kiddie pool? Ok, that's not fair; those are both pretty bro. But if you're looking to engage in some truly death-defying adventure travel, check out these five potentially final destinations.
Death Road, Bolivia
The North Yungas Road, colorfully referred to as Death Road, is a 43mi stretch of sand and rock that snakes its way from La Paz to Coroico in the Yungas region of Bolivia. A single-lane with 1,967ft drops and a complete lack of guardrails, it’s littered with crosses to mark the many that’ve (literally) fallen. Dubbed the “the world’s most dangerous road” by the Inter-American Development Bank, an estimated 300 people die on it each year.
The North Yungas Road alternatively known as Grove's Road, Coroico Road, Camino de las Yungas, Road of fate or Death Road) is a 61-or-69-kilometre (38 or 43 mi) road leading from La Paz to Coroico, 56 kilometres (35 mi) northeast of La Paz in the Yungas region of Bolivia. It is legendary for its extreme danger and in 1995 the Inter-American Development Bank christened it as the "world's most dangerous road". In 2006 one estimate stated that 200 to 300 travellers were killed yearly along the road. The road includes cross markings on many of the spots where vehicles have fallen.
A South Yungas Road (Chulumani Road) exists that connects La Paz to Chulumani, 64 kilometres (40 mi) east of La Paz, and is considered to be nearly as dangerous as the North Road.
Photographs of China's Guoliang Tunnel are often incorrectly identified as showing the Yungas Road.
The danger of the road made it a popular tourist destination starting in the 1990s, drawing some 25,000 thrillseekers. Mountain biking enthusiasts in particular have made it a favourite destination for downhill biking since there is a 64-kilometre (40 mi) stretch of continuous downhill riding with only one short uphill section. There are now many tour operators catering to this activity, providing information, guides, transport and equipment.
Nevertheless, the Yungas Road remains dangerous. At least 18 cyclists have died on the ride since 1998.
It was featured on the BBC show, Top Gear: Bolivia Special Episode 6 of Top Gear series 14 where the hosts travelled 1,610 kilometres (1,000 mi) from the Bolivian rainforest to the Pacific Ocean.The danger of the road was readily apparent when the road began to crumble under the wheels of Jeremy Clarkson's Range Rover, as he was forced to the edge while passing another vehicle.
A Mitsubishi Outlander TV commercial was the first ever filmed on the road.
The second season of IRT: Deadliest Roads, a spin-off of the History Channel series Ice Road Truckers, follows six North American drivers as they haul cargo along the road.
The road featured in the third episode of Hamish and Andy's Gap Year South America on Australia's Nine Network in 2014.
The road also featured on the BBC show World's Most Dangerous Roads in series three, episode three. The episode starred Phill Jupitus and Marcus Brigstocke and first aired Wednesday 9 January 2013 on BBC HD.
This is one of the few routes that connects the Amazon rainforest region of northern Bolivia, or Yungas, to its capital city. Upon leaving La Paz, the road first ascends to around 4,650 metres (15,260 ft) at La Cumbre Pass, before descending to 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) at the town of Coroico, transiting quickly from cool Altiplano terrain to rainforest as it winds through very steep hillsides and atop cliffs.
The largely single-lane road has no guard rails and cliffs of up to 600 metres (2,000 feet). Most of the road is the width of a single vehicle, about 3.2 metres (10 ft). During the rainy season from November to March, rain and fog can severely hamper visibility, and water runoff can turn the road into a muddy track, affecting traction. In the summer, rockfalls are common and vehicle dust limits visibility as well.
One of the local road rules specifies that the downhill driver never has the right of way and must move to the outer edge of the road. This forces the faster downhill vehicle to stop so that passing can be negotiated safely. Unlike the rest of Bolivia, vehicles are required to drive on the left side of the road, to give the driver a better view of the vehicle's outside wheel and making passing safer.
Volcano helicopter tours, Hawaii
Long known for their extreme natural beauty, the Hawaiian Islands offer great surfing, insane hiking, and killer fish tacos. They also boast three active volcanoes, which have been known to kick up lava as high a cubic mile. Which means, if you're on a helicopter tour hovering above one of said volcanoes, beware; you could go down in a fiery blaze. Think that sounds outlandish? Thirty people have died in exactly that way since 1995.
Mont Blanc, France & Italy
Not only is Mont Blanc a German purveyor of fine writing instruments since 1906 the highest mountain in the European Union, it’s by far the deadliest. At 15,781ft, it offers expansive views of France and neighboring Italy, and provides a picturesque resting place for the estimated 100 souls who perish there annually. Oddly enough, the climb itself doesn’t come close to being the most treacherous in terms of difficulty. Rather, the sheer number of inexperienced mountaineers packed onto crowded routes (by guides pressured to get customers up and back quickly) is what creates the dangerous conditions.
New Smyrna Beach, Florida
Ah, Florida. A land of golden beaches, blue-tinged perms, Girls Gone Wild… and the world’s highest concentration of shark attacks. While South Africa boasts the most incidents overall -- with 214 attacks and 42 fatalities over the past 30yrs -- they occurred over 2,798mi of coastline. Florida’s New Smyrna Beach, however, has had more attacks per square mile than ANY OTHER BEACH IN THE WORLD, with 210 over the same time period. One (slightly dubious) source speculates that if you’ve taken a dip at New Smyrna, you’ve probably placed yourself within 10ft of a shark… and 15ft from a redneck driving an El Camino on the beach.
Hua Shan plank path walk, China
At 7,087ft, the majestic Hua Shan may not be the tallest of China’s Five Great Mountains, but it is the most bowel loosening thanks in part to its biggest draw, the “plank walking path”. Not so much a path as a series of rickety 12in boards that inspire abject terror as you cling desperately to the cliff face, willing yourself to keep going despite the sound of tiny rocks loosened by your shoes cascading down into the mists of the valley below. On the plus side, if you make it to the end you'll be able to sip some tea with the monks at one of the weirdest watering holes in the world.
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