In no particular order, here are a few of the most dangerous attractions people actually
do!
9 - Yungas Road The Bolivian City of La Paz is notable for
being one of the world’s highest cities….and just for the record we mean that in terms
of elevation.
That other honor would probably go to Amsterdam or Denver.
Anyway, sitting nearly 12,000 feet above sea level, the altitude in this city is breathtakingly
high.
So as you can probably imagine, getting there can prove rather tricky.
North Yungas Road which connects La Pez and Coroico has been crowned the World’s Most
Dangerous Road….at least according to the Inter-American Development Bank.
Which mean, who else are you gonna trust with this kind of thing?
With nicknames such as Death Road, Road of death and Road of Fate, you know this thing
isn’t messing around.
By some estimates, up to 300 people die every year making this journey….which seems like
a lot.
The road has been featured on The History Channel and The BBC for it’s danger.
The sick irony of it all is that when leaving this highly elevated city via the North Yungas
road, the road actually goes up!
Ascending to some 15, 260 feet the road winds around steep cliffs and valleys with very
few guardrails or anything.
The narrow road is about the size of a single car width, so that probably thoroughly jacks
up what’s an already very precarious situation.
Given the decent chance of providing an awful death, The Yungas Road attracts plenty thrill
seekers each year.
Mountain bikers in particular treat this death trap as a mecca of sorts.
First built in the 1930’s by POW’s, a series of improvements were made in 2006.
This included widening the lanes, concrete barriers and bypasses of the most dangerous
section made the road a bit safer.
A bit being the operative word.
8 - Caminito Del Rey Generally speaking, hiking can be a healthy
activity.
Think about it.
You’re out and about, getting exercise, exploring nature, and maybe learning a thing
or two.
But sometimes the path less traveled is less traveled for a reason.
Take Caminito Del Rey for instance.
Tucked away in a remote part of Southern Spain, this path serves as a mecca of sorts for thrill
seekers, rock climbers and people with a death wish.
Steep canyons towering over raging rapids, narrow pathways and poor upkeep make this
path a serious hazard for anyone brave or foolish enough to take it on.
Dating back to 1901, Caminito Del Rey, or The King’s Little Pathway as it translates
to, is considered by some to be the most dangerous path in the world.
While it’s just under 2 miles long, it’s two miles of poorly maintained concrete, steel
beams and neglect….and one misstep can prove fatal.
Originally designed to provide hydroelectric plant workers a pathway to move materials
between surrounding waterfalls, the path later served as a place where morons journeyed for
adventure.
It was so dangerous that five people died while hiking between 1999 and 2000.
Parts of the trail closed so repairs could be made.
It reopened in 2015, and was kind of less dangerous but still pretty dangerous actually.
Portions of the pathway are still missing and parts of the path still rest on rusted
steel beams.
Long story short, the trails in your city park are probably safer than this.
7 - Colorado River System Spanning 1,450 miles a across the Southwestern
U.S and Northern Mexico, the Colorado River is a huge piece of the region’s history
and culture.
Dating back more than 8,000 years ago Native Americans and nomads used to inhabit the river’s
basin.
Today it’s still provides water to some 40 million people.
It also contains steep canyons and very fast rapids.
Plus it runs right through The Grand Canyon….so there’s that.
It’s a fairly popular attraction for people to go rafting down the section of the river
that runs through the Grand Canyon.
While life vests and trained guides generally keep people safe, it’s not for the faint
of heart.
Literally every single second of every single day, a ton of water flows through the river,
creating very large rapids.
Dating back to the 1920’s there have been quite a few deaths by drowning.Plus the water’s
cold as all get out.
So hypothermia is a very real possibility if you’re not careful.
Dehydration from hiking in the canyon, heat strokes, and flash floods highlight what can
be a very dangerous area.
The good news is that The Grand Canyon is maintained by The National Park Services,
and they have the resources and expertise to keep people safe….provided people heed
good advice and use common sense.
6 - Kilauea Volcano Hawaii…..pretty.
Volcanoes…..also pretty.
But visiting an active volcano?
Maybe that’s not an awesome idea.
Of course, Hawaii has long been known for their volcano tours.
And under the right circumstances it can be a fun, safe and enriching experience.
But with Kilauea’s recent activity, its best to stay away.
When it began spewing lava on May 3 it wreaked havoc on an historic level for about three
and a half months.
It wasn’t until August 17th that the USGS indicated things may be winding down.
Technically Kilauea has been erupting continuously since about 1983 and has caused considerable
property damage.
But the lower Puna Eruption in May was, or is, a different animal altogether.
It opened dozens of lava vents as lava came pummeling down.
After a series of earthquakes and a violent eruption on May 17th, more than 2,000 people
were evacuated and up to 700 homes were destroyed.
Humans and volcanoes go way back.
Dating back to ancient times people have lived near volcanoes, often holding them to be sacred.
By the 1840’s, Kilauea was a popular tourist attraction.
While some 2.6 million people visit Kilauea each year, the park was closed on May 11 due
to the dangers of the eruption.
Because, while it might be pretty, death by lava isn’t worth it “for the gram.”
5 - Mount Everest It seems only natural that the world’s highest
mountain peak would be on the list.
Towering 20,029 feet above Earth’s surface, Mount Everest has been surveyed since at least
the early 18th century by The Qing Empire.
Back then it was referred to as Mount Qomolangma.By the1890’s the British were like “Hey I
bet we can climb this really dangerous mountain.”
And while there were many expeditions up the mountain, it wasn't until 1953 that Edmund
Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the summit.
They were the first known climbers to reach the summit anyway.
Ever since reaching the summit has been proven possible, thousands of attempts have been
made.
Although Modern Technology and a massive commercial industry have made climbing Mount Everest
a bit more feasible, it’s still a tall task….pun intended.
Harsh elements such as freezing wind often make for challenging conditions.
Since the mountain reaches up into the stratosphere, climbers find themselves battling high speed
winds from the jet stream.
These winds can reach up to 175 miles per hour.
A lack of oxygen is also a challenge, and climbers often require oxygen tanks to not
die.
Avalanches, falling rocks, whiteouts, frostnip, Pneumonia, and somewhat surprisingly, dehydration
are all commons risks associated with climbing Mount Everest.
It’s estimated that about Five percent of climbers die each year making this dangerous
journey.
So if you decide to go...just be careful!
4 - Mont Blanc While it’s not as high as Mount Everest,
Mont Bloc is nothing to sneeze at.
In fact, some might say it’s more dangerous than Mount Everest.
As the highest peak of the alps, many climbers try to summit the mountain each year.
On average about 100 people die each year trying to make this journey.
By some estimates, up to 8,000 people have died trying to scale Mont Blanc...which would
make it the deadliest mountain of of all time.
In 2012, 11 people died just days apart in two separate incidents.
Writing for The Atlantic Lane Wallace pointed out that tour guides often sell Mont Blanc
as more of a “long walk” than an actual expedition.
That often attracts people who aren’t experienced enough to handle this sort of climb.
Given that the mountain is actually easy at the get to, you get a lot of people climbing
at the same time.
This makes for a very dangerous situation as you often have a lack of qualified guides
and footholds for naïve climbers to get to the peak safely.
Rapid changes in the weather also increase the odds of an avalanche happening, which
isn’t awesome for climbers.
Other elements such as the cold and high altitude pose risks.
Inexperienced climbers often deal with altitude sickness which induces nausea, vomiting, and
insomnia posing serious health risks.
In short, the influx of inexperienced climbers unable to deal with the hazards associated
with such a climb, make for a very dangerous climb.
3 - Half Dome It’s one of the most iconic features in
one of the most iconic National Parks in the United States.
So it actually make a lot of sense that The Half Dome of Yosemite National Park would
be a popular tourist attraction.
Back in the 1870’s, the dome was described as “perfectly inaccessible.”
So naturally people tried to climb it.
In 1875, a fella by the name of George G Anderson proved it actually wasn’t inaccessible.
He climbed the massive rock formation by drilling spikes into the smooth granite.
These days, thousands make the trek to the top each year via the Cable route.
But due to the dangers of climbing, anyone who wants to make the climb must get a permit
from the park.
Since the erection of the cable route, six people have fallen to their death, including
one in May of 2018.
That number seems low given some of the other dangers that greet climbers.
Rock falls for instance, can prove to be very hazardous.
In 2015 National Geographic reported that so much rock fell from the North Face of the
mountain that the route had changed dramatically.
Some wonder if the influx of climbers each year has caused the rock fall...
2 - Praia de Boa Viagem Each summer tons and tons of people journey
to the beach.
The warm sun, cool ocean breeze, the surf and half-naked eye candy are just a few of
the perks for making such a trek.
And Brazil is renowned for some of their beaches.
One potential downside?
Sharks.
Granted we may never be subjected to a massive Great White Shark wreaking havoc on Amity
Island, shark attacks are still a thing.
Praia de Boa Viagem in brazil is one of the most shark infested beaches in the world.
Despite the beauty of the beach it’s considered one of the most dangerous places to swim.
First of all, aggressive shark species such as Bull and Tiger sharks already roam the
waters off the coast of ( heh-see-fee)Recife.
Then in the 70’s, a port was built nearby.
According to The BBC the construction of port suape interrupted migratory, hunting and breeding
patterns for the sharks.
Tigersharks, for instance, often migrate long distances and follow behind ships to catch
debris thrown off.
With more ships going into coastal waters that are home to millions of people….well
that’s a recipe for disaster.
Since the 80’s, at least 20 known fatal attacks have occurred, and more than 50 attacks
in total have taken place.
So the lesson here is simple.
Be careful where you build your ports, and if you happen to be at Praia de Boa Viagem
in Brazil, maybe just stick to lounging and building sand castles.
1 - Mount Huashan Near the city of Xian in China is one of the
country’s most significant mountains...Mount Huashan or Hua.
As one of the Five Great Mountains of China, it holds a lot of cultural and religious significance
to the Chinese People.
The mountain is home to many Taoist temples, some of which date back to the 2nd century
B.C.There’s also this very dangerous hiking route that virtually everyone should avoid.
Even with moderate safety measures, this hike isn’t to be taken lightly.
One part of the trail for instance is known as “The Plank Walk.”
This is literally just a small plank hovering over a valley and bending around a cliff.
Hikers have only a chain attached to a harness to keep them from falling to certain death.
So if you trust an old harness and ancient Chinese engineering, maybe this hike is for
you.
Other scary trails have scary names like Black Dragon Ridge, Thousand Foot Precipice and
and Hundred-Foot Crevice.
And while people have been making the pilgrimage to the summits of the mountain’s five peaks
for thousands of years, there are rumors that up to 100 people die each year.
As unsubstantiated as these claims may be, it’s still very dangerous.
Thrill seekers will be met by cool little attractions like The Chess Pavilion and a
tea shop on the mountain’s southern peak.
So if you wanna risk life and limb for a cup of tea and a game
of chess….go crazy.
Here’s what’s next!