Sunday, May 27, 2012

The Most Dangerous Terrains In The World

Some of the most beautiful and awe inspiring places in the world are the most difficult and the most dangerous to get to. To those who dare make the trek, the experience of completing these dangerous trails is very rewarding. Could you make it across these 10 treacherous terrains? It takes a real guy (or girl) to take the first leap!

Mount Huashan

Mount Huashan
Mt. Huashan in Huayin City, China, is one of the most well-known mountains in China, and one of the most dangerous to climb. It has breath-taking cliffs and a very dangerous 12-kilometer-long path to the top.
Here is where the path gets scary - just wooden planks and metal to hang on.

Annapurna

Annapurna
Annapurna is a section of the Himalayas in Nepal with an elevation of 8,000 meters. The mountain has been climbed by over 153 people, but 58 have died trying. Due to this high fatality rate, Annapurna is one of the most dangerous mountains in the world.

K2 (Savage Mountain)

K2 (Savage Mountain)
K2 is the 2nd highest mountain in the world, after Mount Everest and is located between Pakistan and China. Ascending up the mountain is very dangerous, and for every 4 people who have reached the summit, 1 has died trying. Due to the treacherous terrain, nobody has ever climbed K2 in the Winter.

Baintha Brakk (The Orgre)

Baintha Brakk (The Orgre)
Many consider Baintha Brakk the most difficult mountain to climb in the world. It is located in the Karakorak mountain range in Pakistan. It is notable for it's combination of altitude, height above local terrain, and steepness. Doug Scott was one of the first people to climb to the summit. On the decent down, he broke both of his legs, but still managed to crawl through a storm to his team's basecamp.

Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher
Cliffs of Moher is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Ireland. The trails are one of the most dangerous places to mountain bike. The cliffs are around 214 meters at the highest point. One moment in the wrong direction, and you're gone.

Yungas Road (The Death Road)

Yungas Road (The Death Road)
Yungas Road is a 69 kilometer road in Bolivia and is widely considered the world's most dangerous road. The width is only 10 feet wide, and an estimate of 300 travelers have been killed there.

Tenaya Canyon

Tenaya Canyon
Tenaya Canyon is a dangerous canyon in the Yosemite National Park in California. The canyon has no foot trail, which makes hiking and navigating extremely difficult. The National Park's Service maps of Yosemite "strongly discourage" hiking through the canyon. To hike through, one must swim, navigate around waterfalls, and walk across slippery granite.
Source: flickr.com

El Caminito del Rey (The King's Little Pathway)

El Caminito del Rey (The King's Little Pathway)
El Caminito del Rey is a walkway along the steep walls of El Chorro, a gorge in Spain. The walkway is 1 meter wide and over 100 meters above the river. Many spots on the walkway have collapsed and cannot be repaired.

Guoliang Tunnel

Guoliang Tunnel
The Guoliang Tunnel, located in China, is a pathway carved through the side of the Taihang Mountain. It is a terribly frightening road with no hand railings to hold onto. Many photos mistakenly identify the tunnel as the "Death Road" in Bolivia.

Nanga Parbat

Nanga Parbat
Nanga Parbat is the 9th highest mountain in the world and is located in Pakistan. The difficulty of climbing Nanga Parbat is about the same as K2. The southern side of the mountain is the largest mountain face in the world. The mountain is sometimes nicknamed "The Man Eater."