On the world's most perilous walks, blisters are the least of your concerns because robbers, boiling lava and wild animals are potential threats.
These walks are not for the faint-hearted, whether it is navigating the hazardous windswept mountains of South Georgia or going the precarious pathways of Mount Hua Shan in China.
12 OF THE WORLD'S MOST RISKY TRAMPS
On some of the most perilous excursions in the world, dizzying heights might not even be your biggest concern. On these nerve-wracking treks, you must instead be prepared for risks like severe weather, exploding volcanoes and deadly wildlife.
1. SOUTH GEORGIA ISLAND'S SHACKLETON'S ROUTE
Greatest risk: Crevasses
On May 20, 1916, starved, tired and suffering from severe exposure, Sir Ernest Shackleton and two other people made their way to the whaling station on South Georgia Island in the South Atlantic. They had just completed South Georgia Island's first-ever crossing. The legendary tale of Shackleton and his crew's survival has come to represent this era of valiant Antarctic exploration.
South Georgia Island
Guided excursions now follow Shackleton's path across this perilous, windy and mountainous secluded island. The trip is a "self-contained" excursion in which participants are responsible for transporting their own gear, including clothes, food and tents. There are no sherpas in this area.
2. MOUNT HUA SHAN, CHINA
Greatest risk: Vertical stairways
There has long been a connection between the western peak of China's Five Great Mountains and death. Although Mount Hua Shan's death rate is not recorded in any official data, it is said to be about 100 lives every year.
Mount Hua Shan
The routes leading to South Peak's highest point in 2,154m (7,000ft) height include steep stairs, vertical ascents and "paths" made of wooden platforms nailed to the slope.
3. DARIÈN GAP, PANAMA AND COLOMBIA
Greatest risk: Threat of kidnapping
The Darién Gap has frequently attracted explorers, but the outcomes have mostly been devastating. Travelers have been baffled by the untamed tropical jungle for millennia.
The Colombian FARC insurgents were historically active in the area and the route is frequently used for trafficking involving drugs and persons. The region is also home to some very nasty animals, including the deadly jungle scorpions, venomous Panamanian golden frogs and the unappealing black palm tree.
4. THE MAZE, USA
Greatest risk: Rock falls
The least accessible area of Utah's famed national park, Canyonlands, is home to the rocky labyrinth known as the Maze. The patchwork of vibrant canyons is rough, deep, and particularly prone to getting lost.
The Maze in Utah is prone to flash floods
Flash floods and rock falls are common in the region, and GPS is frequently faulty. Bring a penknife if you are going!
5. ABUNA YEMATA GUH, ETHIOPIA
Greatest risk: Deep chasms
This Ethiopian church was hewn out of the side of a vertical rock spire with a 650-foot fall on all sides. It is located in the Gheralta area. Since shoes are prohibited in Ethiopia's sacred locations, hikers must scale a sheer rock wall and carefully make their way along a narrow ledge in order to reach the destination. In fact, Abuna Yemata Guh is regarded to be the most inaccessible place of devotion on the entire globe.
Ethiopia's churches in the sky
The initial portion of the climb is rather easy; it is steep but manageable. But soon enough, hikers come to an area of sheer rock where ropes are needed. Climbers are required to take their shoes off here. Finally, before triumphantly entering the world's least accessible church, one must cross a perilously thin ledge that descends into a hole in the rock wall.
6. SNOWMAN TREK, BUTHAN
Greatest risk: Extreme cold
This is one of the riskiest walks in the world since thru-hikers must spend a significant amount of time — from 21 to 30 days — above 4,000 meters (13,000 feet). Acute mountain sickness (AMS) or even high altitude pulmonary edema can develop if you spend any significant amount of time at this altitude.
A very difficult walk is also ensured by the steep ascents, high-level passes (11 in all), remoteness of the location and ever-changing weather patterns.
Only on arrival are visas granted for Bhutan; however, you must apply in advance through a tour operator and be granted a visa before travelling.
7. PACAYA VOLCANA, GUATEMALA
Greatest risk: Toxic vapours
The Pacaya Volcano suddenly erupted in 1965 after lying dormant for more than a century, and it has continued to erupt ever since. The volcano is a well-liked tourist spot where guided groups pay a fare to be carried up to a crater. It is only 30 kilometres southwest of Guatemala City. However, this is not the most dangerous or active crater on Pacaya.
It can be hot underfood on Pacaya
Hard-core hikers continue to sneak up to the summit of the main cinder cone of the mountain despite the official closure of the old "route" to visitors. It is best finished at night when it is simpler to see the lava flows.
8. CHADAR TREK, INDIA
Greatest risk: Severe cold
One of the world's most treacherous hikes is also one of India's most difficult treks. Hikers must cross the frozen River Zanskar on this path, where the sound of bubbling water can be heard just below the ice sheet.
Even after crossing the river, trekkers are unable to unwind. The remaining path entails a significant amount of shimmying along the treacherous rocks that flank the riverfront. The trail's average temperature is below freezing, with nighttime lows of -35°C, when trekkers typically sleep in caves beneath tapering icicles. If you get through to the end, be prepared to have your nerves completely shot.
9. EL CAMINITO DEL REY, SPAIN
Greatest risk: Narrow walkways descending 100 meters to the river below
El Caminito del Rey (the King's small walkway), Spain's equivalent of Mount Hua Shan in China, is no longer the adrenaline-pumping trip it once was. The 1.8-mile (3 km) concrete and steel road was constructed more than a century ago to service employees at a nearby hydropower facility.
El caminito del rey in Spain
The walkway deteriorated and was declared unsafe for use for more than ten years. It was fully restored and reopened in 2015. It was formerly regarded as one of the world's most terrifying walks after five people died there in 1999 and 2000, but it is now a well-liked tourist destination.
10. WEST COAST TRAIL, CANADA
Greatest risk: Animal attacks
The West Coast Path's long, nearly vertical ladder parts make it a true thrill-seekers hiking trail, while having a lower fatality rate than some of the other treks on our list. The ground is usually craggy.
Hikers should be prepared to struggle through steep hillsides, wade across rivers and encounter slippery situations. The paths and buildings are frequently damaged by storms, which makes them much more hazardous or often impassable. Oh, and did I mention that one could come across the odd grizzly or cougar along the way?
11. ARCTIC CIRCLE TRAIL, GREENLAND
Greatest risk: Extreme weather
I would be inaccessible for more than a week when I traveled to Greenland in 2019 to hike the Arctic Circle Trail, which is totally inside the Arctic Circle. As a result, I prepared for a variety of unforeseen circumstances, such as handling severe weather and bringing adequate supplies for an emergency on one of the most inaccessible long-distance hiking paths in the world. However, I had no plans to flee a wildfire.
A cairn along the Arctic Circle Trail
I had to leave the route because of a peat fire that started after the area experienced an extreme hot summer. There have been several stories of hikers being evacuated since I left, and more blazes have started to burn in the area. Sadly, because of climate change, wildfires like this one seem to be becoming more common.
12. DRAKENSBERG TRAVERSE, SOUTH AFRICA
Greatest risk: Shaky chain ladders
A hiker's "sole" concern up until recently was the horrifying death rate for which this trip was renowned. On the road, until the year-end in 1985, 55 persons passed away, almost always through falls.
Cathedral peak in the Drakensberg
Despite deaths being recorded practically annually after 1985, official statistics are mysteriously absent from that point on. As a result, the path through KwaZulu-Natal, often known as "the garden province," is recognized as one of the riskiest walks on the whole globe.
In May 2016, stories of club-wielding robbers attacking and robbing hikers while being accompanied by vicious dogs appeared, heightening the hazards. According to several of the reports' remarks, it wasn't a singular incidence.
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