The Zambezi (also spelled Zambesi) is the fourth-longest river in Africa, and the largest flowing into the Indian Ocean. The Zambezi's most spectacular feature is Victoria Falls, the world's largest waterfalls. Between July and January, rafting Batoka Gorge below Victoria Falls produces all the Class 5 rapids you could hope for, with charming names like Highway to Hell, Stairway to Heaven and Mother. And you thought those were only classic rock tracks. They could easily be your swan song if you make a wrong move. Even in the calm stretches, crocodiles cruise below the surface and monkeys in the trees are known to anoint passersby with golden showers.
Death toll: About 30 per year (mainly from crocodiles).
The North Yungas Road (also Grove's Road, Coroico Road, Camino de las Yungas, El Camino de la Muerte, Road of Death, and Death Road) is a 38 to 43 mile road (depending on source) leading from La Paz to Coroico, 35 miles (56 km) 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" . One estimate is that 200-300 travellers are killed yearly along the road. Mountain biker enthusiasts, in particular, have made it a favorite destination for downhill biking.
Death toll: About 200 - 300 per year.
Street luge is an extreme gravity-powered activity that involves riding a streetluge board (sometimes referred to as a sled) down a paved road or course. Street luge is also known as land luge or road luge. Like skateboarding, street luge is often done for sport and for recreation.Other than the prone riding position and greater than 70 miles per hour (115 km/h) speed. Despite a three-decade existence and brief flare of mainstream attention a few years ago, the street luge has been a mostly underground sport that is consistently dangerous. Races on Signal Hill near Long Beach, California were discontinued after too many injuries.
Death toll: Several a year (public roads and non-MCGF events).
7. Running with the bulls - Pamplona, Spain
The festival of San Fermín is a deeply-rooted celebration held annually from 7 July to 14 July in the city of Pamplona (Navarre), in northern Spain. While its most famous event is the encierro, the running of the bulls, the week-long celebration involves many other traditional and folkloric events. The event is dangerous.Since 1924, 15 people have been killed (the most recent, a 22-year-old American in 1995 and a local man from Navarra who died in 2004 several months subsequent to the run after falling into a coma), and over 200 have been seriously injured.
Death toll: 15 since 1924 (the first year of statistics).
Nüerburgring is a race track. Nürburgring is a public toll road. Nürburgring is a testing center for new cars. Nürburgring is a strip of asphalt where you can drive a 13 mile lap in your car at racing speed for a mere 15 Euros. Jackie Stewart called the Nürburgring "The Green Hell."
Germany's Nurburgring opened on June 18th, 1927, as The Nürburg-Ring, a 14 mile twisty devil of a race track. It had 172 corners then, too many for a driver to remember the exact racing line through all of them. Meaning, of course, that the best racing driver could pull off amazing feats of showmanship--if he was brave enough.
Death toll: About 10 a year (depending on source).
For guys who can’t tell or don’t care when their presence is unwanted astride an untamed horse or steer, rodeo is the whiplash-inducing thrill they seek. Sore muscles are the least of their worries here, as riders can be gored, stomped or even plopped upon by the animal. While popular across the U.S. and Canada, Wyoming is considered by many to be capital of the rodeo world. It’s also here you can climb aboard and experience it for yourself in packages offered by several ranches. Animal rights groups believe rodeos are cruel to the animals, but sprains, concussions and broken bones can leave riders feeling less than dandy too.
Death toll: About 1 per year (pro circuit, depending on source).
We can imagine your disbelief on this one. How can it be dangerous to watch wildlife from a truck going 2 mph? While there are plenty of plush safari companies that cater to old ladies and children, there are also sketchy safaris led by locals who will take you out into the wild and make you pray for your safety. The unpredictability of wildlife can have you watching your life flash before your eyes. It seems obvious, but trying to get closer to wildlife often ends in disaster. Even if you do keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times, animals may still charge, seemingly unprovoked. And spending a night in a tent will definitely find you pondering your culinary appeal to the beasts.
Death toll: Varies, depending on source.
Baja 1000 is an off-road race that takes place on Mexico's Baja California Peninsula in the fall. The event includes various types of vehicle classes such as small and large bore motorcycles, stock VW, production vehicles, buggies, trucks, and custom fabricated race vehicles. In the world of off-road racing, the Baja 1000 is universally regarded as the most dangerous and grueling competition of them all. Driving everything from monster trucks to motorcycles to souped-up Volkswagens, racers embark on a treacherous, 1,000-mile course across Mexico's Baja Peninsula. It's a dramatic, adrenaline-fueled story about perseverance in the face of daunting odds.
Death toll: No official statistics kept, but several drivers and spectators have died in the past.
Falling rocks, the threat of an avalanche, extreme cold and gravity have all plotted against you. The odds are not really stacked in your favor, are they? As if mountaineering alone doesn’t present enough risk, add wintry elements, several layers of winter clothing and the instability of ice just for kicks. You could have gone south to the Mediterranean, but instead, you’re west of St. Moritz near the Swiss-Italian border, straddling larger-than-life icicles. You’ll be grateful to tackle sections that are “only” 50 degrees vertical (in the WI2 range); many are 90 degrees (WI4 and up). If you make it through unscathed, you’ll either be hooked or you'll want to relocate to a tropical climate for your next vacation.
Death toll: Varies based on area.
If you have 40 days to cheat death over 5,000 miles across the Atlantic, this could be just the ticket. Don’t think of this as yachting with a barge-sized luxo-liner either. Participants’ craft can only have decks less than 21 feet long and masts under 40 feet high. Apparently, it’s appealing enough for about 120 entrants to fill the 75 available spots. Storms cause participants to become lost at sea: Drifting many miles off course is not unheard of, even for experienced sailors. One estimate suggests nearly 10% of participants are thrown overboard at some point, and sometimes they don’t make it aboard again.
Death toll: 7 since 1977 (first year of the biennial race).
