Here at Longsands a fair few of us are adrenaline junkies – always looking for a new sport or activity to get the blood pumping and our hearts racing.
What if we used a whole holiday to do that? Here are some of the most dangerous places in the world.
Mount Everest: Goes without saying really; this absolute beast in the Himalayas has beaten almost everyone who has attempted to climb it. There are two main climbing routes and although you may be able to climb to camp you have to deal with altitude sickness and of course, it’s pretty cold up there…
Danakil Depression: Now we’ll forgive you if you haven’t heard of this place before – it’s a little out there. The Danakil Depression is the northern section of the Afar Triangle (Afar Depression). It is the hottest place on Earth in terms of yearly average temperatures, but seeing as it is home to two volcanoes, we’re not surprised! It’s one of the lowest places on the planet but it has the stunning (although smelly) Dallol sulphur springs.
Antarctica: Quite the opposite to Danakil is Antarctica. Famous for being almost too white to function, it is in fact considered a desert. Although you can visit it’s advised you don’t. Not only it’s climate life-threatening, but it’s believed that the more human visitors there are the more Antarctica’s ecosystem will suffer. That being said, it is beautiful and there is a small-scale tourism expedition you can take part in where you can view the wildlife and scenic locations.
We saved the scariest for last…
Ilha de Queimada Grande: For anyone who doesn’t speak Portuguese, this place is called Snake Island. And no, it’s not a metaphor; this place is crawling (or slithering) with them. It’s home to one of the most venomous snakes in the world, the Golden Lancehead Viper, who are in danger of extinction – so we leave this snakes well alone (don’t need telling twice!). For a while the island’s only inhabitant was a lighthouse keeper, but now no one lives here. Except a lot of snakes.
Don’t let their beauty fool you!