The Thrill of the Climb: 5 Jaw-Dropping Hikes for Adrenaline Junkies
For all you lovers of high places and challenging trails, we’ve pick out a carefully curated selection of the best hikes for adrenaline junkies.
Ready for an adventure? This list is set to thrill every adventurer of the great outdoors. We’ve tried to include something for everyone – beginners to seasoned wanderers. Just sit back and image yourself among the mountains.
Peak after peak, we’ve laid down exciting opportunities to discover those less-travelled paths around the world, from Colorado to Australia. Adventure junkies are always on the hunt for their next new discovery and there’s plenty here to keep you busy.
The World Is Waiting Outside
John Muir famously hated the word ‘hike’. ‘People ought to saunter in the mountains,’ he wrote, ‘Not ‘hike!’’ Maybe that’s something to keep in mind when you’re out there with gritted teeth, fighting the weather. A challenge is no fun without moments to rest and appreciate what you’re doing.
We’re sure you’ll find something here to excite you. Whether you’re used to hiking at high altitude and scrambling up scree-covered slopes. Or, maybe you just like to relax and enjoy the view as the path steadily winds inwards ahead of you – we’ve got you covered too!
Of course, we had to give you a variety of spectacular destinations, offering different kinds of flora and fauna to bump into along the way. Views were important to us too, so you’ll never be starved of things to look at when you’re planting one foot in front of the other.
Hopefully, you and your fellow explorers will be able to find a trail that caters for your unique interests. Active volcanoes and misty canyons will probably suffice to satisfy your wanderlust. Every single one of these jaw-dropping trails is worthy of a place on your bucket list.
Now, let’s pick up our hiking poles and fasten those careworn walking boots, it’s time for another adventure:
5. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
First on our list of the best hikes for adrenaline junkies, we’re headed off about 90 minutes north of Denver. It’s there we’ll enter rugged company in the Rocky Mountain National Park. Beware of decision paralysis as you’re presented with roughly 355 miles of hiking trails, snaking off in all directions. Every step is the start of an adventure.
It’s true the National Park serves up an unforgettable day trip, with 60 sculptured mountain peaks and over 100 lakes. There is year-round fun to be had here at the wind-battered heights of Colorado.
Hikers visit these mountains for all kinds of reasons. Some come for the fall foliage. Others lap up the spring wildflowers, or sun-warmed summer trails.
There’s plenty to discover in this part of the world as well. You can wander to the sapphire waters of Dream Lake and get lost among the ponderosa pines. Or, you can take on the challenge of trying to summit Flattop Mountain at an elevation of over 12,000 feet.
You’ll find no shortage of wildlife here either. Don’t forget to keep an eye out for the local bighorn sheep, elk and mountain lions – not to mention the endangered North American wolverine and Mexican spotted owl.
4. Mount Kilimanjaro (Tanzania)
This is an iconic climb that finds its way onto the bucket lists of hikers around the world. This planet’s tallest free-standing volcano is a sight to behold. Just know that you will need plenty of physical and mental preparation to undertake the difficult climb.
Of course, the highest reaches of Kilimanjaro can be punishing and cold. The altitude at 5896 metres is a serious consideration. However, the journey to ascend to the summit will never be forgotten.
Along the way you’ll rise from a lush rainforest and alpine meadows. There’s so much to see before you reach the high-altitude slog – you can even stop to marvel at the twin summits of Kibo and Mawenzi. Then you can soak it all in after a steep trek to the top in time for sunrise.
Remember that the trails are not steep on Kilimanjaro and most days your biggest obstacle will be the altitude. That being said, the summit night can be extremely tough – this is the coldest and windiest part of your adventure, endured with 49% less oxygen.
3. Grand Canyon Track (Australia)
Australia has no shortage of spectacular trails for anyone who feels at home in a pair of walking boots. You’ll be privy to unique discoveries along the way and invited in various directions to seek out waterfalls, caves and verdant valley forests.
Some would argue that the best trails and most scenic strolls are found in the Blue Mountains National Park. It’s here, among the misty peaks, that you’ll find hikes with different levels of length and difficulty.
For our list, we’ve picked out the Grand Canyon Track for its abundance of waterfalls and sweeping views over forested valleys. It’s a 5.8 kilometre loop, which takes about three hours to finish.
Of course, there are many different options for hiking trails in the Blue Mountains. These fantastic guidebooks provide everything you need for a unique adventure, including QR codes that lead to the individual routes themselves.
2. Udzungwa Mountains National Park (Tanzania)
Second to last in our list of best hikes for adrenaline junkies, we’re taking you off to visit the virgin forests of East Africa. A journey into the Udzungwa Mountains is a sure way to fall in love with hiking forever. The national parks spans 1900 square kilometres, sprawling outwards to accommodate perpetual waves of visitors.
The crucial element here is the biologically diverse forest, which is home to a wonderful array of indigenous primates, from the Iringa red colobus to the Sanje crested mangabey.
Once you’ve had you fill of wildlife, you can also seek out waterfalls (like the popular Sanje waterfall), rivers and vast grasslands, as well as a myriad of other treats for wandering eyes.
The suggested duration of stay at the Udzungwa Mountains National Park is usually no more than three days and two nights.
1. Gunung Bromo (Indonesia)
Finally, we’ve come to another volcanic region on our list at the humid heart of East Java. It’s here in the Indonesian archipelago that you’ll uncover four neighbouring volcanoes, which huddle close to spoil visiting photographers.
These three volcanoes are Mount Bromo, Mount Batok, Mount Penanjakan and Mount Semeru, which is Java’s highest peak and one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes.
Of these four, Mount Bromo stands at 2329 metres and is the centrepiece of the Sea Of Sands, which attracts droves of tourists, hikers and lens-wielding photographers. If you take the pre-dawn trek you can witness the sun sliding upwards over the Tengger Caldera.
This volcanic valley will linger long in your memory after you leave it. Make sure you take plenty of mist-shrouded photos of the domes and sacred temple.
The sunrise trek takes about an hour to climb the 249 stairs up to Viewpoint One on Mount Penanjakan. Bromo at sunrise is definitely worth every step, so don’t be put off by the ascent. The gateway to your hike is Probolinggo and your starting point is usually in Cemoro Lawang village.
Alternatively, if you’re joined by a guide, you can climb Mount Batok and Mount Semeru. This is a more challenging option from our best hikes for adrenaline junkies, but a chance to escape the crowds if you’re willing to get the required permit.
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