The World’s Greatest Adventure Challenges – 5 Fastest Adventures On Earth
Do you feel the need for speed? If you love the thrill of acceleration, then you’ll enjoy this blog from our series about extreme adventures. We’re talking snow, sky, ice, gravel…and dogs.
Looking for a bucket list challenge that’s all about insane speed? Here’s our top 5 of the world’s fastest adventures worth training for (or at least dreaming about).
Missed our previous blogs? Check out the world’s hottest, highest, wettest, and darkest adventures.
Our pick of the world’s fastest adventures
-
The Skeleton Run – St. Moritz, Switzerland
-
Speed Skiing at Vars – France
-
Sled Dog Racing – Yukon, Canada
-
Skydiving Over Interlaken – Switzerland
-
Downhill Mountain Biking – Bolivia's Death Road
The Skeleton Run – St. Moritz, Switzerland
What is it? The original and most iconic skeleton sled track where you’ll fly headfirst down a frozen chute at speeds that could top 130km/h.
Where? Cresta Run, St. Moritz, Switzerland.
What it involves: lying face-down on a small sled, you’ll fly down an icy track with nothing but a helmet and elbow pads for protection. It takes less than 60 seconds, but it's a minute you’ll never forget.
Highlights: intense burst of adrenaline, G-force, wind burn, and bragging rights.
Risks: possible high-speed crashes, bone-rattling impacts, and ice burn.
Who should do it? Speed junkies with good reflexes, strong neck and core strength, and high risk tolerance.
How to train: work on explosive leg strength, sprinting, isometric holds, core and neck stability. You should also train your mental focus and reaction times.
Speed Skiing at Vars – France
What is it? Downhill velocity in the fastest non-motorised sport on earth. Skiers can reach speeds of over 250km/h.
Where? Chabrières Slope, Vars, French Alps.
What it involves: a near-vertical straight line descent on skis, wearing aerodynamic helmet and body suit.
Highlights: insane speeds and a laser focus on the finish in the surreal silence of mountain air.
Risks: high speed crashes that can be serious (this is an elite sport). Vars offers easier speed zones for amateur racers who want to get a feel for it.
Who should do it? Experienced skiers who want to push boundaries. Even the public speed zones offer a serious adrenaline rush.
How to train: leg strength, balance training, high-speed descent practice, and mental conditioning to stay calm and focused.
Sled Dog Racing – Yukon, Canada
What is it? Dog-powered racing through snow-covered wilderness.
Where? Yukon Quest Trail, on the Canada/Alaska border.
What it involves: managing and racing a team of huskies over hundreds of kilometres of icy, rugged terrain. The dogs can reach speeds of 32km/h and the acceleration is crazy.
Highlights: bonding with the dogs, learning to handle turns and slopes, and see frozen landscapes from a sled.
Risks: frostbite, exhaustion, getting thrown from the sled, or losing control on ice.
Who should do it? Animal lovers with grit. Some races offer novice-friendly distances and training camps.
How to train: cold-weather endurance, upper body strength, balance, and working with animals under pressure.
Skydiving Over Interlaken – Switzerland
What is it? A freefall skydive from 4,000 metres, reaching terminal velocity (about 200km/h) before deploying your parachute over the Alps.
Where? Interlaken, Switzerland.
What it involves: a tandem jump from a plane (you can do a solo jump if you’re qualified) over breathtaking mountain scenery.
Highlights: the views - Eiger, Mönch, Jungfrau, glaciers and lakes. So don’t shut your eyes!
Risks: parachute failure (rare), landing injuries.
Who should do it? Anyone looking for a high-speed bucket list adventure. You don’t need experience for tandem jumps.
How to train: strength training, flexibility, and learning to manage your nerves.
Downhill Mountain Biking – Bolivia's Death Road
What is it? One of the world’s most infamous bike rides, descending 3,500 metres along narrow, cliff-edges in a single ride.
Where? Yungas Road, Bolivia
What it involves: a 64km descent from the Andes into the Amazon basin. Speeds can reach up to 70km/h on loose gravel with 600m drops beside you.
Highlights: hairpin turns, jungle fog, crashing waterfalls.
Risks: falls and mistakes under fatigue, as well as natural risks like landslides. Before it was closed to cars, 100s of people died. It’s now bike-only, but not for casual riders.
Who should do it? Confident downhill mountain bikers with good brake control and steering reflexes.
How to train: Trail riding, downhill skills, brake control, and serious leg strength. Also worth doing a local MTB safety course.
Should you try the world's fastest adventures?
The high-velocity challenges on this list demand respect and serious prep. Lots of them are for your vision boards rather than your bucket list, but if one really catches your eye, why not look for entry-level challenges or training camps that give you a taster?
Stay tuned for more in our “world’s greatest adventure challenges” series, and if there’s a category you want to see next, let us know.
