The world's greatest adventure challenges – 5 hottest adventures on earth

Can’t get enough of the hot weather? If you want to turn up the heat on your adventure calendar all year round, our pick of the world’s hottest challenges gives you plenty of choice. From scorching sand dunes and barren deserts to high-speed volcano adventures, these will test your endurance in more ways than one.

Whether you're sitting down to map out your next challenge or just curious about what the human body can achieve with the right prep, here are 5 of the world's hottest adventures to consider.

Missed last month? Check out our top 5 highest and tallest adventures here.

Our pick of the world's hottest adventures

1. Marathon des Sables – Morocco

2. Death Valley Crossing – USA

3. The Namib Desert Trek – Namibia

4. Volcano Boarding on Cerro Negro – Nicaragua

5. Dasht-e Lut Expedition – Iran

Marathon des Sables – Morocco

What is it? A famous 250km ultra-marathon across the Sahara Desert, often called "the toughest footrace on earth”.

Where? Sahara Desert, Southern Morocco.

What it involves: doing the equivalent of six marathons over six days, all whilst carrying everything you need (except water) in temperatures that regularly go over 50°C.

Highlights: the beauty of endless sand dunes, the camaraderie with other competitors, and the feeling of crossing the finish line of a race very few people start let alone finish.

Risks: heat exhaustion, dehydration, blisters and foot injuries, disorientating sandstorms.

Who should do it? Experienced ultra-runners looking for the ultimate challenge. This isn't for newbies, you'll need a lot of endurance race experience before attempting MdS.

How to train: you’ll need at least six months of specific MdS training. Build base fitness with long runs wearing a weighted pack. Include heat acclimatisation (sauna training can help), and practice running and eating in hot conditions.

Death Valley Crossing – USA

What is it? A self-supported trek across North America's hottest location and lowest point, near the California/Nevada border.

Where? Death Valley National Park, California, USA.

What it involves: a multi-day trek across 130+ miles of extreme desert terrain where summer temperatures regularly hit 49°C and ground temperatures can be over 80°C!

Highlights: surreal landscapes including the epic salt flats of Badwater Basin, and a once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience eerie silence in one of the world's most hostile environments.

Risks: heat exposure (potentially fatal), extreme dehydration, disorientation – knowing that there are limited rescue options.

Who should do it? Experienced desert trekkers who know they can manage extreme heat. Crossing Death Valley demands meticulous planning and excellent desert navigation skills.

How to train: long-distance hiking with a full pack, heat adaptation training including water rationing and electrolyte management, and night hiking (to train for moving during cooler hours).

The Namib Desert Trek – Namibia

What is it? A 120km trek across the world's oldest desert featuring the planet's tallest sand dunes.

Where? The Namib Desert, Namibia.

What it involves: 5-7 days trekking through landscape of huge red dunes, gravel plains, and unfamiliar wildlife habitats where temperatures range from 35-45°C.

Highlights: climbing the "Big Daddy" dune (over 300m tall), seeing desert wildlife, and the haunting sight of Dead Vlei with its 900-year-old petrified trees.

Risks: heat exhaustion, dehydration, and navigational challenges (there aren’t many landmarks).

Who should do it? Fit hikers or ruckers who are comfortable with multi-day treks. Previous desert experience is good to have but not essential – you can do the Namib Desert Trek with a guide.

How to train: regular long-distance hiking and heat acclimatisation with a loaded rucksack, focusing on leg strength for sand dune climbs.

Volcano Boarding on Cerro Negro – Nicaragua

What is it? The world's only volcano boarding experience, and surely the riskiest – you’ll be sliding down an active volcano at speeds of up to 95km/h.

Where? Cerro Negro volcano near León, Nicaragua.

What it involves: A 45-minute hike to the summit of the volcano (726m) carrying your board, followed by a heart-thumping descent back down. Ground temperatures on the black ash slope can reach 60°C.

Highlights: the adrenaline rush of boarding down an active volcano, panoramic views of the surrounding volcanic chain, and bragging rights for life.

Risks: burns hot volcanic ash, cuts and bruises from wipeouts, respiratory irritation from volcanic dust.

Who should do it? Adventure seekers with decent fitness and balls of steel. No previous boarding experience is necessary (although it definitely helps), but an appetite for risk is essential.

How to train: regular hill walking with a pack for the hike up, and core strength for balance during the slide back down.

Dasht-e Lut Expedition – Iran

What is it? An expedition across the hottest place on Earth with surface temperatures reaching 70°C.

Where? The Dasht-e Lut, Eastern Iran.

What it involves: a challenging journey through an extreme landscape of sand dunes, salt plains, and wind-eroded rock formations called kaluts.

Highlights: exploring a UNESCO-listed desert wilderness and seeing the night sky in perfect darkness.

Risks: extreme heat exposure and virtually no natural water sources in an environment so remote that emergency evacuation is difficult.

Who should do it? Experienced desert explorers only, with the hot-weather expedition experience and physical conditioning needed for this harsh environment.

How to train: long-distance desert trekking, heat acclimatisation, and strengthening exercises for core and legs. You should also do mental prep for the isolation.

Should you try the world's hottest adventures?

Being a sun worshipper is one thing. These adventures are on another level completely. If you can’t shake the idea of testing your physical and mental limits in the world’s hottest adventures, these five are the way to do it. But they all demand serious respect and prep. We’re talking about environments that are hostile to human life. Let this be your starting point, but please seek out specialist support, coaching, and consider a guided expedition at first.

What's your scorching adventure of choice? Stay tuned for the next blog in our extreme adventure series. And if you’ve got any requests, send them in.