10 Thrills You Should Have in Your Lifetime
Adventure! We love it; we seek it. And the bigger, the better. If you like a challenge, a thrill or something new, an adventure is just what you need.
Get your adrenaline pumping with these 10 adventures you should have in your lifetime:
1. Skydive Without Tandem
Leap from a plane, and do it all by yourself! Most people opt to tandem their first jump. You can try a tandem in the New River Gorge. But you can also train throughout the day to make your jump solo. There\'s nothing like being able to free fall through the air alone. It\'s as calming as it is thrilling.
2. BASE Jump a Major Landmark
Once you\'ve done some skydiving, you can try something a little more technical. Try leaping from something other than a plane, like a mountain or a building. There are very few spots to legally BASE jump. One of the most popular is the Kjerag mountain in Norway. It\'s even more rare to find a man-made structure you can jump off of. The New River Gorge Bridge on Bridge Day is one of the few legal structural jumps in the World.
3. Raft a Top 10 River
You can burst through the pounding waves, paddling your heart out, but you don\'t\' know adventure until you\'ve taken on the rapids at one of the world\'s Top rafting destinations. Chile, Canada, Australia and Peru all boast raging rivers that put them on the map for whitewater best-of\'s, but the U.S. claims a few winners, too. The Gauley River in the New River Gorge is commonly cited as a Top 10 rafting river, for its fierce "Big 5," the 5 unique Class V rapids that sit on its upper stretch, including a waterfall.
4. Kayak or Ducky in Whitewater
Rafting is a blast, and easy to pick up for even the most water-shy, but it\'s a whole new level of excitement to steer your own boat. With no guide calling out commands or team to pull you through, you get to go head-to-head with the waves, just you and your paddle. Roll through the rapids in a nimble whitewater kayak if you\'re daring enough, or try a more sturdy inflatable ducky for a bit less risk, but all of the extremity. The New River has sections suitable for newbie whitewater boaters as well as challenging runs for the more experienced.
5. Scale a Bridge
The great outdoors has crafted some fabulous outdoor playgrounds, but mankind has structured a few of its own. Bridges, stretching precariously over the water, are a perfect example. There are a few places around the globe where you can scale a famous bridge, including the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia. Bridge Walk in West Virginia gives you a chance to take the catwalk of the New River Gorge Bridge for the best views of the sweeping landscape.
6. Rappel from a Cliffside
Whether you start from the top or scramble your way up a cliffside, dropping back down hundreds of feet is the most adrenaline-pumping part. Lower yourself as quickly as you please and hurtle toward the ground in a controlled tumble. The New River Gorge includes several great rappelling spots, as well as great starter and expert climbing routes.
7. Climb a Mountain
You don\'t have to trek Everest for an exciting climb. There are tons of high mountain peaks to reach across the United States and across the Globe. From quick 5-mile hikes to multi-day journeys, pack up your backpack and hit the trails. In the end, no matter where you\'re climbing, you\'ll be rewarded with an aerial view you\'ve earned.
8. SCUBA Dive an Ocean Reef
Explore the depths of the vast oceans with a swim through its liveliest environments. For the ultimate experience, dive off the coast of Australia and into the Great Barrier Reef. You\'ll need to get a SCUBA certification, and learn the techniques for safe depth diving. If you aren\'t SCUBA-ready, leap on in anyway with a mask and some flippers, and snorkel the reef\'s clear, shallow points for a great view of the vibrant sea life.
9. Snow or Sandboard
Whisk down the wintry slopes or slide down the sandy dunes, keeping your balance and swerving and angling with your body as you pick up speed. You can try the snow sport in the New River Gorge, swerving down our mountain terrain at Winterplace, then take to the sand on Colorado\'s Great Sand Dunes, or abroad.
10. Cliff Diving
Revel in the thrill of the fall, the embracing slam of the water rushing in around you as you slide under, and the relief of that excited breath you take when you swim back to the surface. In the New River Gorge, you can leap off of designated "jump rocks" and cliffs on the New River during a rafting trip. While it\'s not legal other places here, like at Summersville Lake, cliff jumping is a popular activity across the globe. The World High Diving Federation has even created a measurement system to calculate the risks of a certain jump.
How many go these thrills have you had? What are you crossing off your list next?