TRAVEL SPECIAL ...Gear up for adventure

Gear up for adventure

Adrenaline-packed sports can add an edge to your holiday experience

ENJOY LANDSCAPES

We travel for various reasons. Holidays bring a lot of memories and anecdote. But how about each minute being full of adventure, fun and exploration? Love the idea! So do we. This edition is packed with activities to indulge in underwater, on land, mid air and in places beyond. this issue will help you discover a different side of the destination altogether and also inspire you to tick off some of these extreme adventures off your bucket list.

PORTALEDGE OR CLIFF PICNIC

Region: Australia, Austrian-Italian border and USA

A picnic of fresh, local produce may seem like a mundane weekend affair. But what if that picnic takes place at a suspended spot aligned along a steep cliff, meters above the sea or valley floor? Popular as Portaledge or cliff picnic, the ledge, perched mid air, serves as a spot for retreat. To kickstart the adventure, one must abseil down the majestic cliff to reach the camping ledge. The ledge, a protruding outcrop, is comfortable enough to sleep or dine in. Although, acrophobic or not, sitting atop this ledge is sure to make anyone’s toes curl. The perks of the jittery adventure are the breathtaking view. Popular spots where you can try this adventure are the Mount Buffalo gorge, in Victoria, Australia, Yosemite Valley in America, the Dolomites along the Austrian-Italian border, or Queensland in Australia, Mount Beerwah.

GREET THE PREDATOR

SHARK CAGE DIVING

Region: False Bay, Seal Island (South Africa), Isla de Guadalupe (Mexico) and Australia

The popularity of the undersea wildlife is growing phenomenally. Snorkelling may be the most popular way to explore the aquatic life but if you want to up the adventure quotient, shark cage diving is the way to go. Locked up in a submerged steel cage, these giant aquatic predators are lured with chum (dead fish, offal, and blood). Enjoy a close encounter with these aweinspiring yet dangerous creatures in their very own habitat and observe the natural behavioural patterns of these predators.

EXTREME HIKES

ICE CLIMBING

Region: Val Ferrera, Canton Graubuenden and Oeschinensee

(Switzerland)

Ice climbing is very similar to rock climbing or trekking, only more challenging than the latter. The intense sport sees an individual ascend ice formations, such as frozen waterfalls, cliffs and rock slabs glazed in ice, with the help of ice axes and other equipment. While it's stunning to see a waterfall freeze into icicles, climbing up its terrain requires a good amount of fitness and energy. Icicles on your rope (in extreme climbs), shifting ice and a constant fight with the extreme environment, gives it a notch above a mundane climbing expedition. It is hence recommended that one opt for a guided climb as there’s a lot of care and caution one needs to exercise.

FUN WITH ADVENTURE

BOULDERING

Region: Bloody Bridge (Ireland)

Akin to rock climbing, the sport involves making your way through boulders, without the use of ropes or harnesses. Although, sturdy climbing shoes, the use of chalk to keep palms dry, which in turn provide a firmer grip, are some of the measures used to navigate through the tough and slippery boulders. Don’t mistake bouldering on mock indoor rock walls (a fairly easier version) with the activity carried out in a slippery area chiselled from glacial activity. The current of water along with algae up the adventure quotient making the terrain extremely difficult. Besides, helmets are a must as one wrong move may result in hitting a boulder.

Compiled by Shireen Kanchwala
Shireen.Kanchwala@timesgroup.com

ETTR18JAN18