Adrenaline-junkies have a new set of boxes to tick as a new study found the 10 best adrenaline rushes around the world.
Not for the faint-hearted, the daring top 10 was compiled from a massive public survey involving 2,000 people, with the shortlist drawn up by mentors for new Discovery Channel series Idris Elba: No Limits (yes, that’s Stringer Bell from The Wire), including former British Rally Championship winner Jimmy McRae, US drag racing champion Antron Brown and Finnish World Rally Championship driver Ari Vatanen.
Travelling at 100mph on Europe’s longest zipwire in Wales topped the list, with off-roading in Perthshire, Scotland named the second most appealing adrenaline rush. Full top ten as follows:
1. Ziplining in Wales – travelling at nearly 100mph through a valley
2. Off-roading in Scotland – in a 4×4 in Perthshire
3. China’s Tianmen Shan – on the world’s longest cable car ride measuring 7,455 meters
4. Snowmobiling in Finland – travelling at up to 60kph through Lapland forests
5. Climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge – 3.5 hour climb to 440 feet above water
6 . Flight in a Mig 29 in Russia – travelling to the edge of space
7. Skydiving off the Gold Coast – 14,000 foot dive to the beaches below
8. Rally driving in Knockhill, Scotland – at the home of Scottish rally driving
9. Shark diving in South Africa – swimming with Great Whites
10. Parachuting in Florida – jumping down with a view of the NASA Space Centre
The survey also found that Brits spend over £3.5bn on pursuing adventure at an average of nearly £250 each, and over a quarter of us have travelled overseas in the last twelve months to pursue an adrenaline-based activity.
We enjoy the dangers but there is a penalty to pay – the average Brit is forced to take three days off work every year with an extreme sports injury.
Idris Elba: No Limits continues on Discovery Channel Mondays at 9pm