Posted by Nikoletta Ventseslavova

Guest post by Jess Spate

Read if: You’ve always wanted to try an extreme outdoor sport but never felt confident enough to do it.

Gain: A fitness boost and a whole lot of fun!

The cost: All of the sports listed here can be tried with an instructor. You don’t need to buy expensive equipment to get started.

There are extreme sports that are downright dangerous even to the experts, but there are also extreme sports that anyone can try quite safely. You don’t need to be super fit and you don’t need to risk your neck to get a taste of outdoor adrenaline.

Some outdoor sports that look pretty safe but actually aren’t. Sea fishing is one of the most dangerous sports in the world, for example. At the same time there are outdoor sports that don’t look of feel safe but really present very little danger, at least at a beginner level. Here are a few of the best and safest extreme activities you can get involved in:

Rock climbing Climbing always involves a degree of risk, but for beginners under the supervision of a good instructor that risk is pretty tiny. There will always be a rope above you, ready to catch you if you slip or can’t hang on. And while that 10mm climbing rope might not look very hefty it’s a sophisticated piece of technology and could hold a small car aloft with no problems. Your rope will also be a little stretchy so falls are well cushioned by the bounce. An introductory climbing session will feel scary, there is no doubt about that. It takes a while for any beginner to start trusting the rope and the person controlling it at the other end but it will happen eventually. Remember, there is no shame in being a little frightened. Everyone else feels exactly the same way. Even the most experienced climbers sometimes have to take a deep breath and confront their fears. While outdoor climbing is unquestionably more thrilling, the indoor variety is gaining in popularity fast. Almost every major city now has at least one indoor climbing centre and some have half a dozen or more. Here are just a handful of examples:

-Edinburgh International Climbing Arena. Known to climbers as the Ratho, this is the UK’s biggest indoor climbing center. Some of the walls are more than 25m high!

-Vertical World were the first people to start commercial indoor climbing gyms in the USA. They have centers in Seattle, Redmond, Everett, Tacoma, and Bremerton.

-The Climbing Academy, Bristol, UK. TCA is a bouldering center- no ropes, just low routes and padded mats to fall off on. It’s great fun and you won’t have to learn any complicated rope skills.

-ClimbFit Sydney, Australia. ClimbFit has an excellent reputation for producing strong climbers, but they also run classes for beginners and cater for kid’s birthday parties.

There are very few indoor climbing centers that don’t welcome beginners with open arms, providing courses and instruction right from day one. Kids as young as five can get involved. Once you’re comfortable and have the skills to climb independently the risks do rise. You’ll try harder and more dangerous things, but by that time you’ll be well prepared to meet the challenge and make the right decisions.

Kayaking. It’s not all about furious white water. In fact, some dedicated kayakers and canoeists go their whole lives without setting a paddle in a fast-moving stream. You can also try flat water kayak touring on lakes and slow, gentle rivers. These days you can even start off in a swimming pool. Many paddling clubs offer pool-based skills sessions where beginners can learn the basics and more advanced folks can polish their spins, rolls, and tricks. One common fear amongst first time kayakers is getting stuck in the boat if it capsizes. A practice session at the pool can help here, or you can choose a boat with an open cockpit. Canadian canoes are good but sit-on-top kayaks are even better. They are close to unsinkable, difficult to capsize, and it’s almost impossible to get stuck on one. Double and even family models are available. When you first start out,  join a local club or take expert advice on the best and gentlest places to go. Choose a river or a lake over the sea (where there are always waves, currents, tides, swimmers and surfers to worry about) and make sure everyone in the party can swim. Each person should also be properly kitted out with a buoyancy aid as the minimum. You might also want to consider helmets, especially on moving water or for kids.

In the UK, look for an instructor certified by the British Canoe Union or BCU. The US equivalent is the American Canoe Association, and other countries have their own governing bodies. Your guide (in any extreme sport) should also have a current first aid certificate.One way to make flat water a little more extreme is to go kayak or canoe camping. With your tents, food, and sleeping bags in waterproof sacks, you can tour from campsite to campsite under your own steam and at your own pace. Never let it be said that the white-water kayakers have all the fun!

Caving. Caves can be scary places. They’re dark, unknown, and can be cramped and full of bats or creepy-crawlies. On the other hand, they can also be decorated with exquisite crystals in every shape you can imagine and there is a real thrill that comes with exploring a place that few people have seen before. You might chance upon a perfectly clear blue pool or see an underground waterfall. A cave is a strange and unknown landscape and caving can be an almost magical experience. Almost every country has its own unique caves, but here are some of the very best and most spectacular caving spots:

-Carlsbad Caverns, USA

-Gunung Mulu National Park, Malaysia

-The Dachstein, Austria

-Cheddar Gorge, UK

-Waitomo Caves, New Zealand

Most of the popular cave resorts offer three kinds of tours. First there are larger, safer caves where visitors can wander at will. Lighting is usually automated and the paths well kept, with rails and stairs. Then there are guided walking tours around the more fragile caves, and last but not least, adventure tours packed full of all the mud, scrambling, squeezes and slides anyone could possibly want. Old clothes are definitely recommended even where cover-alls are provided. Lamps and helmets will be provided as well. Visitors to tourist caving centers are free to decide what level of experience they want, from a gentle stroll to a full expedition. There are even a few caves that have been carefully rendered wheelchair accessible- the one at Australia’s Yarrangobilly Caves Resort is a fantastic example. Nobody needs to miss out on an underground adventure.

About the author: Jess Spate is a qualified climbing instructor and a keen caver and kayaker. She edits Outdoor Equipment Online and writes for Appalachian Outdoors, a US-based camping gear retailer.

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