13 August,2015 08:20 AM IST | | Fiona Fernandez
Thrill seekers across the world push their limits when it comes to adventure sport. As Dubai readies to build the world’s longest ski slope, here are a few daring thresholds that humans have created to get their adrenaline rush
Indoor Ice Climbing Wall, Scotland
Wow factor: The frosty façade is so massive the designers had to pour a 15-metre thick concrete slab that manages to stack up 500 tons of man-made snow along these routes. Comprising of 25 lines, these are hand-picked and created such that it can simulate outdoor conditions.
Indoor Ski Slope, Dubai
Wow factor: Last week, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, announced that Dubai will be home to the world's longest indoor ski slope, at 1.2 kms. It already boasts of Ski Dubai, the first indoor ski facility in the Middle East.
Indoor Surfing, Wales
Wow factor: Surf Snowdonia offers a 2-metre tall barrel of water for advanced surfers that continues for 150 metres and runs for 16 seconds. Created from a 300-metre-long freshpool, it offers breaks for beginners, average and advanced surfers.
Man-Made Caves, Gibraltar
Wow factor: Under the Rock of Gibraltar, you can spot many of the world's large man-made caves, culled out by Canadian engineers and troops during the Second World War.
Edgewalk, Toronto
Wow factor: The tallest freestanding structure in the Western Hemisphere in Toronto is on the roof of the CN Tower. Called the âEdgeWalk', the experience allows thrill-seekers to dangle over the edge of a five-foot ledge encircling the tower's roof, 1,168 feet above the ground!
Indoor Skydiving, Nashua, USA
Wow factor: SkyVenture does not offer any parachute or airplane. Instead, you can get your adrenaline fix indoors, inside a vertical wind tunnel at this New Hampshire indoor skydiving facility. Its massive turbines blast an updraft of air at more than 150 miles per hour!
Bungee Jump, Macau
Wow factor: Macau Tower is from where you can jump off to pull off the world's tallest bungee jump, reaching 764 feet (233 meters)
Urban Whitewater
Rafting, Columbus, USA
Wow factor: The 2.5-mile course runs through the middle of Columbus, Ohio. The route includes five Class III rapids and a Class IV+ by the end of the cycle. Though the Chattahoochee River was always there, it secured the world-class whitewater run that pumps a huge 13,000 cubic feet per second at its peak to recreate the real deal.
Illustrations: Uday Mohite
