These are the 15 Scariest Hikes In The World

Introduction

Hiking, its a wonderful way to explore the beauty of nature but some trails requires a brave heart, steady feet and nerves of steel. From steep cliffs to narrow paths. These treacherous hikes present challenges that requires a high level of skill and experiences to conquer.

These are the 15 Scariest Hikes In The World that you must do in this Lifetime

01)  Everest South Base Camp (Nepal) :

This is the biggest of them. All counting the full ascent of Everest as a hiking trail kinda feels like cheating but that’s no problem because the trail that leads to base camp is tricky enough not everyone realize that there are 2 base camps for Mount Everest with most people opting for one in the South That’s because the Base Camp in the North Requires all sort of permits from the Chinese Government and access has been suspended for  tourists since 2019.

The trail in the Southern camp is difficult enough and for a variety of reasons. Sure the cold weather and the high altitude. The base camp’s over 5000 mtr above sea level.

They all play a part but that’s not all the only way  to bring in large goods is by plane and this track requires a couple of stops for acclimatization, on top of that a couple of earthquakes hit the camp in 2015, killing dozens of people and damaging the trails. It was recently announced that it will be moving to a lower altitude because the glacier located on it melting.

02)  Angel Landing (US) :

Angel landing might sound heavenly but biblical is better description based in Zion National Park in Utah. Its one of the more popular US route to fans of hiking which is why you’ll need to get the permit if you want to walk it. You can’t just show up on the day and start walking.

The Good news is that the permit plan was put into place to make sure the route didn’t get too crowded and while you are still going to bump into plenty of other people along the way. You’ll still be able to enjoy the views and feel at one with nature its believed that around 1,50,000 people make it to the summit each year and that’s no main feat given how hard it gets on the approach.

There is a small ridge that connects the scout lookout to the summit and while there is a handrail of sorts. There is also a huge drop on the either side of the trail and its narrow enough that you are going to want to take it single file.

The good news is that there aren’t a huge number of accidents at the site and when they do happen its usually because of a lack of common sense statistically someone dies at angel’s landing. Every couple of year or so you can make sure that you don’t become a statistic by taking plenty of water. So you don’t get overwhelmed by the heart.

03)  The Drakensberg Grand Traverse (South Africa) :

If the name of this trail sounds Reminiscent of Macchu Picchu there is a good Reason for that. Its literally the ancient Incan trail that leads up to the site. Which potentially makes it the oldest trail on this entire list. You are walking through the history here.

Now, the fact that its so old also means that its not necessarily in the best condition, which is why a couple of people died on this pass each and every year. Its actually so deadly that a part of the road which leads past Macchu Picchu and up wina Picchu has been nicknamed the hike of death.

If you fancy taking the hike of death, make sure that you are in decent shape because you are going to be climbing ancient granite staircase that will take you up more that a 1000ft over the course of a mile or so. And if you take a stumble, you are in a lot of trouble.

This going is made tougher by the fact that much of the path is exposed to the elements, including the wind and rain. while some of the rock has started to crumble away. There are places where the only  thing stopping people from falling is an old guide cable for them to hold on to. Tourist often decide to take the route when its really better suited to seasoned hikers.

04)  Maroon Bell South Ridge (US) :

Maroon Bells can be found in Colorado and its the last American trail that we are going to be taking a look. Its another great example of a trail that can be deceptive because it looks a lot simpler on paper that it does when you are on the ground one of the challenges of walking this trail is that you ideally need a guide who is used to the trail and who can keep you safe as you progress along it.

If you decide to go without a guide, maps and GPS devices are a must. And studying the layout of the ridge before you leave. This is a twisty, tuny and curvy mountain path that often crumbled and can send hikers trembling down or even leaving them crushed beneath stone.

You’ll need to to keep your wits about you. If you plan to walk the length of this ridge. The good news is that the ridge itself doesn’t take any longer than an hour or two to traverse which may by why its such a   popular destination. In fact its so popular that during the summer there is  a dedicated bus service to take people to end from the site.

05)   Striding Edge (UK) :

Striding Edge is mountain in the lake district of England in the UK. Now you might think that the UK is way to small to offer anything deadly enough to compete with the others on its list but you would be wrong.Striding edge is known for being the highest point of the Helen Range, a line of mountain that are boarder by a couple of large lakes.

They might not be as tall as Everest, but they have got plenty of natural beauty on offers. including a stunning views of the British countryside.

Along this route, you’ll see a couple of coes that are by products  of ancient Glacier, as well as two ridge one of which is what gives striding edge its name.

Its also got a bit of history with iconic poets William Wardsworth and Samuel Taylor Gridge once walking this route. Just be careful not to become a statistic and add to the name of the dead because plenty of people have met their makers here.

If you are tracking it in winter you’ll want to take ice pick and crampons and don’t be one of those crazy people who take their dogs for a walk and then end up having to call a mountain rescue.

06)  The Maze (Utah) :

The maze is based in Utah Canyon lands and its officially described as very challenging by the National Park service. As you might expect its easy to get lost as you are walking the Maze, but there is also plenty of scope for accidents. There are huge drops besides the various sections of the trails and you should also be aware of the risk of falling rock.

Its one of those trails that’s so dangerous that you can do everything right and still run into trouble. And if you need help, remember that the Maze is considered to be most remote part of the whole of the Canyon Lands, requiring off roads driving just to get to the start of the trail.

That means id you need  emergency assistance you are going to have to wait a while for those reinforcement to arrive. In fact, the Maze is so dangerous that if you plan to visit you’ll be expected to share your itinerary with park’s ranger and to keep in touch with them along the route so that they’ll know if you have run into trouble. Its lucky that the stunning views offer make the whole thing worth it.

07)  Hua Shan (China) :

Hua Shan is one of the China’s great mountain and while there are number of different trails that you can take. You can focus on the most notorious of the lot that is the trail leading up to wash on South Peak. A route so dangerous that it can often be founded at the top of list like this.

One of the most dangerous trail and there is a good reason for that. In fact, you can barely call this route a trail because as well as hiking the full length of the route.

You have also going to have to tackle a series of steps and ladders that can send even the most seasoned hikers trembling to the ground that’s a particularly dangerous things when you are near the summit which rises over 7000 feet in the air and which is accessed via a plank wall that requires hiker to harness themselves to a chain and climb along a bunch of wooden planks that have been hammered into the rock phase.

The result is a hiking trail that’s one  of the most challenging out there even when you reach the top you still have to get packed down again. This is a trail where you need to be fully prepared before you even think about taking it. On and you are also going to need decent gear on a couple of phones on different networks just in case.

08)   Drakensberg Grand Traverse (South Africa and  Lesotho) :

Like the trek to the Evrest base camp. The Drakensberg Grand Traverse route is going to take you a few days and it will push your hiking and survival skills to the limit. Its known for its unreliable weather which often catches people out and wrecks their supplies and that is an important reminder that you’ll want to pack carefully and anticipate future challenges.

If you want to reach the end of it. The trail itself stretches for 230 km which is nearly 150 miles and depending on your walking speed can take a couple of weeks to reach the end and also starts out hard and only gets harder with a rough climb up a bunch of ladders and a couple of different borders crossing.

Its not unheard of for people to try to tackle the Drakensberg Grand Traverse alone but we would recommend going with a small group. If you want to maximize your chances of success and avoid being rescued by the emergency services pack maps and GPS devices because its also a tricky route to follow.

09)   The Little Kings Path (Spain) :

Spain’s Little kings path is probably one of the most well known hiking trails in mainland Europe and if you are seasoned hiker you have probably already come across it still no list like this would be complex without a mentor known in its narrative Spanish as EI Caminiti Del Rey.

You can find the Little King’s path in EI Choro Gorge in Malaga. The trail itself is only 3 km or a couple of miles long but don’t let that fool you. Its still pretty dangerous mostly because there is a hundred meter drop to the side of the path.

It was also over a hundred years ago using mostly wood and concrete which means that is missing a lot of the more modern convenience that you’ll see elsewhere.

A lot of the path is also in dire need of repair a situation that led to a closure nearly 15 years after 5 people died in 2001. If you want to walk the Little King’s path you are gonna need to buy a ticket but then you’ll be able to wander alone and at your own pace and explore to your hearts’ content.

You also have the option of looking a guided tour which can be ideal if you have a little less experience or you are not fully confident in your own abilities.

10)  Mount Ijen ( Indonesia) :

This trail is interesting because while its not the most technically difficult trail out there, its easily one of the more dangerous ones. Part of that danger comes from the fact that because its relatively easily for people to traverse, it tends to attract the overconfident. Mount Ijen is a volcano, which can be off putting enough for the faint hearted.

But the real threat here is the stunning lake that lies in the crater at the top of it. Its stunning blue water and the unrivaled location means that is super tempting to dive on in and go for a swim.

Whatever you do, don’t do that. The pool might look appealing, but its actually the largest acid lake in the world formed from Sulfur by the nearby volcano.

If you won’t get up close and personal with lake, you are going to need to wear a gas mask to avoid being overcome by it. Its not quite clear how many people have lost their lives at mount Ijen, but as long as you prepared correctly and hire a guide to take you there, you should be safe enough.

Unfortunately the real death toll likely comes from the miner who harvest sulfur from mount Ijen for around 13 bucks a day. These guys aren’t gives sufficient protection and they are quite literally working themselves to death.

11)   The Mist Trail (United States) :

There is a few reasons why this trail is so iconic. The most obvious  us that its in Yoseite, a name that’s known throughout the world. Its popularity also means that its a busy trail that’s also difficult to traverse. Two factors that can make it a  deadly combination when you put them together.

If you want to hide along the Mist Trail, they may want to make sure that you are in decent shape and that the weather condition are just right.

When its wet, the trail becomes even deadlier which is one of the reason why the National Park service regularly closes parts or even the whole trail during the off season.

All of this combines to make the Mist trail a formidable hike that you are going to want to avoid unless you have a seasoned veteran of hiking trails. The good news is that there are many other trails in the US and most of them are a good deal less dangerous. Its not as tough you are going to struggle for choice.

12)  Bright Angel Trail (United States ) :

The word you’ll want to pay attention to is bright because this walking trail experiences temperature up to 110 degree. In other words don’t forget to take water and sunscreen. And there is a good reason why the temperature are so high. Bright Angel Trail is in the middle of the grand canyon National Park in Arizona.

And so its not as though you are walking through Alaska here. As if the temperature wasn’t enough to contend with this trail is also crazy steep with hikes having to climb over 4000 ft throughout its 9 1/2m of pathways.

The good news is the path of the Bright Angel trail are well maintained by the park. And you can help boost your chances by starting out before dawn and resting during the height of day, and be warned that if you don’t take it easy, you can die.

That’s why the park has a  preventative search and rescue teams. And even then, its not uncommon for people to pass here.

13)  Devil’s Path (United States) :

The Devil’s path is another one of those trails where we can learn a lot about it just from the name. If you are brave enough to try to walk it, then you’ll agree the name suits it.

The good news is that for those brave soul who are willing take on the devil. There is plenty of stunning nature for you to sock in from beautiful waterfalls, to big black bears. Just be warmed that you’ll also have to do more than your fair share of climbing with the 25M trail, climbing and descending, 14,000 ft along the way.

That’s about half the height of mount everest. On the plus side, Devil’s path is one of the more accessible trails on our list. Being based in New York state, about 2 and a half hours away from manhattan.

Its something of a right of passage for walkers from the big apple, but be warned that you shouldn’t tackle it until you have 100% sure that you are ready.

It normally takes people a couple of days to complete the Devil’s Path although its possible for more experienced hikers to take it off in one take care not to rush though because the path is often slippery and if you fall at the top of one of the slopers there is no telling how long it will take  before you stop falling.

14)   Muir Snowfield Trail (United States) :

Based in Washington’s state’s mount Reineer national park, the Muir snowfield more than deserve its name with the trail often hit with both snow and high speed thunderstorm from the pacific.

The good news for day tripper is that you can cover the ground along this trail in just a few hours with the  route stretching for  a little less than 10 miles.

There is a plenty of stunning natural Vistas to offer, including the lakes and forests that Washington is known for. You can also expect to see some stunning plants and wildlife too.

Note that this is another one of those trails that doesn’t include clear direction or sign posting, so you’ll want to make sure that you use your maps and have a GPS with you.

You also want to make sure that you are prepared for steep climbs, especially if you want to take on the 2800ft. Muir snowfield climb. The climb itself is what makes this place so deadly with almost a hundreds climbers falling or freezing to death as they tried to climb it.  

15)   Rover’s Run (United States) :

Rover’s run is an interesting route because the danger comes from the wildlife and not from the toot itself. That’s because it has a thriving brown bear population and brown bears known for being one of  the more aggressive breeds especially when they are protecting their young.

There are plenty of sign posted along the route to remind you of this danger, but the problem with bears is that they don’t stay still and they don’t read. That means even if there is a report of an area being free bears that doesn’t mean that it will still be the case when you get there.

On top of that, the bears aren’t the only threat here. Rover’s run is an anchorage, Alaska and so  you’ll  need to cope with the weather and the relative lack of infrastructure. Its a long way from being a walk in the park.

The one thing that Rover’s run has for it, though is the fact that its a one way trail that only spans a couple of miles which means that you can head from start to finish in the space of about an hour or two. There is even been a lot of discussion in recent years whether the trail is simply too dangerous and should be shut down.