2009/07/10 00:00:00
By Don Vaughan
Shannon Huffman Polson, a former Army aviation officer, loves a good adventure, so she jumped at the opportunity to go rafting down the Hulahula River in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. But two days into the trip, after setting ashore to make camp, she and her companions watched in horror as their boat came perilously close to drifting away and leaving them stranded in one of the most remote areas of North America.
“The glacial rivers in the Arctic rush much higher in the afternoon,” explains Huffman Polson, of Seattle. “The raft was moments away from being washed away. We jumped into dry suits as we ran for the boat, plunged into the now substantial current, and struggled to get it to shore.”
Failure could have been catastrophic. “The remoteness of the Arctic makes any mistake extremely costly,” Huffman Polson says. “It was a sobering reminder of the importance of total attention — no matter how good your preparation.”
Welcome to the thrilling world of extreme vacations, where anything can happen — and does.
Adventures such as wild-river rafting have become increasingly popular as more and more people eschew the traditional trip to Disney World or the beach in favor of something far more action-packed.
“Most people think extreme sports are all about cheating death, which isn’t really true — they are more about living life,” says Shane Reynolds, an extreme sports enthusiast who has turned his passion for adventure into a regular gig with the Travel Channel.
“While most people are naturally fueled by either the water, the wind, or gravity alone. It’s our own creativity that utilizes these things in a way that makes us feel alive. And with so many different types of waves, mountains, and weather patterns around the world, it’s only natural that we continue the endless journey to experience them all.”
Indeed, extreme vacations involve a wide range of activities, from shark diving off the coast of Mexico to kite boarding in Aruba to heliskiing in Canada. Whatever gets your heart racing, there’s a company that can make it happen. Wyoming-based EpicQuest, for example, offers one-of-a-kind sports itineraries in such far-flung destinations as the Tordrillo Mountains of Alaska; Verbier, Switzerland; and Kenya, among others. Adding to the thrill, many excursions are led by world-class athletes, including Olympic skier Tommy Moe and big mountain snowboarder Jeremy Jones.
Everyone has his or her own unique reasons for going on an extreme vacation, observes Reynolds. “Some people want to face their fears, while others just want to feel alive,” he says. “One person may be looking for a simple adrenaline rush, while another may just want a new challenge. All of those reasons explain why I do what I do.”
Many people find extreme vacations addictive. Huffman Polson, for example, has gone skydiving in Scotland; scuba diving in Zanzibar, Tanzania, and Australia; climbed the mountains Denali, Kilimanjaro, and Rainier; and gone on safari in Tanzania. Her favorite excursion, she says, is whichever one she did most recently.
“Extreme adventures allow me to get in touch with deeper aspects of myself, to experience parts of the world which have not been corrupted by our attempts to tame those things which are most beautiful,” says Huffman Polson. “In many ways, I think that living on the edge lets me be closer to God. It’s one thing to see a sunrise and another to see the sun rise over the glaciers of Kilimanjaro with the African plains spread out below.”
Patric Douglas, CEO of San Francisco-based Shark Diver, which brings thrill seekers face-to-face with schools of Great White sharks off the coast of Mexico, thinks people enjoy extreme vacations because “they get a sense of where we are on the planet as humans.”
“These encounters really shake many of our divers to their core,” Douglas continues. “Here is an animal that will eat you — period. You are not the top of the food chain anymore, and it’s that encounter that starts to reset the mindset for many of our divers.”
Cpl. Xavier Malfitano, USMC, celebrated his 25th birthday shark diving off Guadelupe Island, Mexico, with his buddies Sgt. Mark Gannon, USMC, and Cpl. David Murphy, USMC. According to Malfitano, who completed his second tour in Iraq in November 2008 and now is in the Inactive Ready Reserve, it was worth every penny.
“Shark diving was a great experience,” recalls Malfitano, an East Chicago, Ind., native. “It had a very transcendent flavor. No people — just a man, his friends, and nature.”
Extreme vacations can be tremendous fun, but there is always an element of danger. Reynolds has been “lost, robbed, bruised up, nearly drowned, and almost eaten” while participating in extreme activities, and Malfitano admits to being a bit concerned when a Great White shark began stalking the small boat in which he and his companions were riding.
Douglas readily acknowledges the potential for danger when interacting with sharks. He recalls one incident in which a Great White slapped a steel dive cage with its tail so hard that it raised the cage — and its four burly passengers — two feet. “That’s an impressive display of power,” Douglas notes.
“There is certainly an element of extreme challenge, both physical and mental,” observes Rick Sweitzer, founder of The Northwest Passage/Polar Explorers. “We choose to go into a very extreme environment, and that extreme environment is never completely without danger.”
Of course, some incidents can be humorous — after the fact. While skydiving in Scotland, for example, Huffman Polson jumped into a cloud, missed her spot, and unintentionally ended up chasing a herd of sheep as she walked a quarter mile back to the drop zone.
Why are extreme vacations on the rise? It’s Huffman Polson’s view that people take them to shake off the boredom of their daily lives.
“There is a lot about the day-to-day worlds we create which doesn’t fulfill us,” Huffman Polson explains.” I believe that we were made for wilderness and wildness. We are part of this crazy, wild creation, but we have separated ourselves from it, to our detriment. The events themselves register thrills we would have in a more natural world — elation and fear.”
If you’re thinking of testing your limits with an extreme vacation, Sweitzer offers this advice:
“Know yourself, and know the company you choose to assist you in reaching your goal. Pay attention to the recommended training. Even if someone is in generally excellent shape, he or she may still need to develop particular skills or strengths which are necessary to survive — and thrive — in an extreme environment.”
“Be creative,” Reynolds adds. There are organized tours for almost anything you can think of, but more often the adventures you dream up and put together yourself are the most rewarding. The best way to do that is to check into a related forum to get suggestions from people who have done it. Also, know your limits and respect the power of Mother Nature. Beyond that — don’t hesitate!”
Copyright Don Vaughan and Military Officers Association of America. All rights reserved.
