7 of the Most Exciting Sites to Climb

Just about anybody can hike up a hill or climb a mountain. But if you’d like to try something different and visit an historical site at the same time you might want to consider climbing one of these fantastic sites. The scenery you take in is second to none and they all make for unforgettable experiences.

1. Guatemala – Tikal

Guatemala

Tikal is an ancient Mayan city with a temple that’s about 1300 years old. Climbing the temple will let you overlook the magnificent Peten jungle. The site used to be one of the Mayans main metropolises and one of the most powerful pre- Columbian civilizations. You’ll find plenty of ruins to explore with the tallest of them all being Temple IV. When you climb it you’ll be able to see the city’s other temples as the peek over the jungle treetops.

2. Namibia – Sossusvlei

This is the home to the world’s oldest and highest sand dunes, making them ideal to climb. Some of the dunes here can reach close to 1,000 feet in height. However, they’re very tough to climb because it’s hard to get your footing in the sand. Sossusvlei is located in a park which covers close to a third of the country’s surface. The colors of the sand are also incredible as they range from purple to red and amber.

3. Hawaii – Volcanoes National Park

This park is located on the Big Island. It featured five dramatic volcanoes that just out of the ground. There are plenty of hiking trails in the park which will take you to the craters where you can try your hand at climbing them. The scenery is amazing and you’ll feel like you’ve really accomplished something when you scale an active volcano.

4. Scotland – Orkney Islands: Old Man of Hoy

You’ll need proper climbing gear to scale this place. It sits in the waters off the isle of Hoy and is surrounded by some of the highest cliffs in the UK. The surrounding countryside though is quite flat. The Old Man is a rock tower that stands about 450 feet tall and nobody conquered it until 1966. Sadly, the rock is being swept away by the sea, so if you’re going to climb it you better get a move on before the sea swallows it.

5. Syria – Crac des Chevaliers

This is a Crusader castle that was built way back in the 12th century. It’s not really that hard to climb it. But the view you get is surreal. The castle is located on a historical old road that leads to the Mediterranean coast. The castle was used as headquarters for Crusaders in 1142. The castle is famous as it has never had an invader set foot inside of it even though the Saracens tried to topple it numerous times. The surrounding valley is quite lush and beautiful.

6. Peru, Iquitos – The Canopy Walkway

This walkway is about 500 yards along and it’s suspended between ancient trees down in the Peruvian jungle. It used to be hard to access in the old days, but it’s now been made easier. You’ll see some amazing birdlife in the lush jungles from here. The tropical rainforest will never look the same again when you view it from this angle.

7. Australia – The Sydney Harbour Bridge

If you’re looking to get a bird’s eye view of Sydney Harbour there’s no better place than from on top of its bridge. It’s hundreds of feet above the water and there are three different climbs that you can attempt. The bridge is known as the world’s largest steel-arch bridge so you can imagine the sight. Some people have even been married on the top of the bridge. If you don’t want to scale the bridge you can tackle the smaller Pylon Lookout which is about 300 feet.