Great Outdoors Month an Excuse to Try Some Crazy Extreme Sports

June is officially designated as Great Outdoors Month. June is a great time to spend outdoors as the weather is much more cooperative during this month than many other times of the year. If you have ever wanted to do something others might call crazy, daring or dangerous Great Outdoors Month is the perfect opportunity. The goal of Great Outdoors Month is to get outside and do something. You can find fun extreme sporting events all around you in National parks and State Parks. For the general public that will mean visiting parks, fishing, boating, camping, and hiking outdoors. Not for you though, you want to do more than the mundane, regular stuff everyone else is doing.

Fun Extreme Sports to Try During Great Outdoors Month:

Rappelling down a rocky cliff can be exhilarating and frightening at the same time. That first step over the cliff might scare some, putting yourself out there just dangling from a thin rope and a few carabineers. To ease your fears find yourself a certified repelling instructor to take you out rappelling. If you don't know where to find an instructor try asking the summer camps in your area, they may be able to help you find one. Remember to follow all of their rules and wear the safety gear. You will probably start out on a relatively small cliff if you are a beginner about 60 to 75 feet high. The more experienced or advanced rappeller's will rappel from bridges or cliffs over 500 feet high.

Bungee jumping is essentially jumping from a great height while attached to an elastic cord. Bungee jumping is a fun extreme sport that can give you one of those adrenaline highs. If you are an experienced bungee jumper and it doesn't thrill you anymore you can try jumping from a moving object. To really go to the extreme and try a bungee jump from a helicopter. If you are searching for your lost adrenaline rush, a moving bungee jump free fall is sure to bring it back.

Skydiving is usually done tandem with an instructor for your first time out. Skydiving or parachuting from a plane began with the military but is now done as an extreme sport and sometimes a competitive sport. Most skydiving places will offer you the option to video your experience, a lasting testament to your bravery in the drop zone. If you would like to find a trusted skydiving provider in your area you can check www.skydiving.com for locations in North America.

Mountain climbing can be simply be walking up a small mountain incline or actually climbing an extremely high mountain such as Mount Everest. Even if your sites are not set on ascending Mt. Everest, mountain climbing can be dangerous at times. Mountain climbing can include climbing up ice, rock or alpine mountains. If you are going to go for more than just a hike you may need to hire a professional mountain guide. Trekking up a mountain can necessitate specialized climbing gear. Your mountain guide will instruct you in what gear is needed and all safety guidelines for climbing your "Everest."

Cliff diving may sound like an extreme sport but it does not have to be. Cliff diving is similar to diving off the high dive at the pool. This is a favorite outdoor pastime of many college students. All you need to do is find a cliff that rises above a pool of water. It is best to find an area that has been jumped by others before you. That way you know the water below is deep enough and there are no sharp rocks beneath the cliff. Many times there are great cliffs to jump near waterfalls.

Just because these outdoor activities have the stigma of being dangerous and sometimes insane to people who like to play it safe, does not mean that they are unsafe. All of the above activities are perceived as dangerous but in reality they have many safeguards put into place. Most of them require the use of a helmet and other sports safety equipment. When taking part in an extreme sport or one of the outdoor activities above it is recommended to have someone trained in first aid nearby with a cell phone for emergencies. Making sure that your hunt for an extreme recreation thrill does not cloud your safety judgment. However you play, these outdoor extreme sporting activities are sure to get you outside and let your inner sportsman out just in time for Great Outdoors Month. Get out and get active!

Resources:
My Experience.
Admin Alex, "BungeeZone: The Bungee Jumping Resource." Bungeezone.com.
"Skydiving.com is North America's Premier Skydiving Provider." Skydiving.com.