On The Edge

Extreme life can be experiencing the harshest personal challenges produced by nature's arsenal, and testing one's endurance to prevail over these elements without going 'over the edge'. Wingsuiting from a mountain top, hang gliding across the countryside, kiteboarding the waves, whitewater kayaking of rapids and waterfalls, free diving beneath the ocean, polar swimming, snowboarding, cross-country skating and long distance trail hiking. These are only a few of the various leisure endurance pursuits explored in this book being used to challenge the Earth's climatic conditions, bodies of water and difficult terrain. Nature's myriad of severe storms and oceanic phenomena that probably cannot be safely challenged provide a further insight into such potential extremes. A distinctive selection of the planet's animals, bird and marine life which could be reasonably considered as natural 'extremes of life' provide a useful complement to these human exploits. Humankind may also celebrate their endeavours in other less energetic ways, including unusual community festivals involving enormous gatherings of like-minded people in fancy dress, as clowns or simply people who enjoy throwing coloured powder over each other. There are many other ways to appreciate and enjoy extreme life, and this book shares many more of these experiences of being 'on the edge'.