7 Adrenaline-Pumping Heart-in-Throat Heights ...

When measuring mountain summits by their height above sea level, Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world, clocking in at a heart-in-throat height of 29,035 feet. Situated in the Himalayan mountain range, on the border of Tibet and Nepal, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay first reached Mount Everest’s peak in 1953. Nowadays, nearly anyone can become a mountaineer...well, anyone who has $25,000 burning a hole in their pocket. The Nepalese government now requires that all climbers obtain a permit, which costs upwards of 25 grand per person. However, this doesn’t seem to be stopping those with any drive. In fact, the youngest person to reach Mount Everest’s summit was a mere fifteen-year-old girl, Ming Kipa, a native Nepalese Sherpa.

As the tallest building in the world, Burj Khalifa is one of the most impressive man-made heights. Designed as the centerpiece of a large-scale, mixed-use development that included homes, hotels, malls, parkland, and towers, Burj Khalifa has returned the title of World’s Tallest Building to the Middle East, since the Lincoln Cathedral in England surpassed the Great Pyramid of Giza in 1311. Burj Khalifa was built in order to diversify the economy from being oil-based to service- and tourism-based. In theory, claiming the tallest title would demand international recognition for Dubai, and thereby more investment.

The Sidu River Bridge in China is a 1,222 meter (4,009 ft) long suspension bridge located in Hubei Province. Crossing the valley of the Sidu River, H-shaped towers, a truss-stiffened main span, and unsuspended side spans make up the bridge’s design. The pilot cable, which is the first part installed in any suspension cable, was the first ever to be placed using a rocket.

Also claimed by China, the highest plexiglass walkway is a terrifying floating sidewalk in Tianmen Mountain, offering a directly vertical view of heart-in-throat heights. Located in Hunan Province, Tianmen Mountain’s highest peak clocks in at 5,000 feet above sea level, and its translucent floor reaches exactly 4,691ft of that height. Here, you can also find the longest cable car in the world (four miles long), which will glide you up the mountain to your doom. The vertical view lasts about 200 feet along a winding path, and is definitely not for the faint of heart.

As the highest bungee jump in the world, the bungee at Royal Gorge Bridge will surely get the adrenaline pumping. At 1,053 feet, Royal Gorge Bridge was billed in 1929 as the highest suspension bridge, and with its wooden planks with cracks wide enough to fall through, why not throw a bungee in there to really make this bridge a heart stopper? For a time, the bungee jump was only available in the Fast Games, but it is now open and waiting anxiously for those who’ve got a lot of nerve.

The stunning Angel Falls drops over the edge of the Auyantepui Mountain in the Canaima National Park in Venezuela. As a UNESCO World Heritage site, Angel Falls is a must-see, with its sloping cascades and rapids of the Gauja River. Known to locals as Parekupa-meru, Angel’s namesake was US pilot, Jimmy Angel, who was searching for gold in 1937 when he crash-landed on the Auyan Tepuy, where he found even greater riches – the world’s highest waterfall. After hiking across the forest for 11 days, he arrived at Kamarata, where he publicized his discovery. Jimmy’s plane was later found and is now a monument in front of the airport at Ciudad Bolivar. Angel’s death in 1956 saw his ashes sprinkled over Angel Falls.

By the end of this list, any acrophobes might want to indulge in a hard drink. Well, Ozone is probably not the place to do it. Perched on the 118th floor of the Ritz Carlton in Hong Kong, Ozone is the highest bar in the world, offering stunning views of the Victoria Harbor both inside the bar and outside on the terrace. If you do suffer from acrophobia and find yourself in Ozone, not to worry – the drink list is nearly as never ending as the fall down.

Dizzy? All of these heart-in-throat heights offer an incredible view. Some take a wee bit too much effort to reach though, so probably best to look at some pics online or take a flying tour over them! Are you burning to see or visit any of them?