1. Heli-skiing

One of the most extreme vacations for extreme travelers involves a helicopter, some skis, and a whole lot of untouched terrain. Pro skiers who are sick of the slopes and hope to get a rush elsewhere can board a chopper and go heli-skiing. Screw chairlifts – this helicopter will deliver you to the mountaintop, allowing you access to miles and miles of uncharted and uber challenging ski runs out in the middle of nowhere and everywhere, with not a single fellow skier to hog the slopes. One great option for heli-skiing is Valdez Heli-Camps, which runs tours to Alaska’s Chugach mountain range. The “Sound to Summit” package launches thrill-seekers on Chugach’s peak, at 13,000 feet, and includes accommodations aboard an anchored ship in the Prince William Sound.

2. Drag Racing

For those who like adrenaline-pumping speeds, an extreme vacation at a drag racing school just might be your thang. Whereas street drag racing is against the law, in order to experience the rush of a high speed car chase, you can toe the line by joining one of many drag racing schools – Doug Foley's Drag Racing School in Atco, New Jersey, for example. This school offers a Super Comp Dragster package, which includes safety orientation and car instruction over a two day course. Then you can go full-throttle on the black-tar course, racing the speed of light.

3. Sandboarding

If you’re one of those amped-up snowboarders who unfortunately does not live in or near a year-round snowboard-friendly slope, then give sandboarding a go. Head out into the desert, strap on your board, and have at the sand slopes. The recent popularity of sandboarding has sky-rocketed, with snowboarders taking advantage of the sport’s four-season range amidst a totally inverse landscape from the cold, snowy mountain slopes. For serious sand slopes, travel to Cerro Blanco alongside Peru’s Andes mountain range. Here, you can take a stab at the tallest sand dune in the world.

4. Gorilla Safari

Gorillas are near the top of the endangered species list and, being as such, the thrill to see these beautiful creatures in their natural habitat marks the gorilla safari as one of the endangered extreme vacations. Less than 700 mountain gorillas live in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, where you can trace the famed anthropologist, Dian Fossey’s footsteps, in order to become acquainted with these friendly herbivores. Fossey was murdered and buried among the ruins of the Karisoke Research Center, and the memorial that stands is equally moving as the creatures she so loved. A four-day safari by JK Safaris includes a stay at an eco-lodge.

5. Shark Diving

For those who love a good set of teeth (or five sets in one mouth), then a deep-sea dive amidst some of the toothiest creatures in the world may be just what the doctor ordered. Pack up your diving gear and get your “Jaws” on with an epic extreme vacation off the coast of Cape Point, South Africa. False Bay is infested with all variety of frightening sharks, and Apex Shark Expeditions want you to meet every last one. The company operates day trips between November and June where, in nothing but a wetsuit, you can go hand-to-fin with Mako and blue sharks.

6. Titanic Dive

Want to set out on your own search of Rose’s “Heart of the Ocean”? Well, for a mere $40,000, you can dive into the depths of the waters near Newfoundland, where the RMS Titanic shipwrecked. The Great Canadian Adventure Company operates a Russian research vessel called the Akademik Mstislav Keldysh, which descends around 2.5 miles below the water’s surface, navigating the sad site of the great ghostly ship.

7. Space Travel

Are the Benjamins still burning a hole in your pocket? Then drop a cool $25 million on this most extreme of extreme vacations. A dip into outer space with Space Adventures located in Virginia will take you on a 10-day star search...literally. Launching from Kazakhstan, you’ll be shot into the Earth’s orbit, circling the globe once every 90 minutes. If you’re not quite so financially comfortable but still have a good chunk of change, you can alternatively launch your space adventure with Branson’s Virgin Galactic, which will take you on a suborbital flight for no more than $200,000.

Now, I like a thrill but I’m not sure I have the head or stomach for some of these extreme vacations. How about you?