The days of comfy, cushy travels are behind us as more and more people are turning their attention to alternative travel experiences which often end up enriching their lives much more than traditional touristy vacations ever could. Today, we will be talking about some truly intense and fear-instilling travels that might just end up being your thing.

If you consider yourself something of a runner, then this might be the perfect time to learn about a new concept called Skyrunning. Quite simply put, it involves running at extreme altitudes, usually covering inhospitable terrain and putting your body to the ultimate test. Companies that offer this kind of experience (the majority are found in the Alps, at least for now) have a few requirements, most notably that you are capable of doing at least a half-marathon.

Another type of alternative travel experience that will also put your body to the test is Aerial Yoga. In essence, you are suspended from a harness attached to the ceiling, upside down and doing yoga. It is not exactly recommended to yoga novices, but it can be just the thing you were looking for to push your skills to the extreme. Another similar concept is Snowga and it is exactly what you think – yoga in snow.

For those who are feeling even more fearless, there are also survival experiences on offer. These experiences range from being dumped smack in the middle of the Colombian jungle, learning how to build shelters and treat a snake bite to doing a Tom Hanks on a deserted island in the Philippines, Oceania or Indonesia.

You should also check out food and booze marathons that are popping up all over the world, from British Colombia to France. These are bona fide marathons with a twist – this twist being that you eat and drink your way through them. Trust us, finishing 21 miles after downing a bottle or two of burgundy is much more extreme than simply running a marathon.

Finally, if you wish to put your stomach to test, there are a few man vs. food travel experiences that you could check out, like the one in New Orleans where you are pitted against 15 dozen oysters or trying to handle 29 deep fried catfish in Oklahoma. So, are you fearless enough?