The Deadliest Sports on Earth: Ranked

Assuming the Risks

When you fall to some earlier placed gear, there could be ten or more feet of dead space beneath you. If you fall from such a height and swing (or "whip" as climbers call it) into the rock, you might get pretty injured. But, if your equipment fails or your belayer drops you altogether, it's probably the end for you. Over 24 climbers died in the year 2000 alone, and while technology has improved and rock climbers have become more knowledgeable and preventative, it's still pretty dangerous to be up that high. 

Advertisement

Next Page →

The More You Know

  • A single dollar bill costs 5 cents to make.
  • The smallest bone in your body is in your ear.
  • The 442nd Infantry Regiment, a largely Japanese American unit that served during WWII, did so while their families were held in internment camps. Their motto was "Go for Broke" and they were the most decorated unit in U.S. military history.
  • Portland was named by a coin flip. Had the coin landed the other way, the city would be known as Boston, Oregon.
Next Page →