The most dangerous countries to go hiking in
When it comes to hiking there’s nothing quite as exciting as walking through some new and interesting terrain. You will never forget the first time you walk through a rainforest or across the frozen wastes of the Arctic Circle, but there are some locations out there where the cold weather or mosquitoes are far from the most dangerous things you can run into.
Here are a few of the countries that currently have level 4 travel advisories according to the US Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs and exactly why you shouldn’t visit them. Please note that this is only the American list of the most dangerous countries to go hiking in but most other European nations share many of the same countries on the list.
Afghanistan
There has been a long-running war between the coalition forces and various militant groups within the country. The simple rule is that if you’re white then you’re going to be a target to the various groups looking to kidnap someone who came from the West. The country does boast some stunning valley landscapes and impressive mountain ranges, but you’re more likely to be kidnapped or killed when trying to climb them than any other mountain range in the world.
South Sudan
This country split into its own nation in 2011 and since then there has been nothing but war. Mass poverty and starvation ravage the whole country and anyone who looks out of place is likely to be robbed or killed. Most of the land is covered in jungle and has a beautiful valley running for the entire length of the country, which is a shame as seeing it could cost you your life.
Iraq and Iran
Both of these countries aren’t exactly friendly with the West and anyone who looks like they are from there, as in white, could easily become a target. They both have some interesting desert regions but nothing spectacular, and it’s not worth being mistaken for a spy because you’ll probably disappear.
Central African republic
This country along with the ones surrounding it has had some serious problems for a very long time. Numerous militant groups who don’t seem to be fighting for anything other than their own power and a very corrupt government that only controls about half the country are what you can expect to run into when crossing this land-locked country surrounded by war zones.
Bolivia
Bolivia has been the number one cocaine-producing country in the world and is controlled by the cartels. Officially the government is in control of the whole country but since they are so corrupt and the drugs aren’t coming from nowhere, these groups are the last ones on earth you’d want to run into. No one matches the level of violence and brutality of the cartels, and if they found you then you’d have the option between paying a huge ransom you can’t afford or being killed, probably quite horribly.
Yemen
A very strict Islamic country that doesn’t exactly have a great human rights record. Large areas of the country are occupied by tribes and if they saw a female walking in shorts across their territory then she could expect to be raped and taken as a slave or even killed. Many of the groups are extremely territorial and know just how easy it is to make someone disappear in the desert, and since this country has been plagued with extreme religious views it’s completely ruined any form of tourism. On the other hand, the country looks like a complete dump and unless you like endless barren desert wastes and featureless rocky mountain ranges then you’re not missing out.
Venezuela
Do you know which form of government has literally never worked in the entire history of the human race? well, the answer is socialism. It looks good on paper but when put into practice it’s about as effective at running a country as a bucket of sand is. This has caused massive social unrest in the country and starvation and a complete lack of jobs has made the country very unstable. If you don’t blend in then you’re guaranteed to get robbed from walking through any town, and with a complete lack of an effective police force your attacker knows they will get away with it.
After these level 4 countries there are many others on earth that you should consider avoiding before taking a stroll across its wilderness. Generally anywhere with a high crime rate and mass poverty is a no-go zone, with places like Colombia being kidnap hot spots and the country of Mexico having more murders each day than most of the countries on the above list combined.
If you’re interested in finding out the current danger level of a country you wish to visit then have a look at the up-to-date list of countries as provided by the Bureau of Consular Affairs.
There is also a full list of countries provided by the UK government:
