10 adventures to tackle at 50

There was a time when hitting 50 was cause for a crisis. Not any more. Fiftysomethings are crushing marathons and endurance events. They’re honing six packs at CrossFit classes and deadlifting impossible weights. Older models such as Eva Herzigová are back on the runway at 51, looking incredible. My social media feed is full of older cyclists, skiers, swimmers and runners. I recently returned from a rock-climbing meet in Malta where one of the best climbers was in his 60s and two were in their 70s. There are no excuses any more. Hitting 50 – as I will this year – is the perfect time to realise some of those long-held ambitions. 

LEARN TO PARAGLIDE

“You never forget the first time you fly.” This was the sage advice from an uncle of mine who was still piloting small planes at the age of 90. Paragliding is the purest and simplest form of flight, perhaps one reason it’s popular with commercial airline pilots. There is no engine; your legs are the undercarriage and the wing is an inflated canopy that folds into a rucksack. Every flight is unique but nothing comes close to the feeling of wonder as you bring up the wing on launch, run hard with outstretched arms like a child playing aeroplanes, and take flight. Part art, part science, the learning – as I’m discovering – never stops.

DRIVE THE PEKING TO PARIS RALLY

This is an 8,850-mile classic car endurance rally that recreates the romance and glory of a famed race first run in 1907. Held over 36 days, it’s also extremely demanding, crossing the world’s largest landmass, often sleeping under canvas, in a car that, with few exceptions, must have been built between 1920 and 1975. “The P2P is a life-changing event for an array of reasons that include everything, from the adventure element, the cultural dynamics, driving and mechanical skills,” says Tomas de Vargas Machuca, chair of Hero-Era, the event’s organiser.

ENTER THE SCOTTISH ISLANDS PEAKS RACE

Sailing across an ocean may be an obvious ambition for the aspiring sailor but here’s what they don’t tell you – it can be boring too. Coastal waters, on the other hand, with fast-running currents, shallow depths and islands, are more technically challenging. This three- to four-day race follows a 160 nautical mile route around the isles of Mull, Jura and Arran where participants must also regularly disembark and cover a total of 60 miles and 11,500ft on foot. “The main objective is to provide a challenge to sailors and runners who may be too busy to devote weeks to sailing the Atlantic or trekking in Tibet,” organisers say.

FLY A SPITFIRE

Few icons of the skies are more evocative than a Spitfire, the low throb of its Rolls-Royce Merlin engine instantly recognisable from afar. Based at Goodwood, the flight will take you out over the Solent or Channel where – depending on the strength of your stomach – the pilot will perform aerobatics such as the iconic victory roll and loop. You’ll also get the chance to take the controls.

TAKE ON A DOG-SLEDDING SAFARI

There’s something primal and rewarding about journeying with mankind’s oldest friend, says the British dog-musher Anna McCormack, who’s been running safaris in the Finnish Arctic for 15 years. She organises one- to eight-day safaris up to 200km. “You feel as if you’re embarking on a grand Polar adventure,” says previous guest Amanda Klekowski von Koppenfels. “The dogs, the light, the snow. It’s like another world.”

HIKE CORSICA’S GR20

Corsica’s GR20 comes with a reputation for being one of the hardest mountain walks in Europe, taking trekkers across the length of the French island, the birthplace of Napoleon. The full route is 180km, has a vertical gain of 12,000m – equivalent to three ascents of Mont Blanc – and features sections of steep rock. Epic, beautiful and scary in places, it takes about two weeks to complete – the time alone with one’s thoughts is the best part of all.

SURVIVE IN ALASKA

No outside gear. No outside food or water. No sleeping bags or tents. Course attendees are only allowed a knife, water bottle, waterproofs and one spare pair of socks. Sounds awful, but if you’re a fan of the recent Netflix survival show Outlast, you’ll love this. When it comes to bushcraft survival, this is the real deal. Founder Thomas Coyne says: “There is no course like this available today. It is extremely challenging and some students will quit. Expect to suffer.”

COMPETE IN A WINTER PENTATHLON

The winter pentathlon offers the chance to take part in a five-discipline winter sports race with ski mountaineering, giant slalom, speed skating, cross-country skiing and monobob or curling. Amateur winter races in the Alps are often tough and for the experienced only, but this winter pentathlon in St Moritz is genuinely pitched at sporting amateurs. “It’s a one day sporting challenge that unites athletes of all ages who share a passion for winter sports,” says race founder Alexander Galimberti.

RAFT THE GRAND CANYON

For nearly 300 miles the Colorado river wends its way through some of the most awe-inspiring landscape on the continent. Rafting from Lees Ferry to Pearce Ferry, Arizona, via rapids, waterfalls and the Grand Canyon itself is one of the world’s greatest river journeys. The river is heavily regulated, so doing it through one of 15 licensed operators is the best option.

CLIMB KILIMANJARO

If you only ever climb one mountain, there’s a strong case for making it Kilimanjaro. Africa’s highest peak takes the hiker through different climatic zones on the way to its oxygen-depleted 5,895m summit. While physically tough, it’s not technically difficult and anyone can summit with some fitness and a bit of luck. The reward – watching a sunrise over the African plains below – is spectacular.