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mountain climbersVirtual Reality (VR) was kind of a big deal in the 1990s. Crazy headsets and form-fitting gloves transported you to a new virtual world filled with polygons, bright colors and The Lawnmower Man. Those expensive and dizzying contraptions have been replaced by shaky first-person videos on YouTube. Boot up your laptop, strap on a helmet, and get on your treadmill. It's time for a virtual hike.

You just got back from a road trip using Google Maps and hiking in real life makes you tired and vulnerable to mountain lion attacks. Luckily other people have videotaped their hiking trail endeavors so you can live vicariously through them. Teetering over the edge of a cliff would give you the chills in real life, but using virtual reality technology all you have to worry about are bed sores. If you're really looking for a challenge, watch one of these videos, while literally hiking a dangerous trail. Don't forget to turn on your laptop webcam. We want to watch you, watching a hiking trail, while you hike a trail.




  • Another look at El Caminito del Rey.






  • Your avatar states what you're probably thinking, "This board does not look safe."



  • Is it less scary or more scary when it's foggy?



  • Congratulations, you made it to the top; unfortunately the video stops abruptly and you're virtually stranded there forever.









  • And finally, a very dangerous hike through Hong Kong.



related:// The Virtual Shoe Museum
related:// Rock Climbing in Your House (Videos)
photo:// gabirulo Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0