Seeking the thrill: Extreme hikers

Extreme hiking may be grueling, but it can allow one to see some of the most beautiful views in the world. Jeremy Aerts called this hike through Nepal the most challenging he has done.

On another hike in Sa Pa, Vietnam, this past spring, Aerts got this photo overlooking mountains and rice paddies just as the fog lifted. He believes the country's beauty is often overlooked by Americans.

Mohit Samant hiked 4 miles to the Pacaya volcano in Guatemala last year. "The first 2 were not so bad; the last 2 were brutal."

Yoann Jezequel hiked 5 miles to the Piton des Neiges volcano, the highest point of La Reunion Island, in 2013. The "Cilaos circus" there is a natural enclosure steep-sided, circular or semi-circular depression formed by the eruption.

Suzanne Lewis followed the path of many bold adventurers, hiking 80 miles along the Everest base camp trek in Nepal in 2011.

The hike and magnificent view "still resonates with me," Lewis said.

Lewis is a veteran hiker, but this was by far the longest hike she has done.

Though she doesn't do extreme hikes regularly, Lia Ocampo will never forget her 2012 hike up the crater of Mount Pinatubo in Zambales, Philippines. The group traversed a 3-mile, rocky and muddy trail leading to the crater of the volcano, some 21 years after its explosive eruption.

She went along with some former colleagues with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to explore this very important place in the volcanic history of the world.

David O'Neill enjoys hiking as a meditative activity, requiring him to live in the moment. In 2012, he was first exposed to the steep, challenging environment of the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco.

O'Neill was very concerned about his health on this hike through the Himalayas, at one point worried he might have high-altitude cerebral edema.

Stephen Briggs stands along the Fisherman's Trail section of the Rota Vicentina on the southern Portuguese coast. He covered more than 30 miles over three days in October, and was rewarded with beautiful coastal views and fresh seafood dinners in small seaside villages.

Markku Rainer Peltonen climbed Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Scotland in 2009, and this remains one of his most memorable hikes over many years. With weather conditions constantly changing, the hike is quite challenging.

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• Extreme hikers seek thrills and extraordinary views


• They often face challenges due to weather or terrain


• Jeremy Aerts: "I like the idea of never really knowing what to expect around the next corner"

(CNN) -- They had been in Nepal for a week trying to reach Thorong La Pass, 17,769 feet above sea level, when they were caught in a snowstorm, unable to make it to the nearest village.

Avalanches roared down the mountain.

Jeremy Aerts and his girlfriend May Wong pressed on: Extreme hiking enthusiasts, they had committed to making it all the way through.

For some people, the idea of facing such obstacles -- especially voluntarily -- seems crazy. And yet many in the extreme hiking community wouldn't have it any other way.

The new film "Wild," based on the memoir by Cheryl Strayed, chronicles a grueling solo hike along 1,100 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, on the border with Mexico, after Strayed's divorce and the death of her mother.

The movie, which hits theaters Friday, might encourage more travelers to try extreme hiking.

Aerts, 30, a GIS analyst from Pittsburgh, describes that night in Nepal this past spring as the closest he has ever been to death.

Despite being unable to see 10 feet ahead of them, Aerts and Wong continued.

"At one point the wind was so strong it knocked me off my feet," said Aerts. "We had to break into an abandoned cabin just before dark to spend the night with our guide and another trekking group."

The payoff came the next day when the couple reached the tiny village of Muktinath, surrounded by Himalayan peaks.

"It was one of the most beautiful places I've ever had the chance to see," he said.

And that, in a nutshell, is why Aerts hikes.

"I love the sense of adventure and challenge that it presents," he said. "I like the idea of never really knowing what to expect around the next corner."

Mohit Samant, a 27-year-old software engineer from Kansas City, Kansas, got a similar feeling about hiking when he visited Guatemala a year ago in his most memorable of many hikes.

He had half a mind to quit midway through his hike through the Pacaya volcano due to the incredibly steep terrain, but the hikers with him motivated him to continue to the top.

Ultimately, he said it was the best hiking excursion he has done.

He was able to admire views of three other nearby volcanoes: Agua, Fuego and Acatenango, making the whole experience -- three hours on foot -- well worth it.

Besides the surge of adrenaline, these adventures pay off with some amazing photo ops. Check out the gallery to see more photos you can only take on extreme hikes.