Let's start from the “Cradle of humankind” - Africa.

1. Table Mountain, South Africa

   
   
   The sandstone layers of South Africa's Table Mountain were laid down 300 million years ago. Overtime, the sand hardened into rock and was uplifted without folding, so its layers are still horizontal. Erosion has worn away everything but the distinctive table rock that remains. Table Mountain rises 3,566 ft. (1,087 m) above Cape Town.

2. Ahaggar Mountains, Algeria

   
   
   From the desolate Sahara desert plain rise the majestic Ahaggar Mountains. The tallest of these spiny peaks is about 9,840 ft. (3,000 m) high. The mountains are made of igneous rocks - granites and lavas including phonolite. Phonolite, meaning “sound stone,” is so called because when it is hit with a hammer, it gives off a musical note. The phonolite cooled and cracked into long, thin shapes that give the Ahaggars their ribbed surface. Now let's proceed to the largest continent - Asia.

3. Guilin Hills, China

   
   
   Over hundreds of millions of years, the limestone in the hills of Guilin has been slowly dissolved by rain, creating a landscape called tower of karts. The flat lands at the bottoms of the hills, covered by rice paddy fields, are layered with vast amounts of clay washed away with the limestone. Rivers snake their way around these strange, weathered remains.

4. Mount Fuji, Japan

   
   
   The majestic snow-capped volcano Mount Fuji is 12,388 ft. (3,776 m) high. The volcano has been active for thousands of years. When it last erupted in 1707, black ash fell in the streets of Tokyo, 62 miles (100 km) away. Its name comes from “fuchi,” which means fire, a word of the Ainu, the original people of the Japanese islands. Fuji is a sacred place of pilgrimage. Thousands of people each year climb the mountain to watch the sun rise. From Asia we'll go to the land down under - Australia.

5. The Olgas, Australia

   
   
   Resembling huge red rock haystacks, the Olgas (or Kata Tjuta - meaning many heads to the Australian Aborigines) are clustered on the sandy Australian plains. The plain is covered with regolith - rock-sand and clay weathered from the underlying solid rocks. Erosion does not remove the regolith, so overtime it gets thicker, until it is burying all but the highest points of the underlying solid rock. These island mountains are called inselbergs. Uluru (formerly Ayers Rock) is another example. From land down under let's go to the land of beautiful people - South America.

6. The Pantanal, Brazil

   
   
   In the back country of Brazil, seasonal rainfall in the mountains feeds mighty rivers. Where these rivers travel over the level swamplands of the Pantanal, they spread out, flooding the land. When the rains stop, hundred of shallow pools are left behind. The swamps cover an area the size of Great Britain.

7. Angel Falls, Venezuela

   
   
   The waterfall with the longest drop in the world tumbles 3,212 ft. (979 m) off the wet swamplands of a plateau called Auyan Tepui in Venezuela. It is named after the pilot Jimmy Angel, the first outsider to see the falls in 1935. The water changes into white mist before reaching the bottom. From south, let's move to the north, the third largest continent - North America.

8. Bryce Canyon, Utah

   
   
   The Hoodoos (from African word meaning “spirit”) of Bryce canyon are a mass of pinnacles sculpted from layers of soft young rock. The canyon's pink-orange limestone is sediment that collected in a lake 60 million years ago. The attack of wind, snow, and rain has worn the rocks into colorful hoodoos.

9. Monument Valley, Utah/Arizona

   
   
   The large mesas and smaller buttes that tower over Monument Valley are isolated flat-topped mountains, made of horizontal layers of sedimentary rock. Over hundreds of thousands of years they have worn away, leaving behind tall towers of rock.

10. Canadian Tundra, Canada

    
    
    In summer, soggy plains stretch in all directions in the Arctic regions of northern Canada and Siberia. Below the surface the ground is permanently frozen, so the summer melt water has nowhere to go and collects in swampy pools. At the end of the summer these pools of water freeze again. When water just beneath the surface expands to form ice, it may push the soil up into small domes called pingoes.

Kayaking

Outdoor lovers: combine a rich exploration of Canada's history with a scenic paddle down the Hayes River. The Hayes River is located in the province of Manitoba and is widely regarded as one of the catalysts for the founding of the nation. During the time that Canada was established, the river was a main artery from the U.S. and was travels by fur traders as early as the 1700's. The Intuits (also known as Eskimos) integrated with the settlers by trading furs, so the river truly facilitated the growth of that integration and the cultural shift towards commerce and trade for all of North America.

Mountain Biking

Mountain bikers from all over North America are flocking to Vancouver to hit the steep mountain biking trails. Vancouver is something of a booming town, which has a thriving film and television community. Yet the scenic town has also managed to maintain its clean, small-town feel. Mountain bikers enjoy biking along trails that are pristine, free from litter and challenging. Plus, the Vancouver mountain biking community is said to be amongst the best and most friendly in North America in terms of integrating new mountain bikers.

Glacier Climbing

If you can stand the cold, then head to northern Canada (the arctic region) for the best glacier and ice climbing in the world. You'll have to get to the best glacier climbing spots either by boat or by plane, as they are not accessible by road or any other form of mass transportation. As such, you and your team of climbers will be isolated amongst the rolling hills of ice along with animals that are indigenous to the area, such as sea lions, polar bears and whales. Plus, the stars will never seem brighter than at the top of the world!

Ski and Snowboard

Canada is quite possibly the only national in the world with as many ski and snowboard resorts as it has (about 30 per province). Canadians practically grow up with skis of some sort strapped to their feet and their love of skiing continues throughout their lives. There are hundreds of award-winning ski resorts throughout Canada - making Canada the nation with the most diverse ski options in all of North America. Plus, the nation celebrates its fondness for skiing by dedicating an entire week out of every year as National Ski and Snowboard week.

For pristine outdoor adventure in North America in an environment that is as friendly as it is beautiful, it's tough to beat Old Canada. Be sure to do your weather research before heading north, though, as Canadian winters are widely reputed as being painfully cold, though summers can be quite mild and humidity-free.