The ULTIMATE Impossible to Reach Places on Google Earth

Hello and welcome to the ultimate impossible to reach places on Google Earth. I'm convinced that these

Earth. I'm convinced that these locations would be famous and considered among the greatest natural wonders of the entire world if they hadn't become impossible to access due to geography,

geopolitics, or unusual events that occurred over the course of human history.

Because of their inaccessibility, many of them have some of the most pristine nature remaining on our planet.

Number six probably won't make this list in a couple years. I have looked across the ocean to number three. And number

one is the strangest and most beautiful coastline in the entire world and the source of a massive dispute between two superpower countries.

Number 10 is the Pingaluit Crater in Canada. Located in the frigid expanses

Canada. Located in the frigid expanses of Quebec's Unava Peninsula, this lake is fascinating for several reasons. Most

obvious is its perfectly circular appearance and the fact that water does not flow in or out of it. As you can see, nowhere along its rim is it

connected to the vast water networks of Canada. This is a direct result of its

Canada. This is a direct result of its origin from a massive meteor impact around 1.4 million years ago that left an 876 ft deep crater with an uplifted

rim and crystallized layer of bedrock underneath. After the impact, the crater

underneath. After the impact, the crater was slowly filled with rain and snow over thousands of years, which is why it has some of the clearest, most ultra

pure water anywhere. The end result is like the biggest, most refreshing cup of water on Earth. M

I'd love to take a sip. The only problem is access is extremely restricted for everyone except the local Inuit community. To get there, you need to fly

community. To get there, you need to fly to increasingly small Inuit towns heading north into Quebec until the nearest village can get you within 55 miles of the crater. Inuit guides can

take you the remainder of the way by hiking or via dog sled or snowmobile in the winter. This is possible, but a

the winter. This is possible, but a massive and costly undertaking with price tags starting around $10,000 Canadian dollars per person. For this

reason, only 20 to 60 tourists manage to reach it every year. And that's why it comes in last. As fascinating as it is, this is the only place on this list that

can feasibly be reached even with all the money and time in the world. Take

for example number nine, Sero Elono in Peru. Deep in some of the wildest jungle

Peru. Deep in some of the wildest jungle of the Amazon rainforest along the Peru Brazil border stands a very tall pyramid-shaped mountain. Not a single

pyramid-shaped mountain. Not a single photo has been taken of it from up close. Very little is actually known

close. Very little is actually known about it. and that has some people

about it. and that has some people believing it is indeed an ancient pyramid now covered by the jungle. It

rises about 1500 ft and due to its prominence above a flat expanse of forest it can be seen from extremely far distances including from the Andes

mountains 250 m away. This would make it a fantastic vantage point for the unconted tribes who exclusively populate this area, namely the Iskanahua.

However, word of mouth from nearby contacted tribes suggests that it may never be scaled by humans because the mountain is held in such high religious reverence, possibly seen as a guardian

spirit due to its location at the headarters of large tributaries to the Amazon River. The presence of these

Amazon River. The presence of these unconted indigenous people would make attempting an expedition out to it very dangerous. But what really keeps this

dangerous. But what really keeps this place untouchable is the Peruvian government's extreme legal protections in this territorial reserve to preserve indigenous sovereignty and health. Which

means that not even researchers are allowed within several miles of the base of Sero Alono.

This is not the only time we will see that the religious significance of a mountain can lead it to becoming a place where humans have never set foot. Number

eight is Bouvet Island. There is a god-forsaken speck of rock standing in the middle of the South Pacific. It is

literally the most remote island on Earth. The nearest human settlement is

Earth. The nearest human settlement is over 1,400 miles away. And the nearest land mass is Antarctica, around,00 miles away. Imagine the disappointment lost

away. Imagine the disappointment lost ships at sea must have felt when they laid eyes upon Bouvet Island. It is a barren dome of rock covered in a

windswept shell of ice. But it's hiding a warm secret. Underneath the ice is an active volcano that technically could erupt at any time. And it is host to a surprisingly large population of the

most hearty seabirds who find it a sanctuary away from predators. Google

Earth does a great job of demonstrating how extreme this landscape is. Massive

ice sheets slide off on all sides and fall into the ocean and rock below in spectacular fashion.

On the southeastern side of the island are waves of colossal size in the classic square shaped pattern which is notorious for creating freak waves and

rip currents.

And I don't think I have ever seen anywhere else on Google Earth where a wave has cast a shadow this large.

The crest of that wave measures a whopping 100 ft wide. This is no surprise as it lies in the direct path of some of the largest storm systems on Earth. There are no inlets or safe

Earth. There are no inlets or safe harbors that allow for a ship to dock.

80% of it are cliffs that plunge straight into the ocean and the other 20% are exposed reefs and beaches. Yes,

people have landed here on boats during rare research expeditions and technically walked on it, but they have no reason to. The only thing that has a right to walk on two legs across Bouvet

Island are the penguins. Norway claims

ownership of this island and attempted to install a weather station in 1977 and 1996, but within months they had disappeared, probably wiped off the face

of the planet by an avalanche or massive storm. Since then, one has managed to

storm. Since then, one has managed to survive since 2012. And one time, a mysterious lifeboat was found on one of its beaches, the occupants of which, if

there were ever any, were never found.

Number seven, we are heading to the tops of the Tapoui Mountains in Venezuela.

These are called mountains, but they are really more like giant plateaus above the clouds. These colossal plateaus are

the clouds. These colossal plateaus are a major geological feature that tower above the vast expanses of jungle in southern Venezuela.

Spanning across hundreds of miles, there are over six major zones of these tall sandstone plateaus with fragmented maces of varying size.

They range anywhere from 2,000 to over 9,000 ft in height and are completely surrounded by the forest. Angel Falls,

the tallest waterfall on Earth, plummets from the very top of one. And nearby is the famous Mount Rurima.

As far as I can tell, these are the only two Tapoois that have trails leading to the top.

The others are so remote, steep, and isolated that there exists no trails, no places for humans or aircraft to land, nothing. We know a couple things about

nothing. We know a couple things about the unique environments here. An

astonishing volume of endemic species live in the high elevation rainforest where temps can get surprisingly cold.

Also, they have a lot of bizarre geological formations along with lakes, caves, and sink holes that can be seen from space like this

one called Sema Humboldt. But is it really a sinkhole if it's on the top of a plateau? Or is it just a place where

a plateau? Or is it just a place where the ground decided to become more normal again? Only three scientific expeditions

again? Only three scientific expeditions have been made into these sink holes.

One of which almost cost the team their lives. And within these sink holes, they

lives. And within these sink holes, they found endemic species which had evolved separate from the entire world for millions of years. Up there, it must be

like humans have never existed, which is a wonderful thought. We are going to take all the reasons these tapoois are impossible to reach and flip it upside

down for number six. Number six are the sandstone canyons of central Brazil.

This deep canyon system is much like other sandstone canyons found across the world except these lie under a dense blanket of Amazon rainforest. The long

narrow tendrils extend ridiculous distances into the wilderness far from towns or roads. While there exists almost no information about them online, I would have to assume that the ends of

these corridors of stone and jungle are places where no one can get even close.

The sounds of birds, monkeys, and a million organisms packed into these narrow corridors must echo off the canyon walls in a truly amazing way. And

these are all just purely the conclusions I have drawn about this place after looking at it from above.

The biome extends many miles and encompasses lots of canyons, which is how I spotted them years ago. And since

then, I have been borderline obsessed with this place. And I might not have shared it with the world until I went there myself, if not for something I noticed when looking at the latest images updated by Google Earth. As you

will learn, this place is rapidly becoming less impossible to reach for all the wrong reasons. First, let me give you some context. There's really

only one section called Canyons Dovana where tourists can go. Now nearby,

extensive evidence of the ancient indigenous people of Brazil dating back to over 9,000 years has been discovered in the forms of rock art, burial sites,

and artifacts hidden among rock ales in the canyon walls. Covering some northern canyons in the flatlands above the canyon rim is the Brazilian Park Niona

Ser de Kofosa, which offers environmental protection. But take a

environmental protection. But take a look at the deepest canyons that lie just outside of the national park boundary. Miles of dense jungle that

boundary. Miles of dense jungle that served as barriers to human encroachment into these immense canyons have been stripped away by rapidly intensifying

logging operations. The change is quite

logging operations. The change is quite stark and means that whatever has lie hidden from the world in these sandstone ales like endemic organisms, artifacts

and pristine springs are being flattened beneath the economic development strategy of Brazil. I would hope that the local governments of these regions would realize that this is a completely

unique landscape in the world with a massive international appeal for ecoourism and would almost certainly be more economically valuable in the long term with intact ecosystems and trails

going through the lush canyons instead of bulldozers. Maybe extending the

of bulldozers. Maybe extending the national park boundary would do the trick.

Number five is the summit of Mount Kyash in the China occupied zone of Tibet. Not

one human has ever stood on the top of this over 21,000 ft tall summit. Even

though it would be a very achievable climb for an experienced team of mountaineers. Only three attempts were

mountaineers. Only three attempts were ever made in all of recorded history, all of which were unsuccessful and happened before 1950. After that time, no one has even stepped foot onto the

base of this mountain. And that is due to a fascinating mix of political and religious reasons. Disclaimer, the

religious reasons. Disclaimer, the following two minutes is my personal attempt to simplify something incredibly complex. Mount Kyosh is a deeply sacred

complex. Mount Kyosh is a deeply sacred mountain to the Hindu, Buddhist, Janist, and Bond religions of Asia. Each one of these religions has their own variation,

but a central idea is that Kyash was identified as the physical manifestation of the sacred Mount Maru. They consider

it central to the entire world, home to the gods and surrounded by six other holy mountains, making it a massive representation of a lotus flower.

It is considered sacrilegious to even step foot onto the base of the mountain.

But the circular path around the base of the mountain is another matter entirely.

For over 2,000 years, devotees from all across Asia have taken long pilgrimages to the mountain where they will then undergo the 32-mile journey around the

base of the mountain. It is a massive spiritual achievement, sometimes even a crucial step on the path to enlightenment for these religious

practitioners, especially the Tibetans.

The most devout pilgrimage or kora is achieved by Buddhist and bond practitioners who prostrate themselves the entire way as an act of extreme

devotion. They achieve this by lying

devotion. They achieve this by lying flat on the ground with arms stretching forwards, marking where the tips of their hands reach, and then standing back up, walking to the mark, laying

down again, and repeating the process. I

found this so incredible that I just had to attempt it myself.

Now imagine doing that for over 30 miles through rain, snow, mud, whatever. It

can take up to six weeks. It almost

seems an impossible feat of itself. But

this has been achieved by pilgrims for thousands of years. At least that was until recently. When China invaded

until recently. When China invaded western Tibet in the 1950s, they took over control of access to these ancient routes. and slowly over time exercise

routes. and slowly over time exercise this control to squeeze the life out of this holy tradition. It is literally an imprisoned mountain.

India has been allowed very limited access while Tibetans have been almost completely cut off as a part of a larger campaign by China to bit by bit erase

the undeniably magical religion of Buddhism. When China took over, they

Buddhism. When China took over, they outlawed any climbing of the mountain with one big exception. In a

controversial move in the 1980s, the Chinese government offered Reinhold Mesner, a legendary Italian mountaineer, a permit to climb Mount Kyos, but he

refused, famously stating, quote, "If we conquer this mountain, then we conquer something in people's souls. I would

suggest they go and climb something a little harder. We should leave it to the

little harder. We should leave it to the people who are not climbers, to the pilgrims who believe in it. Looking at

it leaves no question as to why it would be sacred. To stand at the base of it

be sacred. To stand at the base of it and look to the top knowing no human has ever stood upon it would be a truly revoly experience. Number four is an

revoly experience. Number four is an unnamed plateau in the Grand Canyon.

Given the immense size and complexity of the Grand Canyon, I have always wondered if there are places within it that are completely unreachable. And no, I'm not

completely unreachable. And no, I'm not talking about the Forbidden Zone, which we will get to later. After quite a lot of research, I'm convinced that the top of this plateau in the Western Grand

Canyon is perhaps the most isolated and impenetrable place in the entirety of the Grand Canyon and therefore possibly the entire American West. Let me explain why. The western Grand Canyon is very

why. The western Grand Canyon is very remote compared to the eastern side.

This bend of the canyon specifically is surrounded by extensive wilderness with no nearby dirt roads and no trails even coming close to it. And while there are many isolated plateaus in the Grand

Canyon, most of them are connected to the canyon rim in one way or another.

This one doesn't. And it has a massive over 2500 ft vertical relief on almost every side. Even compared with the

every side. Even compared with the Shiva's temple on the north rim, it's much taller and steeper, which means there's two possible ways to get to the bottom of it. One is to drive

and bushwack an extremely far distance from the nearest access point on the south rim, repel down to the rim, and then arrive at the base of it, or to float basically the entirety of the

Colorado River in the bottom of the Grand Canyon with all your gear and then hike several miles to the base of it. As far as I can tell, it would be

of it. As far as I can tell, it would be a sketchy multi- multi-pitch climb that because you would be placing your own gear would take anywhere from two to four days to complete. Based on what I

can see on maps, I'm not sure there would be much up there. But to say you conquered perhaps the most remote plateau in the American West would be quite the achievement. For a bonus, we

have the forbidden zone of the Grand Canyon. Supposedly, there is an entire

Canyon. Supposedly, there is an entire section of the Grand Canyon that no one is allowed to visit. It's said to be in this general area. The lore of this

place dates back to a sketchy story ran in some papers in the 1910s of a guy named King Cade who is said to have found a cave there filled with Egyptian artifacts who then disappeared. He may

or may not have existed in the first place, but there's a lot of stories on the internet of people looking for this cave and in the process finding entrances sealed up with cement, modern

structures where none should belong, or getting chased out of the area by Blackhawk helicopters or planes. Most of

these stories are unsubstantiated, and you can't believe almost anything on the internet, especially nowadays. But

occasionally videos and photos will pop up that seem to add some semblance of credibility to these stories. Also,

there's quite a lot of geological features around here named after Egyptian deities, which certainly adds fuel to the fire. There is no official government established forbidden zone in the Grand Canyon except for those set

aside for environmental or indigenous reasons. This area is largely

reasons. This area is largely inaccessible just due to how remote it is and how big the cliffs are here. But

it is a fact that the government has sealed off quite a lot of cave entrances in the Grand Canyon. I have looked into the story and searched around this area on Google Earth quite a bit and the

story constantly leads to dead ends and circles back upon itself. So, I'm

totally fascinated and undecided on the matter and it makes me want to learn more. Which reminds me that if you enjoy

more. Which reminds me that if you enjoy this video, I highly recommend you subscribe to my channel and check out my other videos where I find difficult to reach or obscure and historic places,

oftentimes using Google Earth, and go explore them in real life. And I have some ideas of more places I want to go see in the Grand Canyon in the near

future. For number three, we are heading

future. For number three, we are heading to the middle of the Pacific Ocean to the trailing end of the Hawaiian Archipelago to Niha Island. Even people

who frequently visit Hawaii probably don't know this island exists. To

understand this place, we must go back to 1864 when in a strange turn of fate, a Scottish businesswoman, Elizabeth Sinclair, purchased the entire island

for $10,000 in gold, which is the equivalent of about $660,000 modern US, a poulry sum for obtaining one of the most beautiful tropical

islands in the world. on the condition she made with King Kamehameha V that Niha would be kept as a cultural refuge for native Hawaiians and a place to

preserve their way of life. This led the island down an interesting path where it has faded from public knowledge while the opposite happened to the other islands. The wealthy descendants of

islands. The wealthy descendants of Elizabeth, the Robinson family, have retained ownership for all these years and have kept this promise alive as the island has never been developed in any

significant way. Instead, they have

significant way. Instead, they have focused on conservation and ensuring that the generations of Hawaiians who have always lived here can continue to stay if they wish, where they don't have

to worry about modern problems like rent, taxes, or a lack of food. It seems

that not even money is used in the day-to-day life of the locals. The only

language spoken here is the native Hawaiian tongue, and apparently traditions carry on, much as they did for hundreds of years. Just like all of the Hawaiian islands, this island has

gorgeous tropical mountains and beaches.

Except these don't have multi-story condos looming over them or tourists milling about. They are pristine. This

milling about. They are pristine. This

little cluster of small buildings and a couple dirt roads are the only evidence of humans to be seen across Nihao. But

it is an undeniable reality that a wealthy family owns the entirety of the land for which these people are living upon. And of course that has farreaching

upon. And of course that has farreaching implications and plenty of controversy.

The Robinsons enforce strict rules on Nihao. Unless you are Kanaka or of

Nihao. Unless you are Kanaka or of Hawaiian descent, you will almost certainly never be offered a chance to visit this pristine fragment of ancient Hawaii.

Aside from a boat, I got as close as humanly possible during a trip to Hawaii where I gazed across the ocean to this island that is so different from all the

others. Unfortunately, it appears that

others. Unfortunately, it appears that change driven from modern influences still having its relentless effect on this island. Where once existed a strong

this island. Where once existed a strong populations of hundreds of kanaka, probably over 600 when Elizabeth bought the island, has slowly dwindled until now, it is estimated that only around 70

Hawaiians remain living here full-time.

A lack of opportunity and the irresistible draw of modern life along with other factors has led to many natives of Nihao moving to neighboring

islands never to return.

Number two is the Darian Gap. Take a

look at the entirety of the Western Hemisphere and all the vast continents of North and South America. There is one narrow land bridge that serves as a

bottleneck between these two massive continents. Nowhere else on Earth does

continents. Nowhere else on Earth does such a small patch of land connect two entire continents. Up until recent

entire continents. Up until recent times, every single human and terrestrial animal migration that started in one of these continents and ended up in the other would have had to

pass through the Darion Gap. And because

of that, this thin expanse of jungle is probably one of the most significant corridors in the world when it comes to understanding patterns of human and animal movement. And just to put it in

animal movement. And just to put it in simple terms, if you wanted to drive your car from the US to anywhere in South America or vice versa, you would imagine there would be lots of highways

and roads leading through this section, right?

Wrong. This expansive jungle is one of the most lawless and dangerous places in the entire world. It is almost completely undeveloped and under the

control of armed paramilitary groups who are heavily invested in the production of illicit substances and the exploitation of the hundreds of thousands of vulnerable refugees who

attempt the dangerous journey north every year. Not to mention the hazards

every year. Not to mention the hazards of the untamed jungle like flooding rivers and tropical diseases. There are

probably places in this gap where communities of locals have lived amongst the old growth rainforest and it might be a peaceful place for some, but coming here as an outsider is an incredibly

dangerous move. So, no one attempts it

dangerous move. So, no one attempts it besides from the refugees who are forced to and a couple daring YouTubers and journalists who get in and get out as fast as possible. Therefore, it is

unlikely in my lifetime that anyone will study the important archaeological record, natural history, and interesting combinations of organisms at the melting

pot between two massive continents that must exist hidden in the Darian Gap.

All right, finally, at number one, we have the Kurill Islands. On the

northwestern edge of the Pacific Ring of Fire lies one of the most spectacular and extreme landscapes in the entire world. This archipelago extends in a

world. This archipelago extends in a remarkably straight line over 700 miles from north to south and is a highly active chain of strat volcanoes getting

older and less volatile as they progress north and as a result have some of the most dynamic and stunning landscapes anywhere. When I found out about this

anywhere. When I found out about this place, I almost couldn't believe I'd never heard of it before. There are over 20 major islands in total, and each one is unique in its own way, containing

massive calderas, hot springs, crystal clearar lakes, lush forests, canyons beaches

icecapped volcanoes, and everything in between.

But the crowning gem of them all is the Krenetina volcano.

It's hard to imagine a more beautiful place.

This volcano last erupted in 1952 and is still highly active along with the others. And due to the highly viscous

others. And due to the highly viscous magma, these have a tendency to build up gas underground and erupt in sudden explosions,

which is why so many turned into calderas and look like giant craters.

They literally completely blew apart.

Here's why we can't get there. When you

look at the island chain in its entirety, you can see it forms a giant gateway across the sea of oosk and therefore the eastern coast of mainland

Russia. Unsurprisingly, they are a

Russia. Unsurprisingly, they are a massively important strategic outpost and Russia has done everything in its power to control them for military purposes. Take a look at where the

purposes. Take a look at where the southernmost island, Kunachir, ends.

Just 12 miles off the coast of Japan's Neuro Peninsula. The residents of

Neuro Peninsula. The residents of Shibetu can look, but they can't touch.

After World War II, the USSR seized the four southern islands from Japan, even though Japan still claimed them as a part of its northern territories, and

the issue has prevented a peace treaty between the two countries ever since.

Japan considers it an illegal occupation and Russia has done nothing to ease their concerns by ramping up their military activity and fortification on the islands.

All of these factors combined are why Russia has kept these gorgeous islands completely to itself with the exception of the powerful class of Russians, some small populations, and the native people

known as the Anu who are the original inhabitants on the southern islands.

However, it is an overstatement to say this entire island chain is impossible to visit.

To overly simplify it, it's an incredibly long, expensive, and difficult process even for Russian-born tourists. Only a handful, I'm talking

tourists. Only a handful, I'm talking well under 100 foreigners a year, managed to go anywhere near these islands. and that is after they obtain

islands. and that is after they obtain Russian visas and find someone on the inside to invite them into the application process. All of this can

application process. All of this can allow you to really only look at the islands from the boat, not to actually make landfall on the islands except the

southernmost islands, primarily Kunachir, where it is easiest to obtain access. 90% plus of these islands,

access. 90% plus of these islands, especially those in the center of the island chain, are completely impossible to reach for

every reason under the sun. Prohibitive

geography, extreme climate, militarization, and vast distances across a storm ravaged ocean. Oh, and

did I mention that the islands have frequent and powerful earthquakes and subsequent tsunamis because of the strong tectonic activity along with

quite a lot of brown bears areas like Cape Stalbakti, the white cliffs of Iturup, the white cliffs of

the wild looking coastline of Urup. Europe

Urup. Europe Europe.

I give up. Whatever this thing is, this is just a small slice of what's to be found out here. One silver lining of the situation is that the primarily

military occupation and lack of development has created a sanctuary for wildlife, especially for marine mammals.

This has the added benefit of keeping Japan's terrible whaling practices out of these precious waters. As a surfer, I couldn't go without mentioning that the

coastlines here probably hold the last great frontier of undiscovered waves anywhere in the world. Many of these rocky outcroppings could be hiding

worldclass waves that go unritten day after day. If I had a yacht and I could

after day. If I had a yacht and I could go anywhere with it, this is probably the first place I would go. In the

beginning of my video, I said it's the strangest and most beautiful coastline in the world. And to back up this claim, I will ask you, can you think of anywhere else in the world where such

incredible geology meets such volatile active volcanoes surrounded by absolutely pristine natural beauty with almost zero humans around and a global

conflict to top it off?

Pretty hard to beat. So, I guess the moral of the story here is if everybody could just chill out, we could go look at more rocks and learn a lot more about the world. Once again, if you like this

the world. Once again, if you like this video, I highly recommend you check out my other stuff where I actually visit the places I have found on Google Earth.

As always, thanks for watching and have a good