Kloser does point out that being lost is only one of the concerns for adventure racers. "There are so many variables and risk involved with adventure racing. If you think about the oceans, rivers, crevasses, cliffs, weather conditions, and even the dangerous animals we may encounter, the exposure is much greater over a multi-day adventure race than in many other sports."

One of the most significant dangers of adventure racing is that teams are making difficult decisions (about navigation, route finding, etc.,) under extreme duress and often while severely sleep-deprived. Says Kloser, "really the greatest danger is ourselves." Teams may find themselves on a cliff band, or above a class V rapid, and because they are tired (and also racing), they may just determine to go for it; after all, backtracking around some cliffs takes valuable time and missed places, as does portaging rapids. Adds Kloser, who has been in such situations many times, "Whitewater and mountain/canyon trekking would have to be some of our highest exposure..."