The Spartan Race: Description: "The global leader in obstacle racing and originally designed by seven ultra athletes and a Royal Marine. There is nothing more brutal than their Death Race. This is the highest level of Spartan Challenge at more than 48 hours of obstacles and not for your typical office cube dweller. The web site name says it all: www.youmaydie.com."

The Vampire 5K: Description: "Starting at dusk and ending under the eerie glow of a full moon, this race is part running event and part survival game. Participants sign up as either Citizens or Vampires and compete through fog and red powder zones."

The 5K Foam Fest: Description: "Bringing new meaning to the idea of water-cooler talk, the 5K Foam Fest prides itself on getting participants 'filthy clean.' In addition to the climbing walls and mud trenches of other races, the 5K Foam Fest differentiates itself with its waterpark-grade fun, including a 30-foot slip-n-slide, a 45-foot watery death drop, and, yes, lots and lots of sudsy, bubbly foam."

Different, right?

Not according to TourDeFit.com, which says its menu of grueling options is becoming the norm for companies interested in team-building.

"There is no question that these untraditional races, which can involve extreme obstacle course challenges such as ice baths and electroshocks, are no longer off the beaten track but rather have entered the mainstream," TourDeFit.com said in a news release. "In 2012, about 1.5 million people entered 150 U.S. [extreme] events, a dramatic increase from the 41,000 participants of only 20 events recorded in 2010, according to Outside Magazine."

Indeed, dozens of purveyors of extreme team-building events are competing for a piece of the HR morale-boosting budget.

But perhaps a return to the simpler, gentler days might be prudent. At least that's what some benefits consultants are saying, as team-building exercises become increasingly risky.

"Adrenaline junkies in some executive suites combined with an 'anything a group does together is team building' mentality is a slippery, dangerous, and, at times very expensive slope," writes Anne Thornley-Brown, president of Toronto-based Executive Oasis International.

"Tree Jumping, Ski Tree Jumping, Free Falling & Base Jumping are not Team Building," she said.

Thornley-Brown was reacting to questions from clients and blog readers about the value of "extreme" team-building programs, including sending employees aloft in the treetops to cavort, jump and, generally, become potential insurance claims. She is adamantly opposed to anything dangerous or potentially embarrassing for participants that is disguised as team-building.

"The team-building industry has been 'dumbed down' by providers of recreational activities who have been passing off entertainment and activities that are strictly 'fun and games' as team-building," her blog says.

Thornley-Brown believes macho top executives go for the more extreme team-building exercises as a way to force their direct reports to join them in what they consider to be healthy, challenging activities, when in fact they are putting both employees and the company at risk.

"Companies have found themselves involved in lawsuits when they pressured employees to participate in activities that are dangerous or even humiliating," she said.

Of course, developing a strategy to fight such lawsuits could be viewed as a team-building exercise – for those in the C-suite.