Ten adventures for this winter

October 10, 2009

Be it bombing down a snowy mountain or swimming on the edge of a waterfall, take inspiration from these ten adventurous trips that can be tackled all over the world in the next few months.

Snowboard down a volcano – Mount Tokachidake, Hokkaido, Japan

Why queue for ski lifts on resort slopes when you can hike and snowboard down a volcano? Daredevils in Japan head for Mount Tokachidake after an essential lesson in avalanche training. You can hike up 800 vertical metres, through 40-degree terrain- unprotected from 45mph winds - before throwing themselves back down for an amazing half-hour run from beneath the smoking cone.

When to go: November to June but February is best

Wilderness trek – Torres del Paine, Patagonia

Live out your very own Patagonian survival odyssey by pitching a tent in the howling wind, drinking clear water from icy rivers and willing yourself on to reach the next camp by nightfall. The scenic diversity is extraordinary – the torres, or towers, are three polished granite needles carved by glaciation with picture-perfect precision. Trekkers are kept guessing until the last moment with only the very tops of the spires in view for most of the climb until the scene unfolds.

When to go: November to March

Climb Kilimanjaro – Tanzania

Temperatures drop as low as -30C on the mountain and with the Uhuru peak at 5895m, altitude sickness is likely. However Kilimanjaro is the most accessible of the world's 'seven summits' (the highest mountain in each continent). The climb along the Rongai route takes you through cloud forest before becoming more rugged as incidences of headaches and nausea increase with the altitude. The climb through scree to the summit is the most dangerous part, but the view from the crater rim across the Great Rift Valley and sense of achievement make it worth it.

When to go: Late December to mid March or late June to October

Bobsleigh an Olympic track – Utah

Speeds of more than 80mph will seem frighteningly fast when you are rattling round a track at almost a 90-degree angle, hitting bends like a missile. In the bobsleigh you are advised to keep your head down for the entire run but on the bends you are pulling up to 5Gs – the kind of G force you would expect on a fighter jet.

When to go: October to February

Dog-sledding – Arctic Circle

Plough for hours through an other-worldly landscape of frozen forests, lakes, canyons and mountains: scenes devoid of all signs of movement frozen into a long winter pause. Although dog-sledding is inherently peaceful, it's much faster and more exciting than most people imagine. You actively participate by adjusting your weight, pushing off up steep inclines and crouching quickly to avoid lashing branches.

When to go: December to April

Cruise to Antarctica

Visit the world's harshest wilderness the easy way on a sturdy cruise ship where seasickness medication is a must. Pass carefully through the Drake Passage where swells can reach six metres or higher causing even the largest vessels to pitch and yaw at alarming angles. See elephant seals, gentoo penguins and land on the black sand of the caldera at Neptune's Bellows.

When to go: November to March

Swimming at the edge of Victoria Falls

Get close to the edge of Zambia's famous waterfall and get a face full of spray as you watch 19,280 million cubic feet of water a minute crash down the 100m drop below. Between August and December or January, depending on water levels, the Devil's Pool, on the brim of the waterfall, is calm enough to swim in. Rather than jumping in you actually swim to the pool from nearby Livingstone Island.

When to go: Between August and December or January

White-water rafting – Zambezi

The Zambezi river has some of the world's most extreme white-water rapids including several grade 6 rapids which are considered "unrunnable". Venture out onto the river though and you will soon find out what it feels like to be faced with a wall of falling water reminiscent of a collapsing skyscraper, at rapids with names like Ghost Rider – the aquatic equivalent of a Disneyland roller-coaster.

When to go: October to May

Trek on Fox Glacier – New Zealand

Clip on your crampons and hike the changing face of this glacier where new ice features form hourly while others break off dramatically. Skirt the edge of crevasses, ice tunnels and caves along a plateau cut with miniature jagged peaks. The descent is, if anything, tougher than the climb as your every muscle concentrates on not slipping down the ice.

When to go: November to April

The Overland Track – Cradle Mountain-Lake, St Clair National Park, Tasmania

This 5-8 day walk is no walk in the park. Well it is, technically. Trampers explore dolerite mountains, glacier-carved valleys, deep lakes and wild rivers. But even in midsummer, conditions in the park can quickly become cold, wet and windy, so pack worst-case scenario clothing and equipment.

When to go: October to November. December to March is peak season