Throw yourself down the Cresta in St Moritz
Winter-sports holidays were invented here in 1864 by the British and the Cresta Run started around 20 years later. Participants ride, headfirst, on a heavy metal 'skeleton', with their faces just inches from the ice at speeds of up to 88mph. If you want to take part, it costs SwF500 (£210) for the first five rides and thereafter SwF45 (£19) per ride. But it's men only. Despite the fact that it is now an Olympic sport, women are banned from competing by the private St Moritz Tobogganing Club, which runs the Cresta (cresta-run.com). Stay at the renovated Hotel Carlton (+41 (0)81 836 7000, carlton-stmoritz.ch), originally built as a summer residence by Tsar Nicolai II in 1913, which reopens this month as the resort's first boutique hotel. BA flies to Zurich from London City Airport, Gatwick and Heathrow.
Zip through the trees in Whistler
Whistler is the leader of all that's new in skiing and snowboarding, but zip-wiring is a little different. You jump off heated platforms set high in the pine forest. The platforms are all linked together by thick steel cables - a guide shows you how to use the equipment - and, once you are harnessed on to the cable, you soar through the trees. It is safe and fun for all ages. It costs £45 for an afternoon with Ziptrek Ecotours (+1 604 935 0001, ziptrek.com). Stay at the convenient and comfortable Fairmont Chateau Whistler (+1 604 938 8000, fairmont.com/whistler). BA flies to Vancouver from London Heathrow.
Sleep in an igloo in Zermatt
You can stay the night in a real igloo up a mountain, with morning tea in 'bed' (an expedition sleeping bag on soft mats, covered by sheepskins). At Igloo Village (+41 (0)41 612 2728, iglu-dorf.com), there's the option of a night snowshoe walk before bed and a private whirlpool bath under the stars. It costs from €80 (£56) per adult per night and from €45 (£31) per child. The price includes a fondue dinner and breakfast in a restaurant. To ring the changes, you could also try the igloo villages in Gstaad, Engelberg, Davos and Klosters. BA flies to Geneva from London Gatwick and Heathrow.
Go snow tubing in Vail
This is the toboggan of the 21st century where you sit cocooned inside a huge yellow rubber ring. To go up the mountain, you sit back in your tube and hook it on to the sort of rope-tow lift normally used for skiing. To go down, you hold on tight and rocket down the multilane tubing hill. It's safer than regular tobogganing and just as exciting on the floodlit slopes at night. It costs $24 (£12) for a one-hour session. Information on tubing from Vail resort (vail.snow.com). Stay at the revamped Vail Mountain Lodge and Spa (+1 970 476 0700, vailmountain lodge.com). BA flies to Denver from London Heathrow.
What lies beneath... Tignes
The extraordinary activity of ice-diving takes place under the frozen lake in Tignes by day and - with torches - at night. Chainsaws slice a hole in the ice and divers are tethered to the hole by lines and harnesses. You dive, with a guide, to just below the ice (1.5m) and find yourself in a peaceful other world with beautiful light and gurgling ice bubbles. It costs €70 (£49) for a daytime dive and €90 (£63) at night. Dry suits, tight gloves and all equipment is provided and you don't need any previous diving experience. More information from Evolution2 (evolution2.com/tignes) or Tignes Plongée (tignesplongee.com). Stay at Hotel L'Arbina (+33 (0)479 06 34 78, arbina.net), which is a simple two-star with a wonderful restaurant.BA flies to Lyon from London Heathrow. Visit ba.com.
Felice Hardy, co-editor of The Good Skiing & Snowboarding Guide 2008 and joint editor of the new ski website welove2ski.com
Read about more winter adventures in Barking mad in the snow.
