Although the chilliest of seasons, "winter" sparks a hotbed of controversy. Whereas some people joyously anticipate snow! ski! fireplaces!, others glumly face a discontent of slush, shiver, and shovelling. Whether you love winter - or aim to leave it well behind, here are five essential escapes... from snow-capped peaks to palmy beaches.
Skiing and snowboarding reach new heights with the invention of Woopy (www.woopyjump.com) - part parapenting, part downhill racing. The sport involves a skier or snowboarder strapping into an overgrown kite then skimming three meters or more off the ground... and staying airborne for 10 meters. "We are not crazy - we are professionals," avers Christophe Lombard, a demo pilot/instructor.
Woopy has taken wing on the slopes of Morgins, a low-key Swiss village (think Heidi-esque alpages - wooden mountain chalets) that links to the largest ski resort in the world - Portes du Soleil, which extends into both France and Switzerland. Morgins recently opened a Woopy Park where enthusiasts can catch air on terrains with different difficulty levels. Just point your gear downhill, reach a speed of 45km/hour and you're flying. "Very James Bond," Lombard adds.
Even if your feet never leave the ground, you can find high adventure. At the Utah Olympic Park, amateurs get their gold-medal moment as they zoom at 120 km/hour - picking up 5 G's of force on the curves - on the actual bobsled run (www.olyparks.com) where teams raced at the 2002 Winter Olympics. Sleds (all former competition equipment) have been modified so that all braking and steering are done by the pilots (mostly former Olympic competitors).
Sit at the rear of the four-person sled if you want maximum mayhem. You'll be amazed how fast your vista veers to a 90-degree angle when the sled slants through the 15 hairpin turns. The ride lasts for the most intense 60 seconds of your life. Utah Olympic Park is located in Park City, a 60km-drive from Salt Lake City and setting for top ski resorts Deer Valley, the Canyons, and Park City Mountain Resort.
Perhaps you prefer palms to pistes. "We have two seasons in Kauai," a local remarked. "Summer - and summer is coming around again." With its jungled peaks and golden strands, the island embodies tropical beauty.
HoloHolo Charters (www.holoholocharters.com) offers day sails aboard luxury catamarans along Kauai's Na Pali coast, where cliffs plummet 4,000 feet to the Pacific. You'll see silvery waterfalls and the twin beaches of Honopu, where scenes from the 1976 King Kong were filmed. En route you might encounter humpback whales and spinner dolphins; you can also snorkel at a calm cove where sea turtles congregate.
Newly renovated, the Hilton Kauai Beach Resort lies on a sheltered beach with excellent snorkeling. World-class golf, shopping, and museums beckon just minutes away.
Primeval vistas also await in Mauritius, an isle of waterfalls and giant water lilies that measure six feet in diameter. Mauritius became final Eden for the dodo - a stubby-winged, thick-beaked, flightless bird that became extinct in the 17th century - a mere 80 years after humans first colonized the island.
Today visitors can hike through landscapes where dodos once roamed at Black River Gorges National Park. The reserve protects the island's remaining endemic forests and rare birds such as the Mauritius kestrel and pink pigeon, a dodo relative. Hiking trails crisscross from marshy heaths to 2,700-foot Black River Peak, the highest point on the island.
After exploring, visitors can relax at the Hilton Mauritius Resort & Spa set on Flic-en-Flac Beach, one of the best spots in Mauritius for swimming and water sports.
How about sightseeing at sites you can't actually see?
Vortexes are places where the earth supposedly emanates spiritual energy, creating uplifting sensations. According to believers, many centers lie near Sedona at the heart of Red Rock Country, about a two-hour drive north of Phoenix. Sedona Mystical Tours (www.sedonamysticaltours.com) offers guided visits and hikes to several vortexes, many of which have long been considered "sacred ground" by Native Americans. In winter, daytime temperatures in Sedona average 16oC - ideal for outdoors adventures from horseback riding to four-wheel off-road driving.
Set against rust-red bluffs, the Hilton Sedona Resort & Spa makes a perfect base for exploring, with a par-71 championship golf course and full-service spa offering treatments such as the "Painted Desert and Clay Wrap" that restores and moisturizes skin.
Risa Wyatt has skied half of the winter resorts in North America - and is working on the other half. Her personal best is skiing three countries in one day: Italy (Cervinia), Switzerland (Zermatt) and France (La Rosière).
© Risa Wyatt 2007
