11 Epic Winter Activities For The All-Season Adventurer

Winter sports > summer sports. Keep warm during all your winter excursions with a ThermoBall Jacket.

1. Go snowkiting on a frozen lake.

Pierce Martin / CC BY http://2.0 / Via Flickr: pierce-martin

Snowkiting (also called ice kiting) is the winter version of windsurfing. Kiters harness wind energy with a sail on a frozen lake, field, or other large flat plane, and use it pull themselves along on skis or a snowboard. Tricks and jumps are also possible.

2. Give skijoring a try.

PhotoBobil / CC BY http://2.0 / Via Flickr: 15174316@N02

Are you a dedicated puppy parent? Maybe you should consider skijoring. The sport pairs a dog (or dogs) in a harness with a cross-country skier, but beware — there are no brakes. Dogs must respond to the skier's vocal commands.

3. Take a hike — on a glacier.

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Glacial hiking offers beautiful views and lunar-esque landscapes of ice. The time to hike is now because American glaciers are melting quickly. There are many glaciers located in national parks in both the American West as well as Alaska. Pick one near you, look up a hiking guide, and get going.

4. Leave the runs behind and go ski touring.

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Ski touring is a more intense form of cross-country that involves the exploration of pristine backcountry runs. Ski tourers move uphill and downhill, quickly ascending by cutting up the mountainside so they can ride fresh powder on the way back down. One tour can extend overnight or over multiple days.

5. Or explore frozen landscapes by mountain bike.

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Winter mountain biking uses a "fat bike," which has wider knobby tires designed for traction on the ice and snow. There are a huge number of cycling parks and rides available, depending on your region. This cyclist is exploring the cavern behind a frozen waterfall.

6. Take your kayak downhill in a snowkayaking race.

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Snowkayakers paddle down slopes through powder just like they would paddle down a running river. There are two main variants: organized races down groomed runs (as pictured above) and backcountry kayaking. Are you the competitive sort, or do you prefer the challenge of the unknown?

7. Put your winter driving to the test in an ice race.

royal_broil / CC BY-SA http://2.0 / Via Flickr: royal_broil

Ice racing is a traditional stock car race but held on a frozen track. The speeds are lower, but the physics are way more extreme. Cars slip and drift around turns, and there's plenty of car-on-car contact. Various car classes, with classification rules, exist, so read up to find your favorite.

8. Go the (vertical) distance on an ice climb.

©ROBERTO CAUCINO

Ice climbing is offered at numerous mountains across the globe — and the world's highest peaks require ice climbing year round. There's no reason to limit your summiting to the summer months. Sharpen your axe and get picking.

9. Or descend into an ice cave.

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Caving in the winter is a combination of repelling, ice climbing, and exploring. Many caves exist worldwide in glacier environments, but be sure to note the days of operation. Many tours are only offered on a seasonal basis because the caves turn into rivers of snowmelt during warmer months.

10. Glide through the winter with ice sailing.

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Ice sailing is winter's answer for the nautical nut who needs their sailing fix. The ice boat or scooter rests on runners of wood or iron. A solo sailor or sailing team harnesses wind in the sails to navigate the boat across the ice, reaching speeds of 50-60 mph.

11. And finally: Stay in an ice hotel.

Matias-Garabedian / CC BY-SA http://2.0 / Via Flickr: mateeas

Spending the night in one of these man-made palaces is definitely something for the bucket list. Of course, there's nothing quite like a frigid hotel room after a long day heating up on an extreme adventure in the cold.