Sports

Do you ever just close your eyes and imagine escaping your day-to-day surroundings? Wishing you could travel to some far-flung destination? All of us do this at some point and especially of you are a lover of the white stuff when winter comes around. Well, we have a destination for you. With its awe-inspiring mountains, expansive lakes, powdery snow and perfect vistas, the Austrian ski resort of Zell am See-Kaprun can certainly the answer to that dream.

The mountains and farm-covered countryside of northern Switzerland are prime biking territory. The scene is classically Swiss - green, natural, with gentle clanging from Alpine cow bells sounding across the hills and valleys. On our e-bikes, we ride past lavender fields and classic flower- covered farm chalets, racing down hills and effortlessly climbing to the tops of others. Always in the distance are the serene white peaks of Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau.

All you can hear is the sound of your own slow breathing. Lurid yellow, orange and pink fish flash by, like tiny electric bolts. Your flippers gently brush against the tips of swaying tropical plants and with each metre you swim deeper, there' another underwater scene, each one more mesmerising than the last. Welcome to the world of scuba diving.

"Ever ridden a horse?" my Egyptian kitesurfing instructor Cousha asks. Before I can answer, he continues: "This is the exact opposite of riding a horse. Pull on that line and we will soon be watching you fly away." So, it's with those anxiety-inducing instructions I'm introduced to kitesurfing. The sport is a relatively new one, a complicated combo of wakeboarding, windsurfing and gymnastics. In 1998 it went mainstream.

Austria is famed for its beautiful mountains and amazing snow sports. Every year, visitors from across the world travel here to enjoy the country's incredible slopes and mountain lifestyle.  With pristine slopes, off-piste powder and the snowiest ski area in Austria, Obertauern is set to become your new favourite winter destination.

The colossal peaks of Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau dominated the Interlaken-Jungfrau region, which has been at the centre of skiing and mountaineering for more than 200 years.  The 4,158m-high Jungfrau was first climbed in 1811, which kick-started tourism in the Swiss Alps.  Almost 150 years on, Heinrich Harrer released The White Spider, his legendary book describing the first successful ascent, in 1938, of the North Face of the Eiger – nicknamed ‘Mordwand’ or ‘death wall’.  Sir Arnold Lunn organised the first ski slalom race in the village of Mürren in 1922, while the first men’s World Cup do

The stunning Valais region has more than 40 ski areas and 2,500km of slopes; of 45 mighty summits above 4,000m, including the famous, pyramid-shaped Matterhorn; of glorious panaromic views; of 50 grape varieties (best enjoyed chilled in a glass on one of the region’s many sun terraces) and one UNESCO World Heritage Site.  When the first thing you say about a Swiss ski region isn’t the fact that it’s probably the most snow-sure in a country pretty reliable for its snow, you know it’s got a whole lot more going for it.  Valais is one of the most spectacular ski regions in all of Europe.

Okay, so you’ve eaten the freshest fish in the beachside Taverners, you swam in sparkling blue sea, and you soaked up thousands of years of ancient history. But there’s heaps more to explore in Greece – especially when it comes to action and adventure.

Sure, you could sunbathe; but did you know you could ski? And do you know you can snorkel, but what about rock climbing to an ancient monist tree? No matter what type of adventure you’re after, you’ll find it in Greece. Here are some ideas…

The ski area of Arosa Lenzerheide comprises two resorts linked by the Urdenbahn – a cable car that was installed in 2014, creating a whole new world of winter opportunities.  Skiers can now get from the Hörnli in Arosa to the Urdenfüggli in Lenzerheide via a five-minute ride over the Urdental valley.

"Diving is so much fun, you'll love it", my friends said. As I vomited in the water and fought back tears on the first day of my four-day Open Water Diver course in Dahab I began plotting my revenge against these so-called friends.  At first, the course seemed like torture. This was my holiday, after all, and I had paid a substantial sum of money to spend part of it studying a textbook called the PADI Open Water Diver Manual, and the other part subjecting myself to complicated skills work in the ocean, such as learning to pivot on my fins.