The realisation, over the last decade or so, that a refreshing holiday doesn't have to mean lounging on a beach with a good book has led to an explosion of operators offering extreme sports trips to satisfy almost anyone's desire for an invigorating adventure. While the vast majority of trips are based around activities where the perceived danger is far greater than the real danger, it is important to remember that there are some risks involved. It is worth putting extra effort into ascertaining the level of competency of any operator you intend using. Check their guides' qualifications and experience levels, ask about the safety equipment they use and how often it is maintained and replaced and inquire as to the guide/client ratio to ensure that you will receive a reasonable amount of personal tuition and contact. Once you are satisfied, hold onto your hat and prepare to be thrilled. Below are just some of the sports that can lift your adrenaline levels to new highs.

Canyoning

One of the new kids on the adventure sport block, canyoning has rapidly become one of the most popular of such activities in Europe, with its accessibility and high fun factor playing a significant part in its rise. It involves scrambling through rocky gorges, abseiling down waterfalls and leaping carefree into deep river pools while wearing a special, reinforced wetsuit and helmet to help protect against bumps and scrapes. If you like getting wet then canyoning could be your thing. A two-day introductory course would leave you confident of the simple ropework and scrambling skills needed, then it is just down to practice. Although it is possible to canyon independently, this should only be attempted by more experienced canyoners. It is far better and easier to link up with a local operator, who will have qualified guides who know the best areas and the possible problems associated with regional weather conditions. Canyons are constricted waterways and heavy rain can cause devastating flash floods. Canyoning was born in Europe and the Alps is still the Mecca, though there are usually operators in any suitable mountain area. In the UK, there are no real canyons, but gorge walking is a close parallel and takes place in Wales and Scotland.

Coasteering

This is the latest addition to the adventure sports' world and is suitable for anyone who is a reasonably strong swimmer and has a head (and heart) for leaping from rocks. It originated on the coastline of south-west Wales and the name was derived from the similar, inland, sport of canyoning. Clad in a wetsuit and buoyancy aid, topped off with a protective helmet, you get to scramble, swim and leap your way around spectacular and otherwise unreachable sections of rugged coastline. Being tumbled around in the ebb and flow of the tidal surge is an exhilarating experience, but nothing can match leaping from rocks into the ocean for adrenaline-rush value. Most courses are based around half-day excursions, with instruction on how to negotiate the obstacles safely. Although the coasteering word is spreading rapidly, it is still predominantly a UK-based activity, with west Wales remaining at the forefront. Courses are also available in north Wales, Scotland and Cornwall.

Hang-gliding

You may have dreamed of having wings and soaring high over the hills, but hang- gliding is as close as you can get at present. With a delta-shaped wing over you and your own prone position, your similarity to a bird lies in more than your ability to get airborne. If you correctly read and pick the thermal currents that rise from the Earth's surface, it is possible to stay in the air almost indefinitely. Beginners' courses start out on gentle slopes and tether the hang-glider to the ground to stop you from getting too high until you have mastered the feel of flying. Short-hop flights follow, and eventually you can take off alone and soar along a ridge. Taster courses are available if you just want to try it, as full pilot qualification training takes money and a reasonable amount of time. If you invest in your own hang-glider, then the costs are reduced. It is possible to fly anywhere you can find a hill and steady wind conditions, so the world becomes your potential playground.

Hydrospeeding

Think of white-water rafting and then personalise it with a one-person raft - that is the gist of hydrospeeding. There is no better way of getting up close to the frothing torrents of a river. The hydrospeed raft is like the front half of a small bobsleigh and allows you to protect your arms and head from impact while your finned legs dangle off the back to provide the power and steering. Extra-thick wetsuits are specially designed to protect any exposed parts of your body. The hydrospeeds are incredibly manoeuvrable and you can swoop through pounding rapids with ease. You need to be a competent swimmer and then a straightforward instruction session will teach you the basic skills for steering and reading the water flow. It has become very popular and courses are offered on most rivers where rafting takes place throughout Europe.

Ice climbing

Human interaction with the environment rarely comes in a more spectacular form than it does when you go ice climbing. The stark beauty of towering walls of ice, or even frozen waterfalls, contrasts sharply with the seemingly gravity-defying ascent of a person using only two axes and a pair of crampons, special pointed attachments to climbing boots. It is wonderful to feel the sprinkling shards of freezing ice shower your face each time you place an axe. Ice climbing is a highly skilled activity and involves the ropework aspects of rock climbing, so it is essential to get full and proper instruction. Although weekend courses are available, it is far better to dedicate a week to learning the fundamentals. Most course prices include the hire of all the specialist equipment needed, but you will have to supply your own suitable outdoor clothing. There are many places around the world where you can practice ice climbing, including the Rocky Mountains in Canada and the USA, the European Alps and Scotland. It is always advisable to check on weather conditions before booking as ice routes vary considerably throughout the winter months.

Paragliding

For those who find having their feet on the ground slightly mundane, paragliding is the ultimate way to fly. With only a thin seat between you and a plummet to Earth, you get to soar on thermal air ridges using a rectangular canopy that allows you to control both direction and speed. After a weekend starter course, you can be up and flying solo, though it is very advisable to take as much qualified instruction as possible to learn about the fine nuances that will eventually enable you to stay in the air longer and more safely. If you get hooked then it will be a relief to know that paragliding is one of the cheapest ways to get airborne, though it still doesn't cost peanuts. Some of the most inspiring places to paraglide are in the Alps, with Chamonix in France, the Jungfrau region of Switzerland and the mountains around Lake Constance being among the best. There are plenty of places to try your hand at flying in the UK, with the south coast area being a popular choice.

Rock climbing

Few activities require the level of concentration and ability necessary to subdue the body's natural reaction to danger as rock climbing does. Even when you are securely tied to a rope that will stop you from falling far, a tricky move has fear welling up inside you. By controlling those fears and directing that energy into your fingers and feet, it is possible to scale rock faces that, from the ground, seem to have no holds. It is essential to receive proper training in the techniques and ropework required, as the consequences can be dire if mistakes are made. A weekend course should be enough to get you started and then the world is your oyster. There are almost limitless places to climb, with some of the most renowned being in the USA, such as the huge granite walls at Yosemite, though Wadi Rum in Jordan and Arapiles, near Melbourne, may appeal too. Europe is awash with great rock routes, too, with the Alps and Spain being particularly good locations. Getting yourself fully kitted out can be expensive, but as you need at least two people to climb the costs can be split.

Scuba diving

Many people are unaware of the incredible world that exists beneath the sea, yet donning a mask and snorkel and glimpsing this other world for the first time is one of the most exciting and life-changing experiences around. While snorkelling is a great and easy way to see the bright colours of coral reefs and the plethora of rainbow-coloured fish that live on them, it is frustrating to have to surface for air continually. Scuba diving not only solves that problem, it adds a completely different dimension to the experience. To move around effortlessly for up to an hour or so, swimming among shoals of exotic fish and maybe even seeing dolphins, turtles, manta rays or sharks, is possibly the most refreshing and thrilling adventure sport you can do. It is essential to take a recognised instruction course, such as those offered by PADI, BSAC or NAUI, that shows you how to use the equipment, the standard methods of communicating underwater and how to handle emergencies. Most beginner courses can be completed in a total period of one week or so. Once you are qualified you are free to roam the world's oceans in search of the big blue.

Sea kayaking

Setting off on a voyage has always been one of the more romantic faces of adventure travel, and heading off for open oceans in a sea kayak is as challenging as voyaging becomes. The feeling of being really out there is almost tangible when waves roll through and you bob up and down, seeing the land appear and disappear behind each one. Thankfully for beginners, though, many sea kayaking trips are run in areas where the oceans are at their most placid and beautiful, and most rarely venture too far from a coastline. The paddling skills needed for kayaking can be learnt relatively quickly, a couple of days will give a grasp of the basics, but it does take time to learn enough about tides, weather, navigation and ocean currents to enable you to head off without a guide. If you think sea kayaking involves too much time spent on bland ocean, you may be surprised to hear that it is a great way to spot ocean wildlife, too. Turtles, dolphins, flying fish and even whales can be seen in some areas and the peaceful nature of paddling means the animals are less likely to be scared off. Baja California in south-western America is one of the prime areas for sea kayaking, but the more adventurous may fancy a trip to the glacial waters of Patagonia.

Ski touring/mountaineering

When winter bites, it puts paid to many adventurous opportunities, but at the same time creates others, such as ski touring and ski mountaineering, sports that may offer the most adventurous ways of getting out into wilderness areas during the coldest months. There can be few experiences more exhilarating than cresting a ridge on skis and taking in the panoramic view of a snow bowl filled with glacial ice and surrounded by craggy snow-capped peaks. Special hairy strips, known as 'skins', attach to the bottom of the skis and, together with bindings that allow your heels to lift, enable you to walk up very steep snow slopes. It is not vastly more exacting than mountain hiking, but you do need to be a competent off-piste skier to negotiate the testing terrain safely. Ski mountaineering simply involves ski touring and climbing to a summit, which may require climbing and ropework skills. While there are super opportunities to ski tour in the Alps, with the spectacular Vallée Blanche near Chamonix being one of the most accessible and do-able runs for newcomers, there are also great ski touring routes in Scotland, Scandinavia and the Rocky Mountains.

Skiing

Undoubtedly the most popular of adventure sports, downhill skiing is also one of the least physically demanding when practised in a good ski resort. Extensive lift systems carry you up the slopes, so all you have to do is enjoy the thrill of going back down again, although a bit of thigh burn usually accompanies long runs! The action is fast and exciting and there can be no better place to be than on a ski slope on a sunny day after a fresh fall of snow. For beginners, a week of morning sessions at ski school is usually enough to get you negotiating simple runs with ease and two weeks of skiing is ideal for further honing of your skills. However long you go for, though, it won't be enough. Skiing is addictive! With opposite seasons in the northern and southern hemispheres, it is theoretically possible to ski all year round, with the Rocky Mountains of North America, the European Alps and the New Zealand Alps offering some of the best locations. A popular offshoot from downhill skiing is heli-skiing, where a helicopter takes you to the top of untouched slopes of powder snow outside the resort area for the ultimate experience of wilderness skiing.

Skydiving

The thought of falling to Earth from a plane is a nightmare to some people and an exciting dream for others - the difference being that people in the latter group imagine doing it with a parachute on. If you want to have your entire body and mind overcome with a potent mixture of fear and excitement, then take yourself down to an airfield and find yourself a skydiving instructor. There are several variations available for beginners, with the simplest and cheapest being a static line jump. On this course, you are taught how to land properly, like the soldiers in those old Second World War movies. You're then launched from a plane at around 600 metres above the ground. The parachute is automatically opened on exit from the plane, so you just get to enjoy the descent. Tandem skydives involve you being lashed to the front of a skydive instructor and then launched together from a plane at around 3,500 metres. The instructor does all the work, so again you get the thrill without needing too many of the skills. If you want to fast track yourself to skydiving alone, then an accelerated freefall course can have you qualified in less than a week. Some of the best skydiving spots on the planet are in California and South Africa.

Snowboarding

With its rebellious image and street-style clothing, snowboarding is distinctly different from skiing and there has been a fair amount of tension between the two sports over the last decade or so. Things seem to have calmed now and the upstart sport of snowboarding is openly accepted at most ski resorts in the world. With only one piece of wood strapped to your feet to think about, it is easier to learn how to snowboard than it is to ski, but it requires many hours of practice to become really good. It is like surfing on snow and the techniques and body movements of the two sports are not dissimilar. There are snowboard instructors at all the major ski resorts of the world, and a day or two of learning the basics will have you whooshing down the slopes.

White-water rafting

Team spirit is the key factor in a successful rafting trip, and the exhilaration that comes with getting through a big rapid with a committed team effort puts other sports in the shade. Most rafts can seat up to six or eight people, and it is essential that everyone instantly obeys the commands of the river guide. "Forward hard", "back paddle" and "high side left" are all common commands that can make the difference between emerging safely from a rapid and the boat flipping over to send everyone swimming. There are no real courses where you can learn about rafting as it is one of the most straightforward of adventure sports. A half-hour briefing session will take you through all the commands and safety aspects and as long as you are a reasonable swimmer, you are free to go and get wet and wild. Most rafting rivers have grades between III and VI: the latter are the domain of experts who happen to have a screw loose and the former provide a fun and challenging ride for beginners. There are endless numbers of places to raft in the world, so if there are mountains in an area then there is usually rafting, too.