by Beena Nadeem
Ditch ho-hum weekends and holidays and try something different with these adrenaline-infused ideas
Skip the usual round of movies and drinks this weekend and change your perspective by getting airborne or fulfilling your need for speed. All the activities listed here can be done in a day - perfect for a special weekend or a day out. And you can do them on your own, with a partner or with a group of friends.
Flying
Just imagine soaring through cornflower blue skies or hovering above wisps of candy floss clouds with nothing but the patchwork of green fields beneath you, while you take control in the cockpit. Learning to fly was once the preserve of the well-off, but with half-hour lessons starting at around £75, there's more opportunity to get a taste of the wild blue yonder without sacrificing safety.
In a one-day lesson you'll learn to read the cockpit indicators, do pre-flight checks, and also taught rudimentary technical information, such as what different parts of the plane do. Then you'll get airborne, where you'll also learn about the essentials of flying, flight preparation and, with practice, may even negotiate a series of take-off and landing manoeuvres - all under the watchful eye of a flight instructor who has dual controls. Helicopter lessons - likened to rubbing your head and patting your tummy at the same time - can be booked at similar rates.
You need to be over 16 years old and must be in general good health. Some schools operate weight restrictions.
Taster half-hour sessions start at around £70 up to about £100, with five-hour lessons costing around £600. Book with www.intotheblue.co.uk or www.redletterdays.co.uk.
Skydiving
There's an old joke in skydiving: if at first you don't succeed, then skydiving isn't for you. Perhaps seasoned veterans are just trying to keep novices away from what they describe as an exhilarating and thrilling experience. In any case, the two types of skydiving options for beginners ensure safety. One allows you to experience freefall in a tandem jump. You're securely strapped to an instructor and together you jump out of a plane at 10,000 feet. The instructor opens the chute and navigates the landing, leaving you to watch the world go by, so to speak.
For those who want to go it alone, there is the static line jump. As you leave the plane at the lower altitude of 3,000 feet, your parachute opens automatically and you steer yourself towards the drop zone.
For a tandem jump, you'll need to put in at least a day, and for a static line jump, you'll need at least a weekend. Tuition generally involves teaching you how to steer the parachute, the basics of the jump, and what happens as well as safety measures. (A word to the wise: skip skydiving on a first date. Because air expands with altitude, high-altitude flatulence can occur.)
Jumps take place all year round, weather permitting. Generally, everyone from 16 to 70 is welcome, although those with a medical condition or anyone over 40 years old need to check with their doctor first. There are about 35 centres dotted around the UK that operate jumps and are licensed by the British Parachute Association. For information on your nearest jump centres and bookings, see www.bpa.org.
Indoor skiing
Skiing in Britain is no longer restricted to a couple of wind-swept and bitterly cold weekends on the Scottish Grampians, or those giant scrubbing brushes they call dry ski slopes. Indoor ski centres with man-made slopes provide temperature-regulated skiing year-round, less the price of an airplane ticket.
Of course, without the majestic scenery, skiing on an indoor slope will never compare to shushing down the Matterhorn, but it's a brilliant way to perfect your technique, get your children into the sport or try your hand at something new like snowboarding or snowblading. There are even bars close by at most centres, for an authentic après-ski feeling. Check out women's-only mornings, which have reduced lesson fees, and boarders' evenings for learning freestyle tricks.
Ski boots and boards are included in the booking fee. Clothes such as salopettes and ski jackets can be hired at a small additional cost, but you'll need to bring your own gloves. And, just to point out the obvious, don't come in your jeans or tracksuit bottoms (as many unsuspecting skiers do); otherwise you'll end up soggy and chilled. These may be indoor facilities, but the snow is still as cold.
Prices vary - weekends and evenings are more expensive - but they tend to range from £15 to £23 per hour, with discounts for multiple-hour bookings. Instruction can be expensive and starts from £24 per hour to £150 for the entire day.
Indoor slopes can be found at:
Milton Keynes Xscape www.snozonemk.co.uk/miltonkeynes
Castleford near Leeds www.snowzonemk.co.uk/castleford
Tamworth's Snow Dome www.snowdome.co.uk
Glasgow's snowdome at Braehead is expected to open in 2005, with a snowdome in London currently being planned.
Karting
These souped-up little vehicles can whiz around an outdoor tarmac track at up to 70mph and are incredibly good fun - especially for those with a bit of a competitive streak. You can pick up the technique within minutes and, from then on, it's all about winning.
Indoor karting circuits - with electric- and gas-powered karts - are dotted all over the country and tend to be slower than outdoor ones. Outdoors ones use faster gas-powered karts and have the advantage of being much more powerful. That means you can rip down the straights, and snake in and out of corners.
Prices start at £35 for a half-hour. Check out www.karting.co.uk or www.nationalkarting.co.uk for more information.
Balloon Rides
As you slowly drift in a balloon, you'll leave the ground and the stresses of the city behind you. A qualified pilot will fly you and your friends over the patchwork of Hertfordshire fields, the valleys of the Lakes or even the landmarks of London, to name but a few. The sensation of floating is actually fairly limited and movement feels stable, as you're moving with, not against, the wind.
Rides take place all over the country, and you can even organise a champagne breakfast or lunch or arrange to land at a restaurant or hotel.
Flights usually last an hour, but you'll need to put a few hours aside either way for preparation, briefings and helping to pack away. Note that you'll need to book a couple of weeks in advance and, naturally, the experience is subject to the weather. Under-16s need to be accompanied by an adult.
A comprehensive list of licensed operators and the services they offer can be found at www.balloonsoverbritain.co.uk. Most prices for an hours' ride start at around £80, but can range up to £700.