10 Adrenaline-Pumping Winter Vacations

Expand your winter playground with SWS Mountain Guides’ winter ascent of California’s 14,505-foot Mt. Whitney, the tallest peak in the contiguous U.S. Intermediate and advanced climbers learn the finer points of mountaineering—rope team travel, snow protection placement, high camp establishment, and avalanche hazard evaluation—along with a basic review of crampon and ice ax techniques. The four-day course culminates in a summit push from Lone Pine via the gruelling Mountaineer’s Route ($995; swsmtns.com)