Enjoy snow without skis: Dig snow holes, traverse ice caves and cross a glacier on a snowmobile

Make the most of winter, from intrepid glacier crossings to train journeys through frozen landscapes

Wheel deal: fatbiking in Sweden (Fredrik Broman)

You don't need to hit the pistes to make the most of winter; whether you want gentle fun or an extreme polar adventure, there are plenty of alternative ways to enjoy the snow.

For a taste of glacier hiking, night sledging, ice skating and more, sign up for a new seven-night trip to Slovakia's High Tatras mountains with Explore (01252 884 723; explore.co.uk). Trips depart in February and March and cost from £1,199pp including flights, accommodation, most meals, activities, transport and a tour leader. Who needs skis?

Freewheeling

One of the latest crazes in winter sports is fatbiking – riding a mountain bike kitted out with oversized tyres for hurtling along snowy trails. You can try it out on Discover the World's new four-night adventure in Sweden (01737 214 291; discover-the-world.co.uk).

It offers three nights on the Lulea archipelago and one at Aurora Safari Camp, where you can curl up in an Arctic sleeping bag in front of a log fire in a Nordic lavvu tent. Activities include husky sledding, snowmobiling and ice go-karting. Trips from January to April cost from £1,379pp with accommodation, some meals, flights and transfers.

Walking in a winter wonderland

Exodus (0845 527 4366; exodus.co.uk) has a new eight-day snowshoeing adventure in Transylvania, exploring rural villages and castles, tramping through gorges and up into the mountains, from £999pp including flights, accommodation, most meals, equipment hire and a tour leader. The first departure is on 23 January.

Cold as ice

Epic Tomato (020 7426 9888; epictomato.com) is offering a four-day trip to Iceland staying in a remote lodge before trekking out on to the Langjokull glacier to camp in the icy wilderness.

The survival expedition includes instruction on digging snow holes, traversing subterranean ice caves using crampons and rope harnesses, before crossing the vast expanse of the glacier on a snowmobile. There's also an optional extension to Midgard, a remote snow plain, for snow kiting and ice fishing. From £8,950pp including flights, transfers and full-board accommodation.

Over in Canada you can take to the chilly waters of the St Lawrence river, canoeing between great slabs of ice. The three-hour ice excursion with Quebec Ice Canoeing (001 418 670 6645; quebecicecanoeing.com) costs C$200 (£100).

Glacier lagoon in Iceland (Fredrik Broman)

Animal magic

Follow in the footsteps of Kate Humble next March with Secret Compass's new 16-night Siberia itinerary (020 7096 8428; secretcompass.com). You will take part in the annual reindeer migration with the nomadic Nenets, crossing the frozen Gulf of Ob. From £2,999pp full board, excluding flights.

Saddle up at Montana's Triple Creek Ranch Resort at the foot of the Bitterroot Mountains. Surrounded by pungent pine forest, you'll bed down in a cosy cabin and ride along trails through the snowy wilderness. A six-night trip with Ranch Rider (01509 618 811; ranchrider.com) costs from £2,336pp with full board, transfers and all ranch activities, but not flights.

Off the rails

New for 2016, Golden Eagle Luxury Trains (0161 928 9410; goldeneagleluxurytrains.com) has an Arctic Explorer trip to Russia and Norway, which will speed to the snowy north in search of the Northern Lights with a guest astronomer on board, plus Russian lessons and vodka- tasting sessions.

The 12-day trip departs from St Petersburg on 11 February 2016 and costs from £7,495pp, including six nights' train accommodation, five nights in hotels, full board plus wine, beer, excursions and transfers.