There is a reason cold-weather sports enthusiasts wax poetic about Switzerland in winter: The combination of nosebleed-high mountains, snowfalls into late spring and a surprisingly robust nightlife add up to a destination tailor-made for those of us who love to test our mettle — at least occasionally — on the slopes.

Alpine skiing is by far the destination’s biggest winter sport. Some of the most famous ski areas in the world are in Switzerland, including St. Moritz, Davos, Zermatt and Gstaad. There also are dozens of ski areas — some of which American visitors may not even know about — that offer terrain challenging enough to tempt even the most finicky expert.

Best of all, adventures range on the adrenaline meter from the bite-sized — for weekend warriors — to the truly extreme — for those whose need for speed far exceeds the challenge of schussing a groomed black diamond run.

Would-be freestyle skiers and snowboarders can practice their moves at one of my favorite Swiss ski areas, Champery, Portes du Soleil in Valais. This is the sort of mountain that epitomizes the European ski experience: picture-postcard scenery, plenty of on-slope taverns serving multicourse meals with wine, and more than 200 lifts and trails that crisscross back and forth between Switzerland and France.

The draw for adventurers is the SuperPark freeriding terrain park. Still not as common overseas as in the United States, this is where skiers practice their moves before tackling Le Mur Suisse, also known as the piste of Le Pas de Chavanette. Not super-long — the run measures just over a half-mile — the wall is nonetheless so steep that only the very expert need apply. Word of caution: Be prepared to be mired in waist-deep powder drifts.

If even this sounds too tame, it may be time to attempt snowkiting, a hot new winter sport that combines the skills — and to some extent, the equipment — of windsurfing with those of snowboarding or skiing. Picture someone hurling past you, sometimes even uphill, with a foil or inflatable kite as a sail, and you get the idea. Snowkiters can cover a lot of territory, depending on the conditions, and the sport is especially trendy among adventurers who want to explore backcountry terrain.

That said, snowkiting can be dangerous, so would-be snowkiters should seriously consider going out with a guide or at least taking lessons. One of the best places to learn the sport is on Simplon Pass plateau situated above Brig in Valais. There is a Swiss Snowkiting School right on the pass where rank beginners and hotshot experts can take lessons geared to their abilities. As to location, the pass is situated between the Pennine and Lepontine Alps and links Valais, Switzerland, with Piedmont, Italy. On the theory that even adventure seekers can appreciate great scenery, be sure to make time to enjoy the drive along the pass road, considered one of the prettiest in the region.

For a challenge that goes beyond terrain served by chairlifts, some Swiss resorts offer heliskiing for expert and advanced skiers and snowboarders. In Zermatt, you can join a three- to four-hour excursion that includes a scenic flight to Alphubeljoch, from where you will negotiate a steep vertical pitch down to Täschalp/Täsch. A group tour of four to seven people with a mountain guide is priced at about $340; about $1,118 to go alone with a guide.

Let’s say your desire for adventure outweighs your coordination or technical skills on the slopes. Are you doomed to quietly schuss down the bunny trail with the newbies? Instead, why not try airboarding, a relatively easy-to-learn sport that nonetheless delivers plenty of thrills, depending on the terrain. Like snowkiting, airboarding takes its inspiration from the water and uses an inflatable body board adapted for the snow. Some ski areas offer runs specifically developed for airboards, while others let you use toboggan runs. Balmberg, Davos, Heuberge and Klosters are among the resorts that offer so-called airboard pistes, where you can try out the sport without dodging skiers and riders. Do I even have to mention that helmets are required?

Of course, one danger of getting a face full of snow on an airboard is that it might push extreme sports fanatics to go for even more thrills on an Olympic bobsled run. One to try is St. Moritz-Celerina, which, unlike other bob runs, is re-created every year from natural ice. Besides hosting the Olympic Winter Games twice, in 1928 and 1948, St. Moritz-Celerina draws racers every year to compete in a number of world-class bobsled events.

The good news is that visitors can join in the fun, as long as they are at least 18 years old and don’t have back or neck problems or other health issues. The 75-second run — no, that’s not a misprint — reaches speeds of about 80 mph with 5G force, so the run is perhaps not best taken after a large meal. You can walk to the venue from St. Mortiz town center, but reserve ahead and expect to pay about $235 for the experience.

Yet another marriage of water and snow sports is available in Switzerland in the form of ice diving. Designed for certified expert divers only, the experience is an exercise in exploration or claustrophobia, depending on your point of view. Available at — or rather, under — Lac Lioson in Les Mosses near Aigle, the sport involves diving through one of three holes in the ice on the lake, then presumably finding your way out again in one piece. Since divers are supposed to practice their sport in teams of at least two even under easy conditions, it goes without saying that this sport is best attempted with a reputable dive club.

Some of Switzerland’s ski areas are among the most posh in the world, offering 5-star hotels, fine dining and armies of celebrities and European royals. True adventurers who scoff at such luxuries, however, can opt to stay in one of the country’s several igloo villages that offer — as the name implies — igloo-style accommodations, bars for après ski, dining and even saunas to help guests thaw out. Igloo villages are situated in Engelberg, Gstaad, Davos-Klosters and Zermatt. In Zermatt, a stay at the igloo village, which accommodates up to 30 guests, can be combined with a snowshoe trek and a family-style fondue dinner.

You might want to end your stay at a property a little higher up on the scale of creature comforts, however, particularly if you are with a traveling companion less tolerant of bare-bones amenities. This is Switzerland, after all, home of fondue, chocolate and some very fine wines — and trying at least a few unfamiliar items on the menu is a worthy adventure unto itself.

Peak Thrills

If your visit to Switzerland is scheduled for warmer weather, you can still enjoy plenty of on-mountain thrills at one of the country’s many adventure parks. There are dozens of venues sprinkled throughout the destination, offering ziplining, suspension ropes and giant swings.

For the uninitiated, ziplining involves being strapped into a harness that guides like to say can hold elephants, jeeps and other items presumably heavier than a human. Helmets and protective gloves are also part of the gear, and participants are cautioned to refrain from wearing anything that might fly off in midair such as hats, flip-flops and sunglasses. Some outfitters let you keep cameras in special pouches, but be aware that taking pictures while zipping is not an easy task.

Once outfitted, you step from a platform and zip along a cable over ravines, lakes or forests to the next platform, typically situated high in a treetop. As long as you don’t dislike heights, the experience is mostly exhilarating.

Ropes courses, on the other hand, require more physical strength and agility, with participants climbing, swinging and pulling their way along a series of stations set high above ground. Some to try in Switzerland include the Forest Funpark in Zermatt at the base of the Matterhorn; Jakobsbad Fixed-Rope Park, accessible by the Jakobsbad-Kronberg cable car; the Pilatus Suspension Rope Park in Central Switzerland; Saas-Fee Adventure Park, spanning what locals call the Fairy Canyon; and Medran Parc in Verbier.

INFO TO GO

Zurich International Airport (ZRH) and Geneva International Airport (GVA) are two of the most popular airports serving Switzerland’s major ski areas. Zurich is about 200 miles from Zermatt, for example, and private helicopter transfers via Air Zermatt (http://www.zermatt.ch) are available. Train service (http://traintickets.myswitzerland.com) from Zurich or Basel to Zermatt takes just over three hours; around two hours from Bern. Zurich is also the closest major airport to St. Moritz at just over 120 miles, although the resort has its own airport, St. Moritz Samedan Airport (SMV), for those arriving by private plane. You can also take the famous Glacier Express train (http://www.glacierexpress.ch) from Zermatt to St. Moritz for a dose of eye-popping scenery. The Geneva International Airport (GVA) serves Portes du Soleil as well as Verbier, known for its off-piste skiing. Visit http://www.myswitzerland.com