Chills and Thrills

The winter months see cool celebs sporting hot looks at high altitudes on the slopes of fashionable Val d’Isère, a favourite for lovebirds Hugh Grant and Jemima Khan, or très chic Courcheval in the French Alps.

Other winter wonderlands attracting the international jet-set and celebrity snow pros to battle it out in the half-pipes include Morzine, where Victoria Beckham was recently snapped looking the height of cool, her Versace skis draped over her shoulder.

Demi Moore and Gwyneth Paltrow prefer the powder of Hollywood-on-ice Aspen, Colorado, Reese Witherspoon practises on the pistes of Whistler, Canada, Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman favour Zermatt, Heidi Klum opts for St. Anton, while Gstaad, Switzerland, appeals to stylish celebs like Elle MacPherson and snowboarding junkie Geri Haliwell.

‘I’ve always been an adrenaline junkie ever since I tried to make my own bungee jump from the climbing frame when I was seven,’ says hot, new British actor, Adam Leese. ‘I still have the scar to prove it! Like most boys around my area, I then started skating and luckily living near the sea, this progressed into surfing, which I still try to do as regularly as possible. However, my true love is for skiing,’ he adds. ‘I’ve got qualifications in ski instructing and did a season in Megève, France as a private ski instructor and now have a few hours of heli-skiing under my belt. Nothing gets me buzzing more then jumping out of a helicopter and skiing a gully that could be fatal on every turn!’

Adam’s recently been getting his kicks from fighting Jean Claude Van Damme in his latest movie Til Death in which he plays the lead. ‘I always like to do my own stunts if the producers allow it,’ he grins.’ And thankfully on this movie they have. Who wants a stunt double to take away all the fun?!’

The annual Sundance Film Festival in Park City, North America is the place for celebrity-watching on the slopes, with snowbunny socialite Paris Hilton, Tobey Maguire and Salma Hayek among the big names keeping their cool on the piste while Kylie says she loves the white stuff because she can disguise herself from the prying paparazzi in her snowboarding gear!

‘I absolutely love snowboarding and my fave destination is Whistler in Canada,’ agrees supercool DJ and boarding addict Smokin’ Jo. ‘I’ve been to many places in France, Italy and Austria (I love St. Anton, it’s very picturesque). I find Europe very extreme. I hate heights so for me it can be too steep. Whistler, on the other hand, has loads of wide, tree-lined slopes, lots of fresh powder and the most fantastic runs ever.

‘I love hammering it down the mountain, being outdoors, being energetic and hanging with mates, and snowboarding has it all,’ she says. ‘The outfits are so cool too, and the boards rock, making for a fabulous holiday.’

Take a Hike (and Bike)

Supermodel Linda Evangelista loves cross-country skiing, along with hiking, a favourite for her model mates Cindy Crawford and Claudia Schiffer, who heads to the largest of the Balearic islands, where she owns two homes.

‘I exercise in Mallorca, which is the most beautiful place to visit,’ says Schiffer. ‘It has an amazing coastline, friendly people and excellent food. The island has wild mountain landscapes and I do trekking and cycling routes between Manacor and Llucmajor. In spring, you can enjoy the incredible view of millions of blossoming almond trees. Mallorca is idyllic, romantic and peaceful and every time I go it becomes a special memory for me.’

Matthew McConaughey was left swimming away from crocodiles when he took a wrong path on a hike in Africa a few years ago, while Julia Roberts famously roughed it while exploring orangutan territory in Indonesia.

Celebs who take to two wheels include Leonardo diCaprio, who loves cycling around Manhattan, George Clooney rides around Lake Como, while Russell Crowe likes to work out on his bike, cycling around Sydney’s King Cross area with his trainer. Other keen celeb cyclists include Madonna and Guy Ritchie, BMX-lovin’ Robbie Williams and Tom Hanks.