5 trips that will change your life: take one part adventure, two parts adrenaline, and three parts mother nature and you've got a surefire recipe for your best getaway ever

Shape, May, 2007 by Nancy Coulter-Parker

When you hear the word "vacation," do you always think of the same thing--a beach excursion, a cruise, a ski holiday--because you always do the same thing? If so, you're in a getaway rut. And who could blame you when, after months of nonstop deadlines and demanding family schedules, all you want to do is escape, and the easier it is, the better. But stepping out--heck, leaping out--of your vacation box will pay off big when you get back to the real world. "Taking on a physical challenge on your vacation can give you the confidence to explore new horizons at work or even in your relationship," says James Herrera, a cycling coach and founder of Performance Driven Coaching in Colorado Springs. To help you expand your leisure-time boundaries, we've tracked down five trips, suitable for all fitness levels, that will get your adrenaline surging and help you realize your potential. You may head into it thinking, "I can't do that," but we guarantee you'll come back saying, "If I can do that, I can do anything!"

THE CHALLENGE: RIVER KAYAKING

Otter Bar Lodge Kayak School

Forks of Salmon, California

Do it if the thought of navigating a tippy boat through rapids and around rocks gives you a rush.

Test your skills Sign up for a summer course at Otter Bar, one of the foremost kayaking schools in North America, and learn the white-water-paddling ropes on the Klamath River, surrounded by granite walls and lush forests. You'll spend about six hours a day on the water, negotiating anywhere from Class I rapids (barely a ripple) to Class IV (rip-roaringly intense). (If you want white white water, go in the springtime, when levels are often at their highest.) Although you'll learn how to control your boat with various strokes, braces, and maneuvers, such as the Eskimo roll (righting the boat--with you still in it--when it turns over), instructors really just want you to have a good time while gaining confidence on the river. Expect to get wet, but with a big smile nonetheless.

After hours Otter Bar's 62 acres in remote Northern California include hiking trails and three ponds. And then there's the food--many alums say that alone is worth the trip. Prepared by two on-site chefs, such dishes as baked-brie-and-raspberry crostini and blackened salmon with fresh mango sauce await you at the end of a soggy day. The spreads are served outside, at long dining tables under the stars.

Make it happen Weeklong classes are $2,090, including food, lodging, equipment, and instruction (there's a 3-to-1 student-teacher ratio). Call 530-462-4772 or go to otterbar.com.

THE CHALLENGE: SCUBA DIVING

Ocean Frontiers

Grand Cayman

Do it if you love to snorkel but always wish you could get down to where the real action is happening.

Test your skills Located around 150 miles south of Cuba and 200 miles west of Jamaica, this clean, sleepy, 76-square-mile island boasts some of the world's best diving and more than 150 dive sites. With Ocean Frontiers, a local dive shop, you can arrive a newbie and leave excited to get an advanced certification. Take a complete three-day beginner dive course on-site, or do the classroom instruction back home and your check dives in Grand Cayman. Either way you'll want to see the 100-plus species of colorful fish, sea turtles, and dolphins that call the 80-degree waters home.

After hours You may think you're just floating around in the water, but diving burns about 500 calories an hour; by the end of the day you're sure to be hungry. Fuel up at Lighthouse; located in Breakers, on the south side of the island, this Italian restaurant is known for its fresh seafood. If you're in the mood for a different sort of nightlife, take the Bio-Bay tour with Cayman Kayaks ($49; caymankayaks.com) to see bioluminescent plankton making everything in the water--including you, if you jump in--glow.

Make it happen A three-day PADI certification class (including classroom work, dives, and equipment) is $399; for just your check dives, $319. Stay at the Compass Point condos, next to the Ocean Frontiers shop, for $920 per person, including five nights' lodging, certification, and a car rental. Call 345-947-7500 or go to oceanfrontiers.com.

THE CHALLENGE: HELI-HIKING

Canadian Mountain Holidays (CMH)

British Columbia and Alberta

Do it if you can trek your local trails with your eyes closed and want to go to the next (way higher) level.

Test your skills Sign up for this one-of-a-kind adventure and you won't drive but fly to the trailhead. CMH has six properties in five mountain ranges; once you settle into your remote lodge, you and your guide will be whisked off by helicopter to some of the most dramatic mountain landscapes in North America. Choose from a variety of terrain, from walking the flats to trekking through snow fields at 9,000 feet. During lunch, make like Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music and kick back among the wildflowers to marvel at the glaciers surrounding you (twirling is optional).

After hours When your legs are ready to call it a day, your chopper will fly you back to the lodge in time for a soak in the hot tub or a massage before you indulge in a gourmet mountain meal (think grilled halibut and decadent creations from the pastry chef). In the morning, after the cowbell awakens you (and it will), join the half-hour stretch class to warm up your legs and ease any remaining tightness from the previous day's hike, then fly off for another day of adventure.