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If you love the exhilaration of flying down a slope and negotiating tricky terrain in the crisp mountain air, the Alps have plenty to offer outside of the ski season. From mornings spent skiing glaciers to afternoons spent mountain biking and white water rafting. Try new sports such as hydrospeeding - basically body boarding down a fast flowing river in a thankfully padded wetsuit. With this much on offer, adrenaline junkies have more enough to keep them sated.
Read our guide to our top five summer resorts…
Busier in the summer than in the winter, Chamonix has direct access to some of the most varied and extreme terrain in the Alps. More on Chamonix...
Why go? Hiking, mountain biking, mountaineering, rock climbing, river sports, paragliding, fishing
Glacier skiing: No
Main lifts open: Aiguille du Midi, Les Grands Montets, Flegere, Balme, Tramway du Mont Blanc
Stay: For modern well-equipped apartments, Snostation offers
Eat: Munchies for some fantastic French-Asian cuisine – try the duck teriyaki.
Don’t miss: Climbing Mont Blanc for the ultimate high.
Low: The high mountain routes can be just as dangerous in the summer – check with the Office de Hauts Montagne for safe itineraries
The chocolate box Swiss town of Zermatt belies the extremity of its surrounding mountains and the iconic Matterhorn peak. More on Zermatt...
Why go? Summer skiing, hiking, climbing, canyoning, parapenting, walking, mountain biking
Glacier skiing: Klein Matterhorn opens on 23rd May
Main lifts open: Glacier access lifts, Gornergrat train, Furi to Schwarzsee
Stay: On the Piste holidays specialise in summer activities in Zermatt and offer a good range of hotels, chalets and apartments
Eat: The Pipe is an excellent fusion restaurant with influences from India, Asia and Africa – try the wasabi jumbo shrimp salad
Don’t miss: Exploring the 400km of hiking paths running through dense pine forests, past rushing waterfalls and over rocky peaks
Low: Getting up to the glacier involves three major lifts and queues can build up at peak times
Sensationally pretty in the summer months, Tignes’ shimmering lake is surrounded by lush verdant green mountain slopes against the backdrop of the white peak of the Grand Motte. More on Tignes...
Why go? Glacier skiing, hiking, watersports, hydrospeeding, horse riding, parapenting, climbing, via ferrata
Glacier skiing: 21st June – 31st August
Main lifts open: Funicular, Aeroski and Palafour
Stay: Les Campanules runs summer deals in its luxurious hotel
Eat: On the sunny terrace at L’Escale Blanche in Le Lac with a salad and bottle of rose – try the Escale Blanche salad
Don’t miss: Donning a wetsuit and skiing the waterjump into the lake
Low: Don’t be fooled by the allure of the shimmering waters of the great lake – it’s bitterly cold in the summer
An ancient village located 1800m in the high mountains of Switzerland, Saas-Fee’s glacier is popular for summer ski camps. More on Saas-Fee...
Why go? Glacier skiing, hiking, horse riding, climbing, mountain biking.
Glacier skiing: From 5th July
Main lifts open: Alpin Express, Metro Alpin
Stay: At the Hotel Waldesruh for easy access to the Alpin Express
Eat: Relax with a romantic meal at the Gletscher Garden
Don’t miss: Perfecting your tricks in the snowpark or halfpipe on the glacier
Low: All the T-bars on the glacier and limited amount of slopes
Summer in Les Arcs boasts more than 500km of marked walking paths and 93km of world class mountain biking trails as well as direct access to the Vanoise National Park. More on Les Arcs...
Why go? Hiking, mountain biking, climbing, river sports, hydrospeeding, parapenting
Glacier skiing: No
Main lifts open: Bourg-1600 Funicular, Cachette, Vallandry, Trans-Arc, Plagnettes, Varet, Aiguille Rouge
Stay: The 3-star Hôtel Cachette in Arcs 1600 has summer deals and is ideally located for both the mountains and the valley floor
Eat: Triangle Noir in Arcs 1800
Don’t miss: Venturing out into the national park and staying in one of the many mountain refuges
Low: Beware getting stranded around the mountain - connecting buses may leave you with a long walk
