Apres-Ski Fun Gives Them a Real Chill

After a bracing day on the ski slopes, there’s nothing like slipping into . . . 36-degree water, right?

Starting Thursday, skiers in Zermatt, Switzerland, will be able do just that when Theodul Glacier Lake opens its second season of scuba diving. Divers enter the water through a hole drilled through an ice crust several feet thick, then descend 36 feet to view a “fairy-like” landscape, tourism officials say.

The three-dive ice-diving course costs about $366; students must have an advanced open-water certificate from the Professional Assn. of Diving Instructors. A spokesman for Zermatt-based Cervin Sport Aventure said that about 100 people took the ice course last year. Information: 011-41-27-967-70-50 (fax and phone).

Of course, divers who like their water 60 degrees warmer may prefer a dip at the Homestead Resort in Midway, Utah, which also offers cross-country skiing. The resort, near Park City, has an 85-foot-wide pool fed by hot springs inside a rock dome. Guests reach the pool via a 110-foot-long tunnel drilled in the dome’s north side. A variety of snorkeling and scuba lessons are available year-round; tel. (800) 327-7220.