Log-fire warmed cabin deep in the wilderness perfect for cosy getaways

Staring retired crossed a frozen water successful below-zero temperatures successful deepest Canada, I truly wished I was wearing much than a swimsuit.

My fingers already numb, I was truthful bitterly acold that I couldn’t deliberation straight. The circuit guide, a burly Bear Grylls survivalist type, smirked, smashed a spread successful the crystal with a hammer and pointed to the ladder. Having arrived astatine the positively charming and cosy Algonquin Log Cabin successful Ontario, I had been lulled into a mendacious consciousness of information by the affable hosts and warming homemade saccharine murphy crockery with brew bread. Now I faced a polar crystal plunge.

Daring each guests to person a go, with a committee chalked up with everyone’s grounds times, this felt similar an initiation. It is said to person wellness benefits, similar strengthening the immune strategy and improving cardiovascular health. At the precise least, it’s a edifice wake-up telephone similar nary other.

Succumbing to adjacent unit (is determination immoderate different kind?) I braced myself and stepped in, screeching “Oh my God, ohio my God…” advertisement infinitum. Body successful shock, the large chill began, triggering accelerated large breathing and flimsy panic. I dunked my caput afloat underwater – hey, erstwhile successful Rome… In total, I lasted a afloat minute, past I stumbled out. Fortunately there’s a post-trauma sauna nearby. Did I consciousness rejuvenated? Relaxed? Possibly. Let’s conscionable accidental the blistery cocoa afterwards was overmuch needed.

Voyageur Quest’s Algonquin Log Cabin is simply a rustic, home-from-home affair, with conscionable a fewer bedrooms, surviving country with log occurrence and a room wherever you tin marque yourself a java oregon pilfer homemade barroom from the larder. The peaceful, remote, forest-set compartment is simply a spot to unwind aft outdoor activities similar canoeing, camping, hiking and broomball (think Quidditch connected ice). I had a spell astatine snowshoeing, which astatine archetypal feels similar trying to locomotion with tennis rackets stuck to your feet, but is simply a brilliantly amusive mode to hike implicit heavy snow.

In the evening, caput torches successful place, we trekked backmost to the frozen lake, this clip wrapped up successful lukewarm layers, to look astatine the stars. This spot is simply a existent flight from municipality noise. But what they don’t outcry astir is the unthinkable food, from sticky day pudding, maize breadstuff and imagination bars (yes, dreamy) successful the winter, to frittatas, trout and raspberry pastry successful the summer, not forgetting bruschetta served connected a canoe paddle. It’s astir capable to marque you hide that not agelong agone you were submerged successful an icy hell. A genuinely chill stay.

A spot to chill

Winter successful Ontario is similar thing retired of a movie scene. It wouldn’t beryllium retired of the mean to spot a moose skipping implicit a snowy tract oregon a achromatic carnivore scratching against a tree. So erstwhile I arrived astatine the unthinkable JW Marriott The Rosseau Muskoka Resort & Spa, successful the bosom of Ontario’s Muskoka Lakes area, the imposing gathering conscionable adds to the consciousness of Hollywood grandeur.

The portion is fashionable with celebrities too. Dubbed the Hamptons of the North, it’s the summertime playground of stars similar the Beckhams and Justin Bieber. Locals are arrogant to archer you that Tom Hanks, Goldie Hawn and Steven Spielberg ain waterfront mansions. The stunning luxury hotel, with scenic views of Lake Rosseau, surely manages to support up with the Joneses.

It’s beloved arsenic a summertime resort, with boating, canoeing, kayaking, paddle boarding and water-skiing connected offer, arsenic good arsenic outdoor pools and 2 soil beaches. But successful the freezing winter, guests are not disappointed, with crystal skating and snowshoeing on-site, arsenic good arsenic an in-house Icebar (made of 15,000lb of ice) to whet the appetite – oregon astatine slightest get you sloshed connected vodka. I tried retired Fat Biking (cycling with large abdominous tyres) and strangely enjoyed the epic workout.

As a reward, I was treated to a massage astatine the hotel’s HydroSpa, a calming retreat that boasts an oxygen bar, brackish country and massage chairs, alongside the much accustomed blistery tub and sauna. Once suitably serene, a myriad of edifice eating options see the Muskoka Chophouse and Italian bistro Teca, but I was invited to an Ice Cave. OK, not an existent crystal cave, but the softly lit backstage “igloo” (a transparent dome) makes for a snug outdoor eating acquisition arsenic chefs navigator adjacent to you connected charcoal and cauldrons and waiters bring vino and blankets. Eskimos ne'er had it this good.

Musher madness

Allowing yourself to beryllium dragged astatine full-pelt done a snowy wood by a battalion of howling dogs? Well that conscionable seems barking mad. Allergic to dogs and a spot scared, I’m not the perfect campaigner for a husky sledding adventure, but I was promised an, er, pawsitive acquisition connected the tour. Twelve somewhat intelligence mutts were tied up waiting for us, leaping implicit each different and growling and panting successful excitement, hopeless to get going.

With six of the dogs harnessed to our sled, 2 of america got connected board, stomping down connected the brake with some feet to halt it moving. Unfortunately we didn’t propulsion hard capable and the dogs abruptly took disconnected astatine apical speed. Panicked, I jumped disconnected the back, leaving my mediocre person bouncing disconnected unsocial into the region until the guide, similar an existent superhero, leapt connected to the sled and brought them to a stop. So my proposal is: enactment connected the sleigh, bent connected choky and don’t wantonness your co-pilot.

Take 2 was overmuch little dramatic. And erstwhile the dogs got into their stride, they calmed down and it became a alternatively tranquil thrust done a magical setting. A bonafide dog-sled operator now, known arsenic a musher, I loosened my white-knuckle grip connected the reins, realised the mutts were not that menacing aft all, and started to really bask myself. A existent mush of adrenaline.

Cool revvings

Helmet on, clutching connected to the overgarment of the driver, I was connected the backmost of a high-speed snowmobile, powering on a frosty way successful the woods. Revving the engine, with a glint successful his eye, the sledder, arsenic they are affectionately known, asked if I’d beryllium up for going a spot faster. Hitting astir 60mph (they tin spell up to 120mph), it felt similar I was taking disconnected connected the fastest ever rollercoaster. I squeezed my eyes unopen and prayed my tummy would clasp out.

Fortunately it was conscionable a fewer seconds earlier helium took pity connected maine and slowed to a much tourist-friendly pace. Wind successful your hair, speeding crossed the snow, it’s an exhilarating mode to instrumentality successful the landscape. Snowmobiling – a spot similar a combo of jet-skiing, quad biking and motorcycle riding connected snowfall – is large concern successful Ontario. You tin adjacent thrust 1 yourself – but riding shotgun connected this tour was capable enactment for me.

Sweet connected syrup

We request to speech astir maple syrup. It’s everywhere, and Canadians emotion it. Long portion of the taste cloth – Canada produces 85% of the world’s maple syrup – going a time without the saccharine worldly is simply not an option. They enactment it connected everything: pancakes, waffles, fruit, salads, potatoes, crystal cream, successful java and tea, oregon conscionable axenic coagulated sticky joyousness successful the signifier of sweets oregon lollipops. For me, arsenic agelong arsenic it’s free-pouring I’m beauteous happy…

Need s’more?

Roasting a s’more implicit a campfire has been a Canadian contented for implicit a century. But erstwhile a waiter handed maine a platter of treats and a skewer, I stared astatine him blankly until I got step-by-step instructions. Toast a marshmallow and portion of cocoa implicit the occurrence (lightly, not incinerated similar my archetypal try), past squish betwixt 2 biscuits and await gooey heaven. The s’more the merrier.

Book the holiday

• Rooms astatine Sheraton Gateway Hotel successful Toronto International Airport from £195 per night. marriott.com
• Rooms astatine JW Marriott The Rosseau Muskoka Resort & Spa from £171 per night. marriott.com
  
• Voyageur Quest’s Algonquin Private Winter Log Cabin Adventure starts from £460 per person, based connected a radical of 12. Includes 2 nights backstage log compartment accommodation, meals and guided excursions. voyageurquest.com
  
• Air Canada flies nonstop to Toronto from Heathrow this wintertime from £450. aircanada.com
  
• More info astatine destinationontario.com @OntarioTravel