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• • • • urban access NYC' AVERAGE NYC FEBRUARY TEMPERATURE: AIR 33°F, WATER 35°F If staying inside is making you climb the walls, why not rope in and climb even higher? The city has a diverse spread of indoor rock climbing walls and in typical New York style, there's something for everyone. The grandfather of all NYC walls, the City Climbers Club, is neither glitzy nor glamorous but offers a wide variety of climbs that are packed into the one-time racquetball court. And there is no beating the $lO-per-use charge (or $170 per annum). ExtraVertical is essentially two walls- a large indoor wall (30 feet high by 50 feet wide) and a crowd-drawing outdoor wall (50 feet by 20 feet) that opens onto Broadway. One-time passes are $16 and an annual pass costs $550. Chelsea Piers sets the standard for NYC climbing walls. The huge wall has countless lines and a full over- head section. Of course, quality comes at a price- one-time fees are $40 and annual memberships cost up to $1,900. (Chelsea Piers does not offer "climbing wall only" memberships and the fees include access to all of the impressive sports center's facili- ties.) The City Climbers Club (www.climbnyc.com. 212-974-2250) is located at West 59th between 10th and 11th. You must pay by money order (available at CVS on 58th and 9th) or a bank (not personal) check. ExtraVertical (www.extravertical.com. 212-586- 5382) is at West 62nd and Broadway. Chelsea Piers (www.chelseapiers.com . 212-336- 6000) is on the West Side Highway at West 23rd Street. 68 SWEATIN' WITH THE YOGIS, MANHATTAN India is littered with ashrams where people can sweat and contort their way through physically satisfying and spiritually enlightening yoga sessions. A bit closer to home, you can enjoy a similar experience in Bikram yoga classes where the room temperature is kept at 100°F. Close your eyes and concentrate on the heat and exertion and you' ll soon forget the cold, snowy winds that rage outside. Most people sweat buckets during the 90- minute, 16-posture class but the combination of stretching, exercise and heat leaves your body feeling fantastic and your mind at ease. Yoga Connection is found at 145 Chambers between West Broadway and Greenwich Street. Classes cost $17 (including mats, towels and a bottle of water) and last approximately 90 minutes. For reservations or more information , call 212-945-9642. HOUR RADIUS HANG GLIDE, KITTY HAWK, NC AVERAGE FEBRUARY TEMPERATURE: AIR 45° F, WATER 50° F Famous for the Wright Brothers and their nearly century-old claim to being " First in Flight," North Carolina is also home to Kitty Hawk Kites, the world 's largest hang gliding school. The soft sand dunes of North Carolina's Outer Banks are the ideal place to learn to hang glide since the take-offs are easy (you begin with a gentle run down from the top of the dune) and the landings are soft. Beginner classes cost $75 and include five flights that range in distance from 90 to 300 feet at a height of two to 15 feet above the sand. For anyone who can't wait to soar high- er, strap in to a tandem glider with an instructor and hang on for dear life as an u Itral ight tows you up to 2,000 feet and then cuts you loose to soar high above the Outer Banks. To get to Kitty Hawk Kites, fly into Norfolk, Virginia (approximately $200 for the 75-minute flight from NYC on vari- ous airlines, including US Airways, American and TWA) and rent a car for the 90-minute drive to the school (near Nags Head). Reservations are required. To make reservations or get more information, visit www.kitty- hawk.com or call 877-359-8447.