I will come to grips with the terminology. SLED (American) and SLEDGE (British) are both from the Dutch sleedse. While TOBOGGAN is from the French Canadian tabaganne which in turn is from the Algonquian Maleseet thapaken. All three are used interchangeably for any manual contraption used to transport people or goods across snow and ice. But toboggan is specifically for the narrow sled usually made from lightweight wood, the front of which curves up and backwards. Since this is the sleek contraption that I have been riding (photo 1), toboggan it is. A bit of a mouthful but in the spirit of Swiss precision, I will soldier on!
A family friend called Monika introduced me to tobogganing. When the boys were young, every Christmas holiday was spent on the ski slopes in Malbun, Liechtenstein (photo 2). I often sat out skiing when I was tired - which was often as the boys were only 5 and 7 year olds then. I was also tired of being the ‘clean up crew’ meaning - 4 of us would set off but when the youngest one got tired or got a leg cramp, I had to help him down often in tears and in full tantrum, down the quickest route back to the restaurant. Sometimes it means carrying his skis as well as mine for the last 100m to the Falknerei Galina (photo 3) where we were camped for the day. Sometimes we’re only on our 2nd run and he gets the leg cramps. Not his fault poor tyke but I often thought it wasn’t worth me getting all kitted up for just a run and a half. It’s bad enough to get everyone ready in the morning for an 8:30am ski lift but to get myself ready at the same time was stress I could do without. I might as well enjoy a second café crème before the phone call comes for me to pick him up. To pick him up anywhere in normal snow boots without being saddled with my own ski gear was easy and at least, I was not resentful.
Monika rented an apartment across the restaurant. She’d often fling the window open and call out as I trudge back and forth to the restaurant. I suppose with two children older than mine, she saw that I was getting fed up. And she just had the prefect remedy for it! She proposed that we go tobogganing. Tobogganers carve up pistes because they dig their heels to turn or brake so they’re not allowed on the pistes. That is until the last run of the ski lift at 4pm where they can carve away. The snowcat will be around shortly to smooth it off again for the next day’s skiing.
So Monika and I trotted to the Sareis ski lift at 4pm. We would be sharing a toboggan and I would be riding in front. At Sareiserjoch (photo 4), she gave me a quick lesson in tobogganing – dig the right heel to create a drag and turn right, left heel to turn left. Dig both heels hard to brake. We went slowly. Halfway down the 2.8km run (photo 5), I was confident enough to just let it rip. The speed that I can only dream of in skis was exhilarating! By the time we reached the picturesque church back at the village below, I had decided that tobogganing was my thing!
I guess what put me off tobogganing before was the trudge through deep snow to get to the top, only to sled for a few seconds down. Too much hard work for my liking! But taking the chair lift to the top of the mountain and tobogganing for a few kilometers down was definitely a game changer for me.
Ever since that fateful December ten years ago, I definitely get more excited tobogganing rather than skiing. When my husband would look for another ski resort, he’d check if there is a dedicated toboggan run. Larger ski resorts often do. But it is more dependent on snow conditions as toboggan runs tend to be lower down so if there is insufficient snowfall, the toboggan run will be closed. A dedicated toboggan run means you don’t have to wait until the last ski lift at 4pm. A dedicated toboggan run is safer too. The sides are often banked to keep an out of control toboggan in. Every steep drop is netted off. Every tree or pylon too close to the run is clad in padding to reduce injury. Helmets are still highly recommended though. Below are three of my favourite toboggan runs:
3. The SCHARMOIN Run
The SCHARMOIN Run in Rothhorn (elev 2,350m), Lenzerheide. You take the Rothhorn cable car to the middle station, an impressive 415m climb and sled 3.8km down on hairpin bends in the deep forest (photo 6). They have night tobogganing too, called LIGHT RIDE with music, LED neon lights and a timed run (photo 7). For speed addicts, the leaderboard is updated in real time. (photo 8)
2. The DARLUX Run
The DARLUX Run in Bergün. You take the chairlift (the sled hooks at the back of the chairlift) and ski 4.5km back down to the village. This run is steeper with tighter curves that it has been dubbed the ‘Lauberhorn of sledging runs’. The boys loved it though! But my absolute favourite is:
1. The PREDA Run
The PREDA Run (photo 9), also in Bergün. This time you take the train up and toboggan 6km through forests and underneath train viaducts back to the village. Swiss Bliss.
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