In those moments leading up to my turn on the sled, there were about a million thoughts racing through my mind. No seatbelt or helmet?! What if I go too fast and fly off the mountain? Will I crack my skull open? What if the person behind me is going too fast and crashes into me? Am I going to break any bones? How do Olympians do this on a luge and not get hurt? Sure, these are a lot a questions for a 2-3 minute ride down a 1350-meter track. Luckily, those worries went away a few seconds after I hopped on. It was actually really fun and kind of liberating! It’s like nothing can touch you, when you’re racing down that track. Plus, the incredible views just add to the experience.
Fräkigaudi totes itself as the longest summer toboggan run in Switzerland. They close in the winter, when I’m guessing it turns into some sort of a ski course. Located in Fräkmüntegg, Ben and I stumbled upon it on our way down from Mount Pilatus on the Golden Round Trip. For 8 CHF, you get the chance to toboggan down the mountain on a metal track, pretty much as fast as you want. You just have to be mindful of who’s in front of you. I thought I was going pretty fast but the speedometer told me otherwise. I don’t remember the exact number but I’m pretty sure the guy who went after I did was annoyed at me. There’s a sign that says you’d have to pay a penalty if you film or take pictures, but I saw plenty of people filming and none of the employees said anything. After you get to the bottom, a pulley will pull you and your sled back up to the starting line. As for your belongings, there’s a locker (put a 2 CHF deposit, which you get back) you can put everything in.
Definitely an experience I’ll never forget.
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