Tobogganing at Mt.Pilatus, Switzerland

If you’re an Indian by birth, no matter which part of the globe you’re residing in, I am sure the name Switzerland would immediately transfer you to the make-believe world of music-dance and dream sequences straight out of a Yash Chopra movie with the beautiful scenic mountains in the backdrop. 

Thanks to our ‘Bollywood fetish’, Switzerland is synonymous with romance and beauty where every couple in love has to customarily visit to profess their love to their beloved. 

A trip to this stunningly beautiful country only reinforces this notion. There is no dearth of natural beauty in the world but the way Switzerland has harnessed that beauty to cater to every kind of tourist is amazing. 

Every little nook and corner of this small country, be it mountains, lakes or valleys has a plethora of ‘touristy activities’ for its visitors, both young and old. No wonder one sees families with kids of all age groups in tow everywhere in Switzerland with rail passes that are valid on every mode of transport. 

Lakes have all sorts of boating, rowing, and cruising options, valleys have ropeways with different kinds of gondolas and cable cars and mountains have cogwheel railways and funiculars to provide a fun-filled holiday to tourists.

The same goes for Mt. Pilatus at an altitude of 7000 ft. Reaching the top was as much fun as the mountain top itself. A cogwheel train goes steep all the way uphill from the base station at Alpnachstad. 

The ride is really steep, looking down from the cogwheel can be scary and my two small kids shrieked to their heart's content both out of joy and mock fear. It feels as if the train is actually vertical to the mountain and will fall over! The thirty-odd minutes' ride takes you over scenic rock formations and lush green meadows.     

The beautiful Lake Lucerne in the background!

Kids' Paradise!

Once on top, you reach a plateau where one can find a host of cafes and souvenir shops. There is a long flight of staircase leading further to the top of the mountain Pilatus Kulm. 

We decided to take the stairs and reach the topmost point on the mountain. The views all around are breathtaking. You can see Lake Lucerne and in all its splendor from here. The weather was particularly kind on the day we were at Pilatus, so we spent a great deal of time idling around and taking pictures.

Just as we thought that the day’s excitement was about to come to an end as we started on our return journey in the cable car, we reached the Fraekmuentegg Mountain Station. From here one can take the cable car further downhill or go to Fraekigaudi for an exciting ride downhill on Switzerland’s longest summer toboggan run. We decided to go for the latter.

If you have the time, then this is a not-to-miss kind of experience. The toboggan run is a shiny steel channel spread across the mountain with a total length of 1350 meters. 

The facility is very organized and caters promptly to loads of tourists thronging the mountain.

Breathtaking scenic views.....but you can have eyes only for the metal road ahead of you!

We decided to take 3 cars since small children have to be accompanied by an adult. My younger son sat huddled with my husband in one sled and I and my older son in two separate sleds. The instructor gave us some quick instructions as to how to go about the ride. We buckled up and were all set to go.

The slope ahead is steep and the sleds just slide on the metal sheath under. After some initial hesitation, I just let go with my husband and son in the other sleds close on my heels. 

The curvy bends and sharp turns are fun to manoeuvre and can send your mind into a tizzy as the beautiful sights all around fly past. The sleds are easy to control and are firmly fixed onto the rails. The ride comes to a gradual end and one can get out of the sled with ease. One has to walk back to the start point on the mountain which is not very exciting but necessary.  

The entire expedition on the metal rails lasts barely 5 minutes but the adrenalin that it pumps into your body can last you for quite some time even after the joyride is over. We got out of the toboggan point with smiles on our faces. 

This was certainly one of the high points of our trip to Switzerland.