In Switzerland, sledding is not for the faint of heart

CNN

23-02-2025

Jennifer Veilleux didn't know what she was getting herself into when she agreed to a winter vacation with friends in Grindelwald, Switzerland.
'I got a message from my friend that said, 'Have you ever thought about going sledding in the Alps?' ' says the 47-year old geographer and environmental scientist who lives in the Netherlands. 'He sent me a link to somebody in a helmet going downhill on a sled, and I thought, 'Oh, this looks crazy and fun. Let's do it.' '
That's how Veilleux found herself careening down a nearly two-and-a-half mile (four-kilometer) sledding run at the Grindelwald-First ski area in Switzerland's Jungfrau region earlier this month.
'My context of sled riding is buying a hard plastic sled for either two people or one of those red saucer things and going down the snow at my local golf course in Connecticut,' says Veilleux, who is American.
The Swiss version of the winter pastime, she soon found out, is entirely different.
The rodel sled she was riding — typical in the Alps, and available for rent most places where you can rent skis and where there are sleds runs — is made from wood and has iron runners built for speed. Riders sit upright atop it on a vinyl, sling-style seat.
'Within the first 10 minutes I wiped out majorly at least three times. I definitely flew through the air,' she says, earning the nickname 'Airborne' from her friends.
For the uninitiated, just how all-in Switzerland goes on sledding during winter might be as much of a surprise as the intensity of the activity itself.
Your backyard or driveway sledding on a snow day this is not.
The country's Jungfrau region alone has more than 30 miles (almost 50 kilometers) off what it calls 'sledging' runs, including many that can be accessed by cable car in the ski areas and some that require a snowy hike to reach.
The Big Pintenfritz sled run here stretches for nearly seven miles and is one of the longest sledding runs in Europe. It doesn't come easy, though. The run requires pulling your sled behind you to reach the starting point during a nearly two-and-a-half-hour hike in the snow after riding the cable car up part of the way.
Hazards, it turns out, abound. Sled runs may be crossed by downhill ski traffic at times and are often used by winter hikers and snowshoers, too. And then there are the other sledders to contend with — speed demons and newbies among them.
But in villages such as Grindelwald, sledding is just a part of winter life.
Lars Michel, who co-owns Hotel Fiescherblick in Grindelwald, says his family has been in the region for five generations. He received a traditional wooden Grindelwald sled when he was baptized as a baby and a velogemel (a wooden bike-like sled from the region) as a confirmation gift later.
'This is something that we are so, so much into, everybody has one. And if it's December or January and we get fresh snow, nobody uses a bike or the car. It's a sled or a velogemel,' he says.
His hotel rents both to guests who want to give sledding a try, and Michel says he's noticed increased interest in sledding of late from guests, both Swiss and international.
'People really like getting up the mountain. It's really fun. But I think it's important to know it's actually a sport,' he says, adding that the Velogemel World Championship has been held in Grindelwald every February since 1996. (Michel competes every year with friends, and the event is open to anyone who dares).
Beginners should practice on easier slopes before tackling steeper terrain, advises Doris Graf Jud, a tour guide with Jungfrau Railway. Sledders should be sure to wear a helmet and attach the leash on their sled to their leg, surfboard-style, to make sure it doesn't carry on without them down the hill in the event of a spill, she says.
'You always have to be prepared that it's going down fast. And so you have to get dressed really good with a helmet, with some good shoes to brake and some snow clothes,' says Graf Jud.
While there are no official operators offering sledding lessons in Grindelwald, the beginner ski area, bodmiARENA, has a magic carpet for getting up the small hill and is also a good place for sledders to get in some practice before moving on to more challenging terrain.
You can rent rodel sleds at ski rental shops such as Intersport in Grindelwald (and elsewhere in the Swiss Alps) from around 19 CHF (roughly $21) per day. A single gondola ascent at Grindelwald-First to reach Big Pintenfritz and other sledding departure points costs 36 CHF (roughly $40). Hiking up for free is an option most places there are sled runs, but it might take you all day.
To steer the sled, lean in the direction you want to go and pull the sled's rope that direction, too. Placing one foot on the ground outside of the runner in the direction you're turning will help you make a sharper turn.
The best way to stop in a pinch is by placing both of your feet on the ground directly next to the runners and using the rope to pull the front of the sled up a bit at the same time.
Veilleux says she eventually got the hang of that, but learning to veer the sled around tight bends proved harder. There are often nets and runaway sled ramps at the tightest turns and where there are steep drop-offs.
In the end, though, she says she'd happily try it again.
'They had these way stations along the way where you stop for food and drinks — it was all very civilized,' she says, referring to cozy on-mountain restaurants (including some with rooms for an overnight stay) along the sledding and ski routes.
'I didn't think about my worries the entire day because I was worried about staying alive.'
Ready to try sledding in Switzerland? Here are a few places where sledding rivals skiing for downhill wintertime thrills.
This region in the Bernese Alps might be best known for Jungfraujoch, where the Jungfrau Railway carries passengers through a tunnel to the highest railway station in Europe and views of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Aletsch Glacier. Sledders set their sights farther downhill on sledding runs such as the Jungfrau Eiger, which takes in views of the Eiger North Face.
After dark, take a train from Grindelwald Grund railway station in the valley to reach Berghaus Alpiglen, a cozy mountain hut where you can feast on fondue before sledding down in the dark (there's some lighting along the route, but a headlamp is advised).
When you're not riding down the mountain, learn more about the history of sledding and the town's celebrated velogemel and Grindelwald sleds at the Grindelwald Museum.
In Eastern Switzerland, the canton of Graubünden is famous for sled runs such as the Fideriser Heuberge (over seven miles or 11 kilometers long) and postcard mountain villages such as Bergün.
Locals pull their groceries and kids home atop sleds during the winter, and you can ride one downhill from the historic Kurhaus Bergün hotel, in the heart of the village, to reach Bergün's train station. From there, a dedicated sled train that's part of the Rhaetian Railway makes the 17-minute uphill journey through mountain passes to the tiny hamlet of Preda. Sledders disembark day and night to make the nearly four-mile sled ride back down to the valley.
Nearby, in the famous ski town of Davos where the traditional Davos wooden sled was invented in the 19th century, the Rinerhorn sled run at Davos Klosters Mountains has 24 thrilling turns, while the Schatzalp route promises a more tame descent to town.
For something totally different, Light Ride in the Arosa Lenzerheide ski area is a nighttime sledding adventure designed to feel like a video game. Multisensory light installations and sound effects accompany riders as they sled down and attempt to accrue points like players in a snowy video game. Stay right near the gondola up to the start of the sled run at Revier Mountain Lodge Lenzerheide.
In western Switzerland, you can ride a cable car from the village of La Tzoumaz in Verbier 4 Vallées to reach the top of the longest sled run in the French-speaking part of the country.
The La Tzoumaz run starts at the summit station of Savoleyres, more than 7,700 feet (2,135 meters) above sea level, and winds for three miles, with more than 2,200 feet of vertical drop, back down to the village.
Arguably Switzerland's toniest ski town, St. Moritz in the Engadin Valley might be best known for skiing, Badrutt's Palace (a luxury hotel that's hosted the likes of Coco Chanel and Charlie Chaplin) and the Snow Polo World Cup that plays out on the frozen lake here every winter.
But sledders enjoy incredible views beyond the bling from Muottas Muragl. High above the town, it's a screamer of a run accessible by funicular and only open for sledding and hiking (there are no prepared ski pistes).
The sled run takes 20 tricky turns on a roughly two-and-a-half-mile route on its way back down to the valley, where you will have earned your après-ski — après-sled? — flute of Champagne.
Florida-based travel writer Terry Ward lives in Tampa and has been sledding in Switzerland scores of times. She competed in the 2025 Velogemel World Championships but did not come close to placing.