120Km down a mountain in a bobsled, St. Moritz, 2010

Since moving to Switzerland I have always been amazed at the lack of health and safety regulations compared to North America.  Since everybody is self insured here, the government and industry are not overly concerned with being sued.  As a result, you can do stuff here that you simply could not get away with in North America.  A perfect example is what my GF gave me for my 33rd birthday gift.

To my surprise, she was able to get me a ride down the Olympic Bobsled track in St. Moritz Switzerland!  Now, what's so impressive about this track is that it is the only natural ice bobsled track left in the world.  That's right, each winter an Italian guy comes to Switzerland with his team and constructs the exact same track from all natural ice.  The implications of this is that you get one hell of an unpredictable trip down the mountain at a maximum speed of over 120 km/hr.

It doesn't look bad in this 2 dimensional drawing but let me tell you, it's one hell of a ride to the bottom!

Fortunately for us, the weather couldn't have been better.  It was a bright sunny February day but the temperature was still cold enough to keep the integrity of the ice.  The way that it works is you show up in the morning and register.  When we arrived there was an official race taking place.  After the race finished we suited up, waited our turn and then jumped into the four man bobsled.  Remarkably, they actually provided a helmet (the first sign of safety concern) but minus the visor.  Now one wouldn't normally find this concerning but have you ever stuck your head out of the car window as it raced down the highway at speeds in excess of 120 km/hr.  If you have, you'll know that it sucks!

The view from the starting line was terrific.  This part of the Swiss Alps is really quite different from the Bernese Oberland.  No matter where were are, I'm always amazed a the beauty of the mountains

Either way, we were off.  Our driver sat in the front and the brakeman sat in the back.  Between them the two unsuspecting passengers.

The start was actually quite boring.  I was hoping we were going to get to push off like they do in the olympics.  Instead, they already had us sitting in the bobsled and only the brakesman gave us a little push to get going.

This was perhaps the most intense minute and twenty seconds of my life! (enter sex joke here)  The beginning of the trip was actually quite boring.  We started out slowly (I was actually afraid that this was going to be it) but gradually we picked up speed.  Eventually, the G force around corners was so strong that it actually compressed you into the bottom of the bobsled. I lost all ability to control my head which resulted in it flopping side to side with each corner.  This was the world's most intense (and likely dangerous) roller coaster and it was great.  When we finally came to a stop, the adrenaline was pumping through my veins. The experience was over!

Obviously, there is much more in St. Moritz to do than just bobsled.   We also spent a day in the mountains skiing.  Again, the weather was fantastic!

There is a natural skating rink in the middle of the town.  Unfortunately, the rental skates and the ice were horrible by Canadian standards but it still offered great humour as our British friends tried skating for the first time

It turns out that running "tourists" down the track every day actually funds the tracks operations for the whole winter.  I have a new respect for the amateur and professional bobsledders.  Given the opportunity, I would certainly do it again only this time I would demand a helmet with a visor!

Beauty all around....Axalp, Switzerland

Beauty is an interesting thing.  Some claim that it is the eye of the beholder, others say it is the promise of the future, I say it is Axalp Switzerland on a bright, sunny Saturday afternoon.

My very first mountain hike in Switzerland was at Axalp.  At that time, we were training for a month long trekking vacation to Nepal (see earlier posts).  It was the perfect location for this first hike because you can get to some moderate altitude without having to walk it.  This hike offers some spectacular mountain views looking out over lake Brienz (one of the two lakes that converge at Interlaken (translation "between lakes", Switzerland).   Axalp also has a beautiful emerald green alpine lake that greets you almost 3/4 of the way through the trek.

The hike the we took was to walk up, around and then down towards this alpine lake.  In the process you receive stunning panoramic views over Lake Brienz

This is one of the most interesting hikes that I've experienced in Switzerland.  The start is a gradual uphill climb up one of the roads that service the ski resort.  Once you get to the Hilten (disappointed to learn it wasn't part of the Hilton Chain of hotels) you leave the road and continue a steady climb up.  After about 20 mins the trail forks either down toward the alpine lake or continues upwards, through a pretty exposed section of trail, towards the Bowl overlooking the Lake.  We decided to continue upwards.  From there, the trail wraps around the lake and starts to traverse across towards the valley.  With each step, the bright blue waters of Lake Brienz reveal themselves.

We walked up from the right of this picture, past the little house in the valley and continued up before traversing towards lake Brienz.  Another trail takes you up from the house towards the left of this photo and back through the valley towards Axalp.

This photo was taken looking back up the valley in the direction from which we'd come.  

We took the opportunity to perch ourselves on a flat rock overlooking the lake to wolf down a picnic lunch.  It's hard to beat a "made on the spot" salami sandwich, a panoramic mountain view of the alps and Lake Brienz on a beautiful sunny afternoon.

Lake Brienz eventually reveals itself with each step.  Brienz is the waterfront town seen in the bottom right at the opposite end of the lake from Interlaken

Another shot of Lake Brienz.  In this photo you can see Axalp on the hill on the left hand side of the picture.  This is where our hike started and would eventually end

The walk down towards the alpine lake is quite steep.  I was thrilled that we'd chosen the direction of the hike that we did.  After approx 30 min downhill it was a short walk to the alpine lake.  The clarity of the water is truly remarkable.  It was gutting to watch good size trout swimming through the waters and not having a rod to test my luck!  Another hour walk and we were back at the car.  This last hour walk is quite interesting as there are 8 local wood carvers who have applied their practice to over 100 stumps on the walk out.  The works range from carvings of flowers, to people, to fish, small mammals, birds of prey and pigs.  It really is a one of a kind experience.

A photo through the trees of the alpine lake that we visited.  This is a popular picnic area for Swiss families.  It's not unusual to see people roasting sausages for lunch over an open fire

Axalp is only just over two hours from Basel. Both times I've done this hike it has always been a day trip.  An both times we've stopped for ice cream on the terrace at the Grand Hotel Geissbach.  This hotel is flanked on one side by a spectacular waterfall descending into Lake Brienz on the other.  It's really worth a visit.

Webster's dictionary defines beauty as "the quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurable exalts the mind or spirit".  I can't think of a better way to describe this little corner of the earth.