Sledging in Zürich

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So this past weekend Ashley, Kate and I decided to try out the famous sledging run at the "top of Zürich" aka the Uetliberg. This was also the same place where in October my friends and I took a massive hike up several wrong turns and ended up climbing several thousand stairs to get to the top. Taking 4 hours to complete and ending with all of us wishing we had been in better shape. I luckily was in better shape because of all the running I had been doing along Lake Zürich managing to finish about 30 minutes faster than my two friends.

Anyways, the three of us borrowed sleds from the families we work for and took the train from the HB to the last stop on the Uetliberg train. We were packed onto the train with fellow sledders of all ages. There were many kids but also just as many adults acting like kids, all excited to be doing something that evokes such happy childhood memories (well at least for me it does). It never stops amazing me how something so simple as sliding down a hillside or mountain trail can make one so happy. This is exactly what happens with me though. It was rather interesting taking the train up to the top, no climbing up a hill only to slide down 5 minutes later, less of a workout although this sled run did still require some leg work as there were parts that leveled out enough so that my tiny mario kart style sled stopped midway and I had to walk to the next steep part. The wooden sleds that some people had looked like they would have stopped as well because of how heavy they are, but they were actually the few sleds that could make it across the almost flat parts and not stop. However they did slow down quite a bit. I didn't mind having to get off my sled so frequently though because it allowed me to assess the damage I endured hitting random poles or other sleds (usually Ashley's sled). The many bruises I ended up with made my lower half look like I had gotten into a flight with several parking meters and maybe a few kids. The sled I had did in fact have a steering wheel but it may as well have not been there at all for all the good it did me. Icy luges and kid size plastic sleds apparently are not meant to be used together. Since every time I hit a bump I had to cling to the sides of the sled and scream several choice words, which usually was followed by me getting tossed up on a snowy bank hanging on the sled so that it didn't start off without me on it.

The whole ride took around 40 minutes because of all the stops we made throughout the run, trying to figure out who was getting hurt the most and which sled was the fastest. We all came to the conclusion that the wooden sled Kate had borrowed was the fastest, but the Ashley's had the best steering, mine was just an accident waiting to happen so we didn't think it needed to make the list except for most likely to land you in the hospital. Which thankfully I didn't end up with any injuries so great that I would have needed medical help. Although at the bottom of the sled run there is a hospital next to the exit, so if I had been I wouldn't have had to travel far.

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