Guest Post: 8 Adrenaline-Pumping Activities in Switzerland

8 Adrenaline-Pumping Activities in Switzerland

A guest post by Anna Timbrook from Expert World Travel

If you love a little adrenaline rush while you are traveling, then Switzerland is certainly the place to be. In a country that is dominated by the Alps, it’s no surprise that the Swiss have come up with a multitude of ways to enjoy yourself in the mountains. Whether it is hanging from a thread over a canyon, or jumping from waterfalls while zipped up in a wetsuit, the Swiss have got you covered!

Mountaineering

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If you have some spare time in Switzerland, why not give mountaineering a try? After all, mountaineering was more or less invented in the Swiss Alps. However, gone are the days of strapping yourself in with a hemp rope. Fortunately, equipment and safety standards have improved dramatically since the early days of mountaineering.  Of course, you will still want to hire an experienced guide, who will instruct you in how to properly use the equipment and ensure your safe return. You can hire a guide in almost any mountain town in Switzerland, but one of the country’s best mountaineering spots is Zermatt. Zermatt is home to a dedicated mountaineering school and a surprisingly achievable 4,000 meter peak. While still insanely high and covered in snow and ice, the hike is not terribly challenging.

Paragliding

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Interlaken is paradise for adrenaline junkies in Switzerland, and is perhaps one of the best places to go paragliding in the country. You can organise a jump almost any time of the day, and the pick up and landing is right in the town itself. Beatenberg is one of the best viewpoints in the area, and gives you an aerial view of the town, the two lakes that give Interlaken (between lakes) its name, and the distant 4000 meter mountains. As such, it’s also an epic place from which to launch a paraglider. And you don’t usually have to worry about taking photos or videos, because most vendors will record the journey, so you can just sit back and enjoy it.

Mountain Carting

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This is one of my favorites.  In fact, I just did this two days ago with a friend in a small local ski resort near Zurich. If ever you are at the top of a gondola in Switzerland and want an alternative way down the mountain, mountain carting is an incredibly fun option. Basically, you pay for a gondola ride up, and then hire and ride a low-slung tricycle all the way to the bottom. Most lift operators will provide you with all the necessary equipment and haul the cart back up the mountain for you when you’re done. They usually offer an alternative called a “Trotti”, which is Swiss-German for “scooter”. It is a two-wheeled scooter with huge rubber tires, although in this case you are standing rather than sitting. Which you prefer is up to you. But either one will have you zooming to the bottom in no time!

Rodelbahn

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Another way that ski lift companies make money in the summer is with Rodelbahns. Rodelbahns are fixed track toboggans made of metal, where you lie back on a small cart with a lever brake to moderate your speed (or not!). Not every ski resort has them, and often it’s the smaller ones that invest to try to attract people in the offseason. But be sure to check whether there are any in your area, because there are far more of them around than most people realise. The longest, and most famous of all is just outside ot Chur (in Churwalden).

Whitewater Rafting

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Any country with as many mountains as Switzerland, will almost certainly also have plenty of fast-moving rivers. You can be sure to encounter lots of opportunities to go rafting no matter where you are in the Alps. Of course, there are options to raft in the Aare, near Interlaken, but other places like the Upper-Rhine, and the Sur En near Scuol are also great rafting spots.

Canyoning

[Image Courtesy of Pixabay]

Canyoning is an insane sport where you slide yourself down a river, over drop-offs and waterfalls, all in the name of fun. Guides accompany you all the way along, helping you abseil down drops or work up the courage to jump. You will either love it or hate it, but you will certainly never forget it. Interlaken has the strongest reputation as the canyoning center of Switzerland, with an excellent canyoning spot not far from town. However, one of my favorite spots is actually Val Verzasca in the Italian part of the country. The river and the pools it creates are spectacular, so too is the surrounding area and mountains. And you can combine it will an insane jump off a dam…

Bungee Jumping

[Image courtesy or WikiMedia]

One of the premiere spots to jump off a large object in Switzerland is in Val Verzasca in Ticino. It was made famous by the opening scene in the James Bond movie Golden Eye, and they have never looked back. What’s spectacular about this particular jump is that it is so close to the damn wall. Unlike other bungees where you are freefalling in space, this one adds another level or terror! Check out the James Bond opening scene, and you might just have second thoughts.

Skiing and Snowboarding

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Last, but certainly not least, is good old skiing and snowboarding. Switzerland is a winter wonderland when it comes to snow sports. The country is filled with lifts and resorts, and you are really spoiled for choice. Whether you are just learning, and terrified of black runs, or taking a little more courage and heading “off-piste” there are more opportunities here than I can count. The best months to ski are January and February, but with all the weather chaos the last few years, it is never a “sure thing”. In case of low snow levels, there is more than enough to keep you entertained with tobogganing, ice skating, snow tubing and a whole lot more!

About the Author

Anna was born to travel the world having studied languages all her life. Although she has traveled the world, she now calls Switzerland home and spends her time writing about her experiences on Expert World Travel. Follow her on Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook.