rmwhitt

I want to go sledging in Switzerland next January and would love some direction. Will fly from NYC--where are my sledging options? I've never sledged before so am looking for beginner and intermediate experiences. We also ski and snow board; do most sledging locations give you this option? Advise on where to stay and what else to do would also be greatly appreciated.

Ingo

Go to the official Switzerland Tourism website and see the snow reports:

http://snow.myswitzerland.com/snow_reports?lang=en

Then click on "tobogganing" - and a list of all tobogganing/sledding places comes up. From what other info you gave us I'd say pick a resort in Bernese Oberland or Graubünden.

The Jungfrau region with Grindelwald, Wengen, Mürren is an obvious choice; ditto Gstaad, all of them in Bernese Oberland. In Graubünden I'd check Engadin/St. Moritz, Klosters or Arosa.

bilboburgler

do you mean tobogganing or dog sledging or reindeer sledging???

Ackislander

Your subject confused and amused me because a
"sledge" in the US is the sort of heavy hammer used by John Henry to break rocks in the folk song or by prisoners on chain gangs. I wondered if you were seeking out a very different kind of experience in Switzerland.

We say "sled" (generic) or toboggan (per Ingo) or
"bobsled" (fast, usually more than one person) or "luge" (very fast, ridden by madmen and women). Which is it to be?

Ingo

Hm, indeed a bit confusing, but I thought "beginner and intermediate experiences" indicates the OP means tobogganing.

FoFoBT

I didn't find it confusing...I figured if the OP said sledging, the OP meant sledging. I second Ingo's Gstaad suggestion and here is their sledging info:
http://www.gstaad.ch/en/page.cfm/Cab...ports/Sledging

To answer your question, re also skiing and snowboarding, yes, of course:
http://www.gstaad.ch/en/page.cfm/Act...ndSnowboarding

Closer to our home, there's a nice sledging run at Reigoldswil near Basel. The same route makes for pleasant hiking in spring/summer/fall. Small cablecar lift (more like the gondolas at Stowe or Killington). http://wanderland.myswitzerland.com/....cfm?id=315398

Ackislander

But when one clicks through to the Gstaad site, the page that comes up in the US is headed "Sledding", hence my confusion.

FoFoBT

Yes, they give it the sledding title for people who don't know why sledging is. But over here, it is call sledging and that's why the link itself says sledging. It's very easy to check what sledging means.
The Interlaken sledging page keeps to the original term (schlitteln) but uses sledging in its English description.
http://www.interlaken.ch/erlebnisse/...tteln.html?L=3
as does
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/nigh...tain-fare.html
and
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/infr...re%2FLandscape

Sledging is popular throughout Switzerland. I tend to think of tobogganing as more popular in places like St. Moritz.

Ingo

Let's agree on "Schlitteln" then ;-)

rmwhitt

To Ackishlander: The term "sledging" is the common term used in Switzerland to describe sliding on a [prescribed] wooden sled (which you can rent) down very slippery slopes, miles and miles of runs throughout the Swiss regions. Check out youtube for sledging videos.

Glad I amused you but hopefully this clears up your confusion. Am open to any suggestions you might have re Swiss sledging holidays (another non-American term that Europeans used to describe their vacations--hope it doesn't confuse you!

Ackislander

Do I get to sing the Anvil Chorus from Trovatore whilst sledging or must I yodel?

pore

Yodeling is not so bad but you do not need to!
As I know the longist "Schlittelbahn" (sled course) is the Albula road which is closed in winter (its 6 km or nearly 4 Miles long). You can get the information at the Bergün tourist office - www.berguen-filisur.ch -.
pore