Last year when I was searching for a potential gondola or cable car to ride up to a Swiss mountaintop, I needn't have looked much farther than our own backyard from where we were staying in Adelboden. It doesn't offer views of the Jungfrau or Matterhorn or any other famous Alpine peak, but the ride to TschentenAlp was incredibly beautiful and very affordable (especially when compared to the ride up to Jungfrau, the "top of Europe," which costs 125 CHF - more than $125 - per person!)
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| Just a short walk up this village road will get you to the TschentenAlp gondola. |
The price of the TschentenAlp gondola is only 10 CHF per person under 16, and 17 CHF for adults.
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| Ticket booth for TschentenAlp. |
Upon disembarking the gondola at the top, you can put your skis on immediately and ski to your first run (lift ticket prices are in another post), or you can rent sleds to take down the 1.3 mile toboggan run - it has a 975 foot descent. Return quickly by chairlift and then try the 1.2 mile intermediate level toboggan run. There's also night sledding by floodlight every Saturday.
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| The Tschentenalp sledding run. Photo courtesy of www.tschentenalp.ch |
Prices for sledding are:
Morning pass (9am - 12:30) 24 CHF for adults, 17 CHF for kids;
Afternoon pass (12pm - 4:30pm) 24 CHF for adults, 17 CHF for kids;
All day pass (9am - 4:30pm) 30 CHF for adults, 22 CHF for kids;
Night sledding 24 CHF for adults, 17 CHF for kids (or if you have a valid ski or sledding pass for that day, night sledding is only 10 CHF for adults and 5 CHF for kids);
25% off for groups of 10 or more and families of 3 or more!
Sled rental prices are:
All day:
30 CHF for an Airboard with helmet
15 CHF for a toboggan
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| The Skibock was invented in Adelboden. |
Half day:
18 CHF for an Airboard with helmet
10 CHF for a toboggan
5 CHF for a Skibock
Do you know what a Skibock is? I had never seen one before, but it sure looked like fun to me. It's a seat, with shock absorbers, mounted on a single ski. I thought maybe I had never seen one because we don't live in a snowy climate, but I'm not sure many people have heard of these - they were actually invented in Adelboden!
If this is all too much activity for you and you'd rather just relax and drink in the majestic glory of the surrounding mountains on TschentenAlp, several choices are available. There is a bar in a glass igloo a few steps from the gondola station:
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| Very cool igloo bar. |
There is also the newly renovated Berghaus Tschenten Restaurant with a terrific panoramic terrace. The restaurant offers daily specials, Argentinean barbeque, and a quality Swiss wine list. Every Saturday night there's raclette and fondue. A large children's playroom and an outdoor slide ensure fun for the whole family. Berghaus Tschenten also offers overnight accommodations.
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| Cable cars to TschentenAlp in Adelboden, Switzerland. |
Oh that igloo is awesome. All of your photos are tremendous. That is one beautiful back drop and surroundings for a ski adventure! Actually, for any visit, even without skiing!
ReplyDeleteHey, Sonja...I'm Sonja as well! That slide sure looks like fun. Did you guys slide down it? I love the mountains, they are so beautiful. Just recently wrote about our trip to the Grand Tetons, but they weren't near as snow covered as these.
ReplyDeleteI was afraid if we entered that slide we wouldn't come out - who knows if the inside was frozen shut! I'll check out your post about the Grand Tetons.
DeleteLooks like a pretty cool place to visit. I haven't seen snow since moving to Australia ten years ago so I'll have to try and squeeze in a snow trip sometime this year
ReplyDeletei like your funny, Exciting and Beautiful photos. Adelboden a very Cosy, pleasant, wonderful place to visit.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing like this info
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