OLYMPIA BOB SLED RUN - ST MORITZ-CELERINA
Famous Wild Ice Ride in Switzerland Alps
It
is the oldest bob sled track in the world and the only one made of natural
ice, and has made St Moritz in Switzerland one of the most famous
of winter snow sport destinations. First built in 1903, the Olympia Bob
Track is rebuilt every year when the winter chill comes to the southern
high alps. Gaining its Olympia name for its hosting the 1928 Olympics
and 20 years later in 1948. Bob sledding, or Bob Sleigh was originally
more an invention of the English than the Swiss. Some blighty ex pat winter
enthusiasts created the St Moritz Bobsleigh Club and built the track
which runs between St Moritz and the nearby town of Celerina.
The track was built for five man bob sleds, but the big sleighs only
ran
in one
Olympic event before the international sports organizing settled on only
the 2 and 4 man variety. The
icy sled course today pretty much resembles the early route, but major
changes have been made in the lower part of
the track as the bob sleds have increased in speed over time and the
luge and skeleton have been added to the sport. The Olympia Bobrun of
St. Moritz-Celerina is completely rebuilt every year by craftsmen from
the nearby South Tyrol in Italy who begin work during the last week of
November, taking three weeks to build by hand the shell of the 1722-meter
track, and then dismantle it again in March when the rising temperatures
will no longer maintain the natural ice.
The Olympia Bobrun usually opens around Christmas. Training runs and
races are usually held in the morning before noon when the ice is crisp.
Visitors can watch the runs along the route. When official race events
are held there is an entrance fee, which can vary. After the real sportsmen
have their go at the track, visitors can have their chance to experience
the thrill of an 80 mile an hour run with centrifugal forces reaching
5 Gs through the twisting turns of ice. A run from St Moritz to Celerina
lasts only about 75 seconds, but the experience can last a lifetime.
Public rides are in a modified four-man bobsled with a driver and a brakeman.
The cost for the wild ride is 250 Swiss Francs. An advance reservation
is necessary and schedule times can be found on the website (much of
it in German). People with back or neck problems are not allowed to ride
and
a form confirming
the
risks involved will need to be signed. And don’t tell your mother. © Bargain
Travel Europe
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Olympia
Bob Run
These articles are copyrighted and the sole property of Bargain Travel Europe and WLPV, LLC. and may not be copied or reprinted without permission. Photos courtesy Olympia Bobrun St Moritz-Celerina
SEE ALSO:
SWISS
CHOCOLATE TRAIN
SKI
RESORTS OF LAKE GENEVA REGION
GLACIER EXPRESS - SWITZERLAND BY RAIL
HOTEL HAUSER CONFECTION ST MORITZ
