Author's product rating: 
| Advantages: |
Good fun |
| Disadvantages: |
Not suitable for everyone |
| Recommend to potential buyers: |
yes |
Preda is a tiny village on the Albula Pass high in the Swiss Alps. It is the sort of place that has inspired visitors for centuries with its breathtaking scenery but nowadays it is most famous as being the starting point of Switzerland's longest toboggan ride, the Preda-Bergün Schlittelabenteuer.
The journey to Preda is somewhat of an adventure in itself. Almost all of the visitors arrive here via the Swiss rail network, the Rhätische Bahn. I travelled Preda on the Bernina Express, a glass roofed train that runs just twice a day. There is an additional cost to travel on this glass train compared with the standard trains, which depart every hour and travel between Chur and St Moritz but for me this was well worth the extra couple of quid as I considered it to be one of those once in a lifetime opportunities.
Preda sits at the peak of the Albula Pass, 1,789 metres (5,780 feet) above sea level. The air at this altitude is pure but is thin, causing rapid breathing spasms and it does take a while to get acclimatised. To put this relative height into perspective Britain's highest mountain Ben Nevis is a mere 1,344 metres high (4,409 feet) in comparison.
When I visited here in late February 2008 there was not a cloud in the sky and the sun was beating down. We had gone prepared for harsh winter conditions but quickly ended up stripping down to just jeans and t-shirts. Despite this winter heat wave the ground was still deep with several metres of snow, which was just as well since we had come here to toboggan after all.
The toboggan ride is just over 6km long and finishes at Bergün lower down in the valley. Bergün is the next railway station to Preda and many people that finish the toboggan run jump straight back on the next train for a single stop and do it all again, whilst their adrenaline is still pumping. For the majority of people however a single 6km run is experience enough and to save having to carry the toboggan all the way back to Preda there is a toboggan drop off point conveniently located in Bergün.
At the start of the run the toboggans are collected from a building that is located at the end of the station platform at Preda. There are different types of toboggans to choose from including individual or double toboggans, designed for two people. I chose a basic wooden toboggan which cost 12 CHF (£6/7.5 Euros). Each toboggan carries an unique bar code which is swiped and this is then swiped again when it is returned. We paid on a credit card (my company's lol) so there was no deposit to pay but if you pay with cash there is a rather hefty deposit of around £20 to pay. This is presumably to prevent the toboggans being taken home as souvenirs or acquired by the locals who also use this toboggan run frequently.
Once you have collected your toboggan you then follow the crowds along the footpath towards the start of the run. It is about a 1Km walk to the start of the run but with high spirits this is not a journey that seems to take very long, nor is it a tedious one as the scenery is stunning. Each toboggan is surprisingly light and has a piece of rope attached to the front of it making pulling it along effortless.
Close to the start of the toboggan run there is a large hotel called the Preda Kulm. This has a bar and restaurant and a lovely terrace from where you can enjoy the view. Unfortunately time did not permit us to stop off here but many others did. There are also some toilets located here too, which, after looking at the start of the run seemed to be rather popular.
The start of the run looks quite steep and a little bit scary but seeing small children happily take the plunge I was (foolishly) reassured that it couldn't be too bad. The run is cut out of the snow in a u-shaped trough about 5 to 10 metres wide, at the side of this there is deep, soft snow piled up to cushion the fall, should you be unfortunate enough to fall off your toboggan.
The start of the run is actually quite pleasant and not actually that steep, so speed is only picked up slowly. Steering the toboggan is entirely by digging the heel of your foot into the ground, the left heel to turn to the left and the right heel to turn to the right. Digging both heels into the ground enables you to slow down (and eventually stop) whilst continuing in a straight line.
Despite there being quite a crowd at the start of the run everyone travels at their own pace and very quickly I was completely alone, hurtling down the run, as if I was the only person for miles around. This was an amazing experience and a very relaxing one too. Controlling the toboggan was much easier than I had feared and before long I was thoroughly enjoying myself. There was however no time for complacency as I was about to discover.
On approaching a long bend about half way down the course I saw a large warning sign above me, displayed in various languages. The English version said: "Warning: Fast run ahead for 300 metres". Suddenly the drop was much steeper and I quickly picked up speed. At this point there is a speed camera overhead that registers your speed as you pass. I was alarmed to see that I had clocked 42Km/hr and things were looking steeper ahead.
At the bottom of the fast run there was a steep bend and I frantically dug my heels into the ground to turn, as I did so I clipped the steep banking which sent my toboggan into a wobble. I can't say that my life flashed before me but things did seem to go into slow motion as a took a spectacular tumble. As I picked myself up, clutching my toboggan with a face full of snow I was amazed how soft my landing had been and then, as I dusted myself down, I just wished that someone had been around to video it.
At the end of the run it all just comes to a gentle stop. The ground levels out and you simply slow down to a point where you stop and dismount. At the bottom I met up with my colleague, Martin who is the Swiss agent for the company that I work for, and his wife and kids. It was only then I learned that Martin had fallen off 3 times and his wife and both kids twice each. Apparently I faired best out of us all, but it seems that falling off is all part of the fun.
The toboggan run is a great fun day out and an experience that I will remember for a long time. It is available to anyone over 5 years old, although for obvious reasons would not be suitable for the disabled, infirm or faint-hearted.
If you are a Swiss tax payer then there are reduced ticket prices (shown in brackets below):
Adult - 12 CHF (9 CHF)
Child (under 16) - 6.60 CHF
Family ticket - 34 CHF (17 CHF)
A family ticket is valid for two adults and up to 2 children.
The toboggan run is open daily (except Monday) between 1st December and 31st March. It is open from 9am until 8pm and is floodlit after dark.
This product has not yet been reviewed. 
