Sledging at Moleson in Switzerland
(as of January 2010)
Itinerary:
Suggested itinerary
10:00 am - Leave Geneva for Moleson
11:30 - Arrive in Moleson
12:00 - Take Fernicular; start sledging
4:00 - End of sledging
4:30 - Depart for Geneva
6:00 - Arrive in Geneva
Travel Arrangements
1. Moleson is 1.5 hrs away by land from Geneva passing through Gruyere. It is 15 minutes drive from Gruyere Chateau. Make sure you check on the weather and road condition before leaving Geneva. Since Moleson is up the mountain, icy road conditions must be avoided.
2. There are good parking areas (free) in Moleson fronting the Funicular Station.
3. Proceed to the Cashier at the Funicular Station and purchase your ONE WAY
Ticket and pay for your rental of sledge. After payment present your receipt to the room adjacent to the Cashier to get your sled.
Funicular Ticket (on way) -CHF 10.00 per person (half card accepted; children below ten are free)
Sledge rental -CHF 5.00 per sled for 3 hours. You need to leave an ID upon rental.
(Each sled is numbered. Take note of the control number for each of the sled that you rent. In case of loss, you make have to report them)
Credit cards are accepted.
4. Fernicular ride takes approximately 15 minutes. You ride with your own or rented sled.
5. Upon disembarking from the Funicular, proceed to the sledging area and start your sledging.
What to wear and bring
1. Ski suit if none, thick water repellant jacket and pants. Bonnet, winter gloves and socks, muffler/ scarf are needed. Dress comfortably allowing yourself to move easily.
2. Inside, make sure you wear thermals (up and down) plus a mid-layer fleece. Do not layer yourself too much as it tends to be warm after a long walk or while sledging. Use polyester thermals if possible as they tend to keep you warm and are breathable (thus keeping you dry all the while).
3. Good winter shoes or waterproof hiking boots is a must. Remember that you will use a lot of your feet to manage and control your sled. In down ward slop, you actually use both your feet to slow or stop your sled. You cannot go sledging with your usual running sneaker as they are likely to absorb water and won’t protect your ankles.
4. Ski helmet and googles are highly recommended to protect you from possible bumps or eye injury from twigs while sledging.
5. Rented sled can ride two persons although it is best that each adult will have his or her own. Children below 5 years old may find the rented sleds too huge to carry so adults should carry or pull the sled for them.
Sledging
1. Sledging run is approximately 4 km of downhill slops. This will take you at least 3 hours to finish allowing enough time for rest and photos.
2. There are no rest, snack or drinking areas in the whole sledging run.
3. No handcarries or handbags please unless you have a small backpack with you. If you plan bring a camera, make sure it can fit your pocket. Where possible, your pockets must be buttoned or zipped to prevent things inside it from falling out during the sledging.
4. While at the sledging area or slops:
a. Be mindful of other people behind you while sledging. You don’t want them delayed simply because you are blocking the sledging track. If
you believe you will stay longer where you are, signal them to move ahead but making sure that you have cleared the tracks for them.
b. While walking through the tracks, always check for some running sleds behind you.
c. Slops differ from each other. If you believe the slop is too steep for you, you walk down slowly. If you decide to sled, make sure you have a good sense of your safety and on how you will manage and control your sled.
d. While sledging, you should alert people in front of you ahead of time for them to clear the way. Make sure you are in full control of your sled so as to avoid running over other people especially small children.
e. Always follow the sledging directional signs. They are there to guide you where to go. Do not venture going into other unmarked areas for your safety.
Sledging Accidents
1. Just like any other sport, accidents may happen during sledging. You can help minimize or prevent the occurrence of accidents if you are mindful of the safety measures for sledging or you are not able to control your sled well. Bear in mind that you can either cause harm to other people or you can get harmed by other people who are careless. So, be alert and defensive all the while.
2. Common accidents while sleding --- head bumps, skin bruises, foot sprain, bone fracture, eye injury. Knowledge of first aid measures will help.
At the End of Sledging
1. Return your rented sled and a make sure you get the ID that you deposited with them.
Other things to do at Moleson
- You can actually go to Moleson and just enjoy the scenic view from the mountain. Just take the funicular (be sure to take a round trip ticket – CHF 20) and go up the mountain until the first mountain. Funicular travel is about 10- 15 minutes. Proceed to the restaurant and try their cheese fondue and wine. There is good selection of food to order in the restaurant.
- Go higher. At the first mountain purchase your cable car ticket and proceed to the second mountain. Cable car ride is 10 minutes. The restaurant at the top gives you an aerial view of Jura mountains and snow covered mountains.
