Alpine Slide Ride in Austria

My childhood in central Pennsylvania was great, but life in that small town community sheltered me from a few experiences – like knowing about the existence of a thrilling summer activity where the objective is to speed down the mountain in a toboggan! So it wasn’t until a couple of weeks ago, at my young age of 30-something, that I experienced my first ever alpine slide.

Jim at the bottom of the alpine slide chair lift

It was a day of firsts in Hallein, Austria. First time I boarded a chair lift with no snow on the ground, wearing sneakers instead of ski boots.  First time I strapped myself into a toboggan from 7,220 feet up (2,200 metres), trusting in the knowledge that my cart was securely bolted on to the stainless steel track beneath, and that my seatbelt would keep me from flying out of the cart around the steep downhill bends.

Alpine slides now exist throughout the world. In the United States, it appears that the largest portion of slides are in the state of Colorado, but they’re also now in a number of U.S. states, and typically located at the site of big winter ski resorts, serving the business purpose to supplement the resort’s income during the summer months.

The brochure for the Keltenblitz Alpine slide in Hallein, Austria marketed a 10 year old kid and his mom in a yellow cart with the advertisement slogan – a “family-fun” activity. Therefore, when Jim convinced me to take a pitstop there on route from Salzburg, Austria to Berchtesgaden, Germany, I did not expect to be quite so intimidated as we ascended up  the chair lift and climbed higher and higher into the alps. Below us, we heard recurrent screams as we watched other customers maneuver down the track, exposed completely to the elements and secured in place only by a seat belt over their waist.

At the top, we paused for a picture and to admire the view of the surrounding mountains.

We booked a package of 3 rides, so my first ride down was a cautious one. To accelerate you pushed the hand gear/brake in between your legs forward, and to stop you pulled it back. I did much more pulling than pushing, still not 100% confident that this cart was going to stay on its narrow track.

Toboggans at the top of the alpine slide

But the second time around, I pushed it, literally, to the ride’s acceleration limit, due in part to trusting the ride’s overall safety and the little bit of liquid courage I gained from the German Weisse beer I drank at the restaurant on top of the mountain…

Overall, the activity is ideally suited for families.  The day of our visit, Jim and I appeared to be two of the only adults who visited the slide without any children in tow. When we eagerly lined up behind the 15 other kids and their parents, waiting for our turn on the slide, we looked a little out of place!

But you’re never too old to experience something new…

I don’t often take the opportunity to feel like a child again, but this experience gave me that chance, as well as a robust Austrian lunch overlooking a spectacular view of the surrounding region.

Here’s a video to give you the full experience (dizziness may occur while watching…)