Travel For the Sport of It! Conquering Switzerland’s Most Extreme Winter Adventures
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After spending some quality wintertime in Switzerland, I’ve come to the conclusion that the Swiss may be both the hardiest people on the planet, as well as the bravest. And the craziest!
For when it comes to blithely taking on the most extreme sports imaginable, they just smile and do it – and invite you to join in. So if spending a snowy interlude in the Alps while testing your personal mettle each day sounds like a perfect way to get a nonstop adrenaline rush in 2026, you’ve come to the right vacation place.
Let’s wend our way from east to west, keeping in mind that some of these adventures can be had in more than one of the country’s 26 cantons (that is, the Swiss version of states).
Graubünden: Daring to Do it in the Engadin
Graubünden canton covers a wide swath of Eastern Switzerland and is filled with mountains, glaciers and valleys formed by the Central Alps. The Engadin Valley is where physical challenges of all sorts abound, beginning with skiing and snowboarding. Stay in St. Moritz or Pontresina, where many hotels have ski-in, ski-out access to lifts. Then begin the real fun of the Engadin, for you can use lifts, gondolas and mountain railways to schuss your way around all the mountains in the valley, learning along the way that skiers-boarders all across the Alps clomp their way onto trains constantly to connect to nearby slopes.
Of course, everyone in the world knows about the legendary snow conditions and ski mountains in Switzerland, but what about the Diavolezza Glacier Race? That happens annually in March, and you’ll need to register to join that nearly five-mile competition on skis or snowboard, on an ungroomed run over glaciers, ice fields and more, with an elevation drop of over 3,000 feet. That’s sure to blow your hair back, but if that seems too tame … hold my beer!
For St. Moritz, known as the birthplace of Alpine sport, is ready to give you a few challenges that may shake you to the core. Think you’ve got the guts to try The Cresta Run? If so, you’ll ride on your belly on a skeleton-like toboggan, hurtling headfirst for a ¾-mile zoom down the oldest natural ice run in the world. Don’t be surprised if you feel a little wobbly at the finish, beginners usually do; meanwhile, the Swiss have been doing this run since 1884.
Still feeling ready for more? Then speed on over to the Olympia Bob Run, the world’s original bobsled run, first carved out by hand in 1904 and still done that way every year. It’s been the site of bobsledding Olympics and World Cups, and amateur adrenaline seekers can book rides in a four-person bobsled throughout the winter season. With pros in the driver’s seat and braking back seat, you’ll drop into the two middle seats and quickly be off on (for me, at least) the longest 75 seconds of your life. Hurtling down the track at over 80 mph and hitting 5Gs of pressure around 19 curves was a bit too much for my sensitivities, but I crawled out alive. You will too, and will love it if you like wild roller coasters, for it’s an insane ride.
Before leaving the Engadin, do a day of winter canyoning, that sport that pits you against ice and snow as you belay down a frozen waterfall, zipline across a snow-filled canyon and hike where all you hear is the crunch of the snow. You can rent all of the gear you’ll need for this one, but be sure to wear your woolen long johns and thick socks, as it gets cold out there.
Where to stay in the Engadin
The Kulm Hotel in St. Moritz opened in 1856, and ever since, this has been the place to stay. From its perfect location perched above Lake St. Moritz, visitors have always found a gorgeous hotel with impeccable service. Today’s Kulm offers a complimentary ski lift and mountain pass for the duration of your stay; add in the fantastic restaurants including the Kulm Country Club overlooking the ice-skating rink and Chesa al Parc for warming local Swiss dishes and the hotel’s modern-yet-traditional rooms to experience a perfect stay in the Engadin.
Bern: The Canton with the HUGE Mountains
Making our way into Central Switzerland means being in the capital city’s canton of Bern, but for more adventure sports, we’re heading to Gstaad, Wengen and Interlaken in the Bernese Oberland, using them as home bases for Alpine activities that test our mettle. Now we’re in the heart of the Alps, tackling legendary mountains like Glacier 3000, Grindelwald, Jungfraujoch and Eiger, all offering up more sports challenges to the brave of heart and strong of body.
With the beautiful city of Gstaad as home base, getting to Glacier 3000 is easy. Take your skis and boards, for it offers some serious mountain challenges for advanced skiers, with going off-piste into fresh powder accomplished by heading toward the Peak Walk stairs and just stepping off beyond the fence. Off-piste skiing is risky (no grooming nor avalanche control), which makes it a Swiss skier’s dream. If it’s yours, too, find it here or further south in the 4 Vallées in Verbier, which is the largest ski area in the country.
The Peak Walk in winter at Glacier 3000 presents its own challenges, with steep icy steps to climb to reach the 350-foot-long, steep suspension bridge that rewards climbers with views stretching from the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc to the Eiger and Jungfrau. The final destination is a large rock on a high peak; we discovered that on a windy winter’s day it’s best to just hang on!
Up at 3,000 meters high (thus the name; that’s 9,800 feet for us in the U.S.), you’ll find sled dogs raring to whisk you across the frozen landscape, barking joyously the whole way. Hang on tight, as you’ll be moving fast.
Be sure to spend some time in Gstaad, where a horse-drawn carriage is the way to see this picturesque place and an Alpine cheese fondue meal at Michel’s Stallbeizli brings a new meaning to “from barn to table” as the cows are right there with you. And perhaps grab some snowshoes and specially prepared fondue fixin’s backpack and take a wintry hike to a giant fondue pot, where you’ll prepare your own cheesy treat in the midst of the mountains.
Move on via the Glacier Express scenic train, with panoramic windows to take in the Alpine landscapes in style, to end up in Wengen, a village that’s nestled in the Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO World Heritage Site. To get to the “Top of Europe” chug on up to the Jungfraujoch on the world’s highest railway, where spectacular views at over 11,000 feet and even more wild rides await. Ski down from on high on double black diamond runs if you dare, and remember the air is a lot thinner up here.
Here’s also where it’s time to test your balance on the Velogemel, a wooden downhill conveyance that seems a bit like a bicycle, that will zoom you quickly down the slopes, as long as you can keep your seat. Swiss locals use them as transportation, but we’re still not sure how they get back up the mountains.
Once the Jungfrau has gotten your heart rate way up, take the time to relax and shift home base to Interlaken, that scenic heart of the Alps. It’s a more modern city with plenty to offer, like Stephan Beers’ Michelin-starred restaurant Radius and a chance to make your own Swiss chocolates at Funky Chocolate Club, but there are even more slightly insane winter sports to add to your Swiss bucket list here.
Start with skydiving from a helicopter right next to the Eiger (if you dare) or take a tandem paraglide and land in Höhematte Park, smack dab in the very center of the city. Either one gives you astonishing views and some stomach butterflies, too. Closer to earth, you’ll find winter kayaking on Lake Brienz, where wearing a dry suit will help keep you warm; and over on Grindelwald-First, where they brand themselves as the “Top of Adventure” spot, there’s more adrenaline rushes on offer.
Naturally, there’s challenging ski slopes to conquer, but how about trying the First Flyer, a four-person zipline that hurtles you down 2,600 feet at 50 mph? That one actually has seats, but then there’s the First Glider, too, which simulates how an eagle feels soaring through the air. You’ll ride that one on your stomach along with three other thrill seekers, and feel like you’ve been in a sort of giant slingshot by the time you’re back on the ground.
For a classic top-off to all this excitement, finish up your Swiss adventure with a Raclette Rafting dinner on the lake, complete with one of the country’s favorite dishes, raclette, heated cheese served with boiled potatoes. Be sure to have some of Switzerland’s wonderful wines to go along with your floating dinner, for after all your sporting adventures, you deserve it.
Where to stay in the Bernese Oberland
In Gstaad, the new The Alpina Gstaad is spectacular and unforgettable, nestled on the mountainside with gorgeously appointed suites complete with cozy fireplaces and balconies with expansive views, as well as a Six Senses Spa to work out all the athletic kinks you’ve developed on this sports-heavy trip. Wengen offers the Grand Hotel Belvedere, a homey place with a rustic feel and Alpine views. In Interlaken the place to stay is the Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel and Spa, which has welcomed guests to five-star hospitality for over 150 years. Right in the center of town, this is a legendary hotel that effortlessly meets up to its storied reputation.
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