Bobsleigh Run

Every December a crew of ice builders starts from nothing in the valley between St. Moritz and Celerina and constructs the Olympic Bob Run from snow, water and cold air. No refrigeration plant is involved. The result is the last natural-ice bobsleigh track in the world, a winding channel of white walls and hard glazed floor that has been rebuilt year after year since the run was first laid out in 1904. When the thaw comes in March, the track simply melts back into the landscape.

The run belongs to the story of winter sport in the Engadin, which grew from the English guests who began wintering in St. Moritz in the nineteenth century. Tobogganing, skeleton and bobsleigh all flourished here. The track hosted the bobsleigh events of the 1928 Winter Olympics and again in 1948, and it has staged many world championships since. Its neighbour, the Cresta Run, is a different matter: that narrow track is reserved for skeleton riders who lie face down on a small sled, and it is a separate institution with its own club traditions.

Visitors cannot drive a bobsleigh themselves, but they can ride in one. In the taxi-bob a professional pilot steers a modified four-man sled, with a brakeman at the back, while passengers sit in between and hold on. The descent takes about a minute and a quarter and reaches around 130 kilometres per hour, with strong sideways forces in the curves and no suspension to soften them. The run is not for the faint-hearted or for anyone with back or neck problems, and rides are limited to adults and older teenagers who meet the operator's conditions.

Timing is everything. The run operates only when the ice is in condition, normally from late December until early March, and rides can be cancelled when temperatures rise or snow falls heavily. Book ahead in the high season, since places are limited, and check the operator's current information before going.

Even without a ride, the track is worth seeing. A walk along the side lets you watch crews shape the banks, and during race days spectators gather at the curves for the best views and the sound of runners on ice. The village centre is about ten minutes away on foot, and the run combines well with a stroll around Lake St. Moritz or a visit to the Segantini Museum.