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Downhill in St. Moritz and Uphill in Slovakia

		Tuesday, 20 November 07 - 08:47 PM (GMT) By John Roberts in Portfolio: Travel

 

Adventure Holidays

Downhill in St. Moritz

and Uphill in Slovakia

Travel Article

by John Roberts

Published in The Budapest Sun Newspaper, March 7, 1996

(John Roberts is a freelance writer and the Managing Director of Csiky Brokers in Budapest.)

 

If you're looking for something totally different to fill your leisure time, here are two exciting and physically- demanding adventures. Any reasonably fit and self- confident individual should be up to the challenge; but it does take some conditioning and planning. At 59 years old, I had never tried either sport before, but I loved them both. You will, too.

The point of both experiences is that you have to master your fear. Nothing grabs your concentration like hurtling alone down the twisting ice run on a tiny sled in Switzerland's richest resort; or climbing walls of snow and rock in mid-winter, in the high mountains of Slovakia.

St. Moritz and the High Tatra Mountains are the epitome of winter sport in their regions, both within a day's travel from Budapest by train or car. Of course, both locations also offer the finest in skiing.

The Cresta Run, like the great Olympic bobsled run it parallels nearby, is a classic, U-shaped chute of solid ice, a mix of hard turns and accelerating runs, on which you have to steer your tiny metal sled face-down the mountain against the clock. Speed from the top reaches 70 miles per  hour (113 kilometers per hour), but beginners may want to start from a lower station, dragging their metal toes to scrape through the dangerous curves until experience and the necessary bravado encourages them to go for it.

The Cresta is a private men's club. It is Old World, rather snobbish internally, but friendly to outsiders who go by the rigid safety and social rules, pay for the unique privilege and enjoy the camaraderie of international adventurers.

In my previous six decades, I had never set foot on anything higher than a Colorado bar stool. But, recently I picked up the mountain-climbing dream. The Great Alps--a mile straight up--are too much for any beginner. Maybe next year. So I decided on Europe's second-most beautiful mountain range: the High Tatra Mountains of Slovakia.

My guide and I slowly worked up to the task. "Don't treat me like a tourist," I told him, "because I've been running for months in preparation." So the first day, he put me on the points of my boot crampons, the rope and the snow wall. "Up there?" I said, not seeing anything in the way of steps.

Yes. No preamble; we just went up the wall outside of town, and there I was, teeth full of snow and nothing but space beneath my heel--an instant mountain climber. "Think about the wall, not the fall," I told myself.

Then, after increasing peaks and conditioning, we tackled Lomnicke Stit, Slovakia's second highest--and most beautiful--mountain. Up we went, climbing mostly rock steps and stomping stairs in the snow wall. My guide led, one rope up. I watched each step, plunging my ice ax into the side of the mountain before moving.

We took care of each other, both vulnerable and responsible. My guide urged me on as nasty weather closed around the peak. But, I stopped again and again, looking down over the mountains, the valleys and the ages of my life.

I love the mountains, and up there I reached a dual high of brain and body. The Eiger. The Matterhorn. Yes, I will, I will, before it's too late.

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