January 2023 brought with it a fresh bucket list, complete with many travel goals (tbc) and a few crazy challenges. One of these, was to complete my first Inferno (the world's longest amateur ski race) in Switzerland, which has been on my radar for years thanks to both Dad and brother but, until now, I've avoided due to school and uni commitments.
Flying from Vienna to Zurich was another novel no-passport check journey but unlike in Stockholm where I sauntered off the plane and onto a train direct to the centre, from Zürich I took train 1 to Bern, train 2 to Spiez, train 3 to Interlaken Ost, train 4 to Lauterbrunnen, a cable car to Grütschalp and finally, train 5 to Mürren! What the journey lacked in relaxation, it made up for in scenic views.
By some miracle, I didn't miss a connection and arrived in time to watch the Inferno Langlauf - a gruelling cross country ski up hill, down dale. I'm not sure a single person avoided a wipe out on the perilously steep (and pitch black) course. I think I've found my new favourite spectator sport!
Day two was one for the album! Bright blue skies and fresh snow. The latter didn't last long, given the 1800 competitors lapping the downhill course at full speed on repeat but at least you could see them coming.
The next morning we got up before the sun to catch the first lift all the way to the Schilthorn summit. Under another cloudless sky, we enjoyed the fresh pistes before they descended into ice rinks.
One burning of the devil's parade and a restless sleep later and it was go time. With a 1551 start number, I had ample time to observe the fastest racers rip up the course in the morning, ooh-ing and ahh-ing with the other spectators as my stress levels rose.
Thankfully some friends had similarly late start numbers so we made our way to the top together, which turned out to be one of the most wacky journeys to date - imagine you're in a tiny bubble on a wire with over fifty fellow catsuit-clad skiers, Highway to Hell is blasting on the speakers and you know that in just a few moments you'll be hurling yourself down 9.5km of steep, icy piste, all in the name of..fun! Oh and it's -19 degrees!
But, despite the unhinged build up, I made it down alive and, even more importantly, in time for some finishers' bouillon! Absolutely worth the bluebird-hued toes and fingers.
With Bucketlist item number 1 complete, it's onto number 2.... More on that later!