One for the Adrenaline Junkies: Snake Gliss…

Posted on February 12, 2016 in France Inghams Ski Holidays by Kevin.Holland Tags: , , , , , ,

Have you ever been sledging?

Well this is a very similar experience except with an extra shot of adrenaline, a maximum of 12 people in small sledges and no controls! Needless to say, it’s not for the lighthearted.

Our Meribel reps are enjoying snake gliss over in the the Three Valleys!

The leader of the pack is a ski instructor; he is the only one who has the brakes and with them, the control!! You hurtle down the piste after the lifts have shut, with just the moon and the instructor’s head torch guiding the way down, on what feels like a roller coaster track made of snow. As the instructor turns if you are sat at the front it feels like a wonderfully exciting experience and you turn when the instructor turns and lean when he leans, think cool running’s when everyone’s in the bath…

However, if you are at the back of the train when the instructor turns you may be a little more in need of your lucky egg, if you know what I mean! You’ll be whipped onto one edge of your sledge and on occasion, end up face to face with the instructor as he curls back to make another 180 turn. Your knuckles go white with a combination of adrenaline and excitement, holding on so tight to make sure you don’t fall off. Having fallen off myself, it’s actually just as much fun as staying on. You’re completely safe with a helmet provided by the instructor and when you come out of the sledge it’s a very similar sensation to coming out of a dinghy in a water park. If you’re sat in the middle of the train you’ll find that you’re never quite sure which way you’re turning until all of a sudden your friend at the back of the train is side by side with you as you begin to snake down the piste once again!

As you make your way further down the run and travel past the village of Les Arcs 1950 you begin to turn less and increase in speed. Needless to say, the screams increase and laughter continues and all of a sudden you completely forget that you’re hurtling down a slope. This is an absolute sure fire way to lose your inhibitions and embrace your inner child!

Before your final descent towards the end of the line, the instructor will try one last time to throw off the people at the back of the line, so watch out and try your best to stay on! This reminded me of riding on banana boats when I was young, when you all start to work as a team and lean together to defeat the driver but infuriatingly the driver would always win and someone would always come off. At the end of the journey you grab hold of your sledge and take the free bus ride back up to Arc 2000 a-twitter with all the excitement and adrenaline of the journey. Without a doubt, snake gliss is most certainly, a Les Arcs must do!

Blog by Lizzie Merritt, Inghams Representative Manager in Les Arcs.