Sledging in Zermatt: what to wear, safe for kids?
APoliszuk is excited about their first trip to Switzerland in December, which includes a two-day stay in Zermatt. They are seeking advice about sledging, specifically concerning safety, clothing requirements, and the best places for beginners.
- Sledding in Zermatt is safe, and while helmets are not required, it’s a good idea to wear them.
- Your 8-year-old son can use a sled by himself, but consider accompanying him on a run for guidance.
- Dress warmly with ski pants, thermal layers, and snow boots to keep comfortable while sledding.
- Furi and Winkelmatten are the best sledding spots for beginners, offering easy runs with great scenery.
- Goggles are recommended for better visibility while sledding, especially when going fast.
AI-generated summary-
Hello. Looking forward to our first trip to Switzerland in December. Part of the trip includes a two day stay in Zermatt. Had a few questions regarding sledging/sledding.
1) Is sledging considered safe and are helmets required
2) Can our 8 year old son use a sled by himself or does he need to be accompanied
3) Is heavy winter clothing required for sledding in the mountain (e.g. snowpants)
4) Is there only one place to go sledding in Zermatt (couldn’t find more on the internet)
5) Is there a “preferred” place to sled for beginners who are also tourists (easy + scenery)
Thanks
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Hello APoliszuk,
Welcome to MySwissAlps!
How wonderful that you are traveling with your son and plan on sledding while you’re in Switzerland.
1) Sledding is safe and I’ve taken my kids as young as 2. However, don’t forget to give yourselves as much time as possible to acclimatize to the altitude before undertaking any physical activity.
Some of the more windy paths I go slower and move closer to the shoveled snow part. Helmets are not required but it doesn’t hurt for the both of you to wear one. It might be easier to bring one from home. If you want to rent one, you could do so at any of ski shops in one of the mountain resorts.
2) Your 8 year old son should be able to go by himself on one sled. I would still go with him and rent two sleds. You could always rent one sled made to hold two people and go with him on a run to see how it goes.
3) I would recommend ski pants and thermal leggings underneath them. It is also good to wear a ski jacket, turtle neck, and gloves. Also wear ankle snow boots with a deep thread sole. The boots will keep your feet warm and the tread soles provide guidance to the steering and support braking/slowing down when you are sledding.
4) There are different stations in Zermatt to go sledding such as: Furi, Sunnegga and Gornergrat. You could also try Winkelmatten , it is a suburb of Zermatt and I like that area for sledding because the slopes are tamed and would be good for your son.
Zermatt:
Furi:
Gornergrat:
5) Furi or Winkelmatten is good for beginners. If you are feeling brave and want a challenge run, try Gornergrat.
I hope this helps!
Best regards,
Suzanne
Thank you Suzanne. I appreciate the detailed information. Just to follow up with a few more questions. As this will be our first time both in Zermatt (family of 5) and first time sledding which one of the runs would you recommend most. As well, which one could be easily combined with another outing on the mountain. Lastly, I noticed several sites recommend goggles, are the sleds fast enough that these would be required?
Thanks
Hi APoliszuk,
As suggested by Suzanne, maybe start by doing the Furi or Winkelmatt run to get an idea of how the sledge reacts, etc.
The goggles are recommended simply to guarantee your sight when dashing through the snow. However, I personally never wear any when sledging.
Best,
Steph
Thanks!
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