This weekend in Verbier was very different than the previous two weekends this season. Three couples came together with one goal – celebrate Nora’s birthday by enjoying a weekend filled with her favorite things: skiing, a late lunch on the mountain, fondue, sledding and lots of wine! It was so nice to spend quality time with Nora, Mike, Nico and Marie as we haven’t had the chance to spend time with them outside group settings.While overcoming a great deal of my fears on the slopes and enjoying a few hours of skiing with friends was a lot of fun, the highlight of the weekend was definitely last night’s adventure: fondue & sledging. When Nora suggested an evening of fondue and sledging we of course agreed as it’s the birthday girl’s choice and Bo had never eaten Swiss fondue. But, we didn’t know the details of the adventure until 8pm last night. Our group was told to grab one of the stacked sledges (sleds in the US) and be ready at 8pm, fresh from naps and showers, dressed in warm boots and clothing. I am so thankful that my in-laws gave me a pair of Sorel boots for my birthday! I stayed nice and warm all last night!

We took the Verbier bus 15 minutes from their flat, towards Carrefour. Many other people had the same idea as by the time we reached our stop the bus filled with people of all ages with one thing in common – a sled in their hands.From the bus stop our evening consisted of a 45 minute hike up a hill, through the woods along a trail overlooking the villages below, a fondue dinner and then a sledging adventure back down the mountain.

The hike through the woods in fresh powder was definitely a challenge on already exhausted legs. We went between talking and laughing on the trail to waking a few minutes in silence to enjoy the pristine forest. Our eyes quickly became adjusted to the darkness and Bo and I were in awe of the stars, snow capped trees and views. I wish I could capture the views for you but my iPhone couldn’t do it justice.

Forty five minutes later our group arrived at Restaurant La Marmotte.

Complete with a large fireplace and wood burning stoves, our dinner was the epitome of a Swiss fondue evening! Needless to say, after the hike, we were quite exhausted but also quite cold.  That was quickly remedied as we were immediately welcomed with toasty cups of vin chaud (hot wine) and a delicious assiette de viandes froides et fromages (dried meat and cheese plate). 

No one needed to look at the menu as our hosts Mike and Nora ordered for the whole table (fondue obviously with plenty of white wine).  Since it was Bo’s first time having fondue, the experienced fondue folks joked that they almost encouraged him to order beer rather than wine. Evidently the acid in the white wine helps with the digestion of the cheese and if you ever drink beer with fondue, everything you eat clumps together in your stomach causing quite a bit of discomfort.We laughed and joked for over two hours and somehow miraculously managed to finish both pots.  It was then time for the sledging down the longest path in Western Switzerland!  NOW, let me tell you…if you want an adventure, sit down on a plastic sledge heading down the mountain for 30 minutes along a 10 ft wide path in the dark with a cliff on one edge after consuming 6 bottles of wine and two pots of cheese between 8 people – for us, it was the ride of a lifetime though its evidently normal course in the Swiss Alps. Yes mom and dad I know this wasn’t the best decision but we survived, had a blast and don’t regret it!

The sledges that are used in Switzerland are unlike any American sled that we have ever seen.  The sleds that we used to buy at corner bodegas in New York after a big snow were simple plastic shells.  These were also made out of plastic but they had proper seats and actual controls.  We steered right and left down the mountain as the path twisted and turned through the woods back through Verbier. We all survived the adventure and ended right at the base of the W Hotel in Verbier, laughing and freezing from the snow in our hair on bottoms.

The world incredible can’t begin to describe this four hour experience and we look forward to sharing it with friends and family who come visit us during the winter!