It is a very simple concept, and therefore it is brilliant. Take people up a mountain, give them alcohol, send them 4km down the mountain on toboggans that they just learned how to use, give them more alcohol. In the USA, this would be a lawyer’s nightmare. In Austria, it is just good fun.
This unique and fun activity can be arranged through hotels in Innsbruck or directly through the Ski School of Innsbruck, which runs the trip. The trip runs every Thursday (unless there is a complete group of 20, in which case a special trip will be made) starting at 7:45pm. Cost is €18 for adults, and €10 for kids.
First we took a bus trip (around 30 minutes) to Axamer Lizum, a small village outside of Innsbruck. Everyone was given a quick toboggan lesson, then sent inside the small restaurant for a free drink. I might suggest you bring some extra money and have a couple more drinks for courage! Besides, some activities are easier when you are more relaxed, right?
Our group within the group also ate dinner at the restaurant (dinner not included), which was simple but delicious food in a cozy atmosphere.
Now for the hard part – getting down the mountain. Tobogganers have the choice to go it alone or to go with another person. I went alone, but in retrospect, would have had much more fun with a partner. Four kilometers is a long way to hang out on your toboggan by yourself. Plus, if you crash or fall or otherwise have a crazy time, it is better to have someone to share the experience with. Even better, try to go down with one of the ski instructors for maximum speed!
Steering a toboggan is fairly easy. It is stopping that is the hard part, especially when it is icy like when we were there. Helpful ski instructors are stationed all along the course to warn of difficult areas, and, I assume, to pick up the pieces after a crash. The most important thing to remember is to get out of the way as fast as you can if you fall, as the person behind you likely can’t stop very well either.
At the bottom, the evening is finished with shots of really strong schnapps – I guess to celebrate your survival and lack of injury! Beware: too much schnapps may cause out-of-tune singing of songs like "The Brady Bunch" on the bus ride back to the hotel.
All in all, tobogganing is a wild combination of old-fashioned fun and tipsy foolery that I highly recommend!