30seconds.blogs.com: High Ropes Course on Mount Pilatus, Luzern, Switzerland

The first weekend of the kids' summer vacation, we took advantage of the lovely warm weather, arrived at long last in Switzerland after a very long and cold winter, and did the high ropes course above Luzern on Mount Pilatus for our third time. We all love it. The best thing about this particular visit was that all four of us managed to make it onto (and all the way through) the hardest trail: "Dragon Fire." None of us had managed to get up there before. In order to even begin the trail, one must first climb up a tall knotted rope to reach the platform. Or, a new option this time, scale a tall tree with indoor-rock-climbing-type handholds and footholds. All under one's own strength, with no help or support (only a safety rope that lets you fall gently down if you lose your grip). It takes a lot more strength, stamina, balance, and flexibility than you think at first glance. So we were all very pumped to have gotten up there. I'm not sure I could do it again - when I got to the top, my arms were quivering for a good long time. Then the course itself, way up there in the trees, takes a lot of strength and balance again, so halfway through I could hardly open my carabiners to move them along - my muscles were almost not working anymore. Turning my camera on & off was a challenge. Yes, I don't exercise much! Anyway, it was a ton of fun, and I'm so glad to have activities like this that every one in our family, different as we are in age and tastes, enjoys greatly.

After the ropes course, we took the cable car the rest of the way up to Pilatus Kulm (the peak of the mountain) and looked down on Lake Luzern (Vierwaldstättersee). After lunch, we came back down and then had our first experience with the longest summer toboggan run in Switzerland (or any other kind of summer toboggan run anywhere). A long wait, but enjoyable.