Extreme Sports in Switzerland in Spring and Summer
As the snow disappears from the mountains, people tend to think that the game is over and look back at the winter with nostalgia. But it’s not! The playground is not closed, it’s just changed, and the game is not over if you bring the right toys!
Winter is over, but the mountains are still here, and Switzerland offers plenty of great activities for extreme sports enthusiasts.
Freeriders trade their skis for mountain bikes and challenge themselves in the tree lines. Some even slalom around obstacles, jumping over rocks and making the most of the many trails they can find in Verbier.
Climbers are getting ready to conquer new summits to enjoy the ultimate view. Highliners will rig their slacks in between two peaks to experience the ultimate adrenaline rush while balancing on a fine thread.
Paragliders and hang gliders celebrate the return of warmer temperatures that will give them the indispensable thermals to fly higher. Some of them will use that extra altitude to go cross country, flying and travelling hundreds of kilometres over chains of mountains. The most fearless will train their acrobatic skills to challenge their opponents in the many paragliding competitions Switzerland hosts in the summer.
And finally, basejumpers are dressing up for the warm season, putting their parachutes on and spreading their wings. They’re ready to fly the beautiful lines of the most open minded country in terms of extreme sports.
What is available for those visiting the Alps to try for themselves?
Unlike this last activity that is only accessible to trained flyers, all the other sports are open to newcomers. It is possible to do a full formation, or just a discovery with a trained instructor that will take care of everything. Once you’ve hiked on top of the Verbier mountains, you can return home the fast way with a bike, or tandem paragliding. If you want to improve your balance without suffering from vertigo on a highline, you can rig a slackline in between trees and enjoy the same feeling closer to the ground.
Instructors and equipment hire is available for those looking to try their hand at mountain biking or why not sign up for a tandem paraglide, a one-time 30 minute flight to experience what it’s like to soar between those snow-capped mountains and the valleys below.
Kids learn to play in every possible place: take their toys away, they will play with a stick. Tell them to stay in their room, and they will build a castle with their sheet.
Switzerland is the place where outdoor sports enthusiasts can be like children.
And you, are you ready to play no matter the season?
Written by David Laffargue (Altitude Sales Executive on weekdays and Basejumper at weekends!)
