When it comes to mountainous locales in central Switzerland, there are two choices: Mount Pilatus and Mount Titlis. Since I don’t have the flexibility for yoga I decided on the latter for my second day in Lucerne. From the foot of the alpine village Engelberg snowshoers, skiers, snowboarders, and sonderers all take a series of gondolas to different sub-stops prior to the Titlis peak. The first of these is Trübsee, an all-in-one family fun park and beginner-level ski slope.
Though bunny slopes for Bavarians and snow tubing are just fine, my real destination was at 10,000 feet. The world’s first 360 degree rotating gondola (the Rotair) offered spectacular views of both the Uri Alps and the village below.
The summit of Titlis is composed of five separate levels including souvenir shops, restaurants, panoramic vistas, a glacier cave, and the outside peak itself. While the crowd of disproportionately-Indian tourists rushed to that, I entered the decidedly-frostier glacier cave. Light displays pushed multicolor patterns through several layers of transparent ice, and both a frozen throne and chaise lounge were available for hacks to take cheesy photos in.
Outside in the sunny chill, a weather tower and open-foot chairlift operated the backside of the mountain but the piece de resistance was cliff walk: an open air suspension bridge in constant motion from people walking across it.
Capping off the descent, I took a detour to ride a toboggan down the last portion of downhill slope. While it was mostly families with small children, the adults were having just as much fun careening into each other and off-pieste.
Ice's Travels 