The Lego Train Track

On Sunday we got up early, around 5.30, as we seem to do every day on vacation, and decided to take the trip up to Mount Pilatus. Pilatus is the amazing backdrop to Luzern and we had two goals in going there: 1. To take the steepest cogwheel railway in the world, and 2. Ride the nearly mile long toboggan track at the midway point on the gondola line on the backside of the mountain. We got to do at least one of those planned items.

Because we got up early and made the 8:15 boat out of Luzern there were hardly any other people on board. The looming dark clouds in the distance probably kept a lot of people in bed, too. The boat left from Luzern and took 90 minutes to get to Alpnachstad where the cog wheel leaves from. It was at this point, where I saw how steep the mere beginning of the train ride was that I looked at Jim and asked whose stupid idea this was. He took the blame. I have a freakish fear of heights but was not willing to give up the adventure to my now churning stomach. So we board the train.

When the brochure reads the Mount Pilatus cog wheel train is the steepest in the world they aren't just blowing smoke. It isn't like the diner down the street claiming "the world's biggest hamburger," or "the world's best nachos." There are several points at which the train is chugging its noisy cogs up a 48% grade. The world's steepest cog wheel train. The photos on Flickr don' t do it justice since there is no way to get the full effect of what 48% feels like on a train track that appears to be built out of Legos.

Even on the noisy track and with the steep terrain, the sound of cowbells was always present. The cows, as you can see in a couple of photos, are herded up to the higher lands and left to graze all summer. The meadows they were in must have been at least a 38% grade, easier way of thinking about it: If their head was pointed up the mountain their ass was lower than their bell.

Once to the top it was the most amazing thing I've ever seen. We were only 7,500 feet up, but it felt like the top of the world. There are legends that dragons live on the mountain and that Pontius Pilate is buried in one of its lakes. This legend gave way to me providing a quick, and possibly totally inaccurate, telling of who Pontius Pilate was to Jim. We spent an hour or so up top and watched the clouds begin to roll our way. In order to ride the toboggan we had to high-tail it down the other side on the gondola before the weather got too bad, the toboggan closes when it rains.

We lost that race. Something for another day.