Has it ever happened to you that you were on a seven-day skiing trip with a group of friends in the mountains and suddenly you became fed up? You needed a one day break and do something else. Also those who cannot ski but want to spend their time with their skiing friends are in a similar situation. But what to do during the day when everybody is on the slope?
Even this need not be a problem that cannot be overcome. Resorts have enlarged their offer for non-skiers and so keep up with the worldwide trends. Besides skiing they offer ice rinks, toboggan courses, snowtubing and various other attractions. However, there are some winter activities that have only been available abroad and are now penetrating in Slovakia. And what you can expect in Slovak resorts? After reading this article, you will know more and maybe next weekend you will go and try it yourself in some of the interesting localities that Slovakia offers.
Snowtubing - snow wheels. This sport came to Slovakia from North America where it is very popular. It uses terrains with a small angle of slope that are not suitable for skiing. The terrain must have a large exit area into a natural or artificial counter-slope. All you have to do is sit into a rubber wheel, tie yourself to a ski-tow, let yourself be pulled a few meters upwards and slide downhill. Nearly all major winter resorts offer an opportunity to enjoy snowtubing.
Kitewing - so this is the real adrenaline. If you have ever windsurfed on the sea or a dam, kitewing will not be quite unknown to you. The principle is the same. Kitewing is an ultra light wing developed specially for skiing or anything else - snowboarding, skating… You hold the wing in your bare hands without any rope or other fastening. You can manoeuvre using the wind and at the nearest roughness of the surface you rebound and you fly. The history of the kitewing flying goes back to the year 1988 when the first kitewing appeared in Finland. Soon afterwards it got into the hands of extreme skiers and the excitement was born. Today one can fly for up to 100m with a kitewing. The record is 505m. And here is something more. Those most courageous are able to fly at the speed of 100km/h. However, one should remember that the fall onto the ice is always harder than the fall onto water. You can try kitewing in, for instance, Jasná resort.
Snowrafting - an attraction similar to snowtubing. A six-member crew sits into a rubber boat and goes down a prepared slope at a high speed. It is almost impossible to control the boat but that is the fun. And how can you stop it? A rubber rope stops the boat at the best moment. Snowrafting is available in, for example, Štrbské pleso resort.
Bungee catapult - this involves shooting up from the ground on a flexible rubber rope. Mobile cranes are used at catapults, which makes it similar to bungee jumping. The person catapulted is tied to the catapult machine on the ground and after the rope is stretched, the person is shot into the height.
Bungee trampoline - double sided trampoline. The force of the normal trampoline is multiplied by the pull of rubber ropes that are tied to the persons hips. The height of the jumps can reach 6m and whats even more, the person can try various acrobatic pieces. A bungee trampoline can be found in, for instance, Donovaly resort.
Bungee running - quite a simple activity. A rubber rope is tied to the harness of the competitor who tries to go against the resistance and reach the furthest point possible. You can enjoy this experience in, for example, Donovaly resort.
Paragliding - this adrenaline is also quite known and popular in Slovakia. It involves flying with a parachute glider, as the wing is officially called. Besides the equipment, good weather is also important, as well as a suitable hill, and you can see the landscape from the height. The most popular places are Chopok and Nová Hoľa in Donovaly. They are easily accessible by cable ways and they also offer a considerable rise of slope. A tandem flight with an instructor is also quite often used. So even without any experience you can become a modern Icarus.
Tobogganing - who would not like to go back to his childhood and experience the unique atmosphere, red cheeks and a pleasure of the ride? Some resorts have already separated a part of the slope for those who want to go tobogganing. Probably the best conditions for tobogganing in our country are provided by the tobogganing track on the Hrebienok Mountain where there is the well-known funicular to pull you up the hill. But we also have some unofficial tracks that are usually made on roads where you can occasionally meet a car. So be careful! Such tracks are for example in Skipark Ružomberok where you can go down the asphalt road from Malino to the lower station of the cabin cable way for 6km. The road from Smrekovica to Podsuchá near Ružomberok is unrivalled because it is not only 8km long but you overcome 900m altitude difference!
Bobsleighing track - a fast ride in carriages going down on steel rails, sharp serpentine curves, bounds, steep descents. All this is offered by the longest bobsleighing track in Slovakia with the length of up to 1,300 m. You can try such a ride in the resort Snow Paradise Veľká Rača Oščadnica.
