Roc n Bob, Les Menuires

I have to admit that the first time I took to the sledging track I was not quite prepared for what I had let myself in for. This is not a gentle tootle down a snowy track, there are bends, turns, you go fast, really fast, you need brakes, you need to know how to steer, you will fall out, you will be sprayed with snow and you will laugh, a lot! Then by the end of the track you will have just about got the hang of it. Luckily you can buy more than one descent at once so the first one can just be a trial run to get the hang of it.

I recently took myself sister and family down the ‘Roc n Bob’ track in Les Menuires which was given a definite thumbs up. When you purchase a toboggan ticket it also includes your lift pass to the top of the run and they provide the sledge, do not take your own! The ticket office for sledging opens at 14:00 so it is a great afternoon activity particularly if visibility is poor or you fancy an afternoon away from skiing. You can purchase tickets from the sledge office directly which is located at the base of Roc 1. It was actually my nieces first time in a ski lift too and with five of us plus sledges it was a tight squeeze as she tried to escape in a bit of a panic at the top.

The start point for the sledge track is easily identified at the top of ‘Roc 1’ with a large ‘Roc n Bob’ cutout to pop your visage through for a quick photo stop. Our group had decided that we would not race as my niece wanted to take it steady and was not sure she was up for a speedy run down. After the first 100m this soon changed and I was given strict instructions that we needed to win!

You can take a sledge by yourself or as two people. The sledges are equipped with brakes which need to be used to steer as well as kill the speed. Miraculously on this occasion my driving skills were not too bad – winners (even though it was not a race!)

The track is well groomed so the steep and winding sections soon flatten out and provide a good arm workout to keep moving before descending again. It also makes a good opportunity to re-group before you take off again. You need to have a helmet however goggles and neck warmer are advisable as there is a whole lot of spray. The day we descended it was also snowing heavily which made it even more tricky with limited visibility and just having to keep an eye out for markers to stop us heading for some off piste sledging! There was also a little jump at the end of the track so keep an eye out for that.

The ‘roc n Bob’ track is only open in the afternoons as in the morning it is ‘Roc n Bike’ as you might have guessed, same track, with a descent on two wheels! That activity is still on the ‘to do’ list so watch this space…