Climb Switzerland’s Ski Slopes On This Record-Breakingly Steep Train Track

@rolihaas

When you’re in the Swiss winter wonderland of the Alps, you’re going to go up some pretty steep mountains. But if the ski lift is too tame for you, we have the perfect alternative. Nestled right in the Schwyzer Alps, you’ll find the tiny resort village of Stoos — and its brand new, super-steep mountain train.

A post shared by Cedric (@cedusiech) on Dec 16, 2017 at 8:31am PST

According to The Guardian, Stoos’ funicular (which is just a fancy word for a cable-operated railroad on a mountainside) is the steepest in the entire world. The track is 5,600 feet long and sits 4,300 feet above sea level.

But the coolest part about this funky train? The cars have a special mechanism that allows them to stay horizontal for the entire ride up. Parts of the ascent reach gradients as steep as 100 percent — that’s almost a 50-degree angle!

A post shared by TECTON (@tecton.macht.bauten.dicht) on Dec 15, 2017 at 3:25pm PST

Just to really pound in some context, your average mountain road in the United States might display a warning sign if it reaches a measly 8 percent-grade slope.

This Swiss train glides along a semi-vertical path from a train station in the valley (near the town of Schwyz) to Stoos. The ride is about 30 miles long and climbs at a speed of more than 30 feet per second (or just over 20 miles per hour).

A post shared by Roland Haas (@rolihaas) on Dec 16, 2017 at 2:27pm PST

The funicular opened on December 15, so you still have plenty of time to nab a ride and enjoy the view from the sleek barrel-shaped cars during the train’s inaugural season.