Rotex Winter weekend in Grindelwald
Last weekend I had my Rotex winter weekend in Grindelwald. Rotex is a branch of Rotary but for younger people. It is basically a group of ex-exchange students who plan and organize activities for all of the new inbound exchange students and will also assist there own outbound before and after their exchange.
I woke up at 7:30 to catch my 4 trains so that I could be in Grindelwald by 12:30. On the way in Bern I was swept up in a crowd of exchange students, new and old , and we all hopped onto the train. After a frenzy of pin swapping and card giving we arrived in Grindelwald.
The accommodation was that of a bomb shelter and I think that may be what it I was used for, that or boot camp. The bunks were 3 beds high and there were about 100 bunks in a room the size of a normal bed room. However this was really fun and so very different.
After we all unpacked out bags we got split into two groups; people who want to go swimming and those who want to ice-skate. I decided that I can swim at home in Australia so opted for ice-skating. This was so much fun, we ripped up the ice skating rink and I tried backward skating and I am proud to say I only feel over once (and that was when I was going forwards).
After Ice skating myself and my Deutsch class friend Lindsay and an oldie (well she came in August) American girl called Mary went for a walk around the village. We went into every souvenir shop we could find and had the best time. We also saw the oddest gum ball machine I have ever seen. I thought it was so cool I took a photo.
That night we had planned activities. The activities were not what one would call normal activities. Once again we were split into two groups, but this time at random. The groups then had people randomly selected to do a task. The first task was to have gummy bears thrown into your mouth off a spoon and you had to catch them and eat them. Next task was to eat an apple with your hands tied behind your back, sounds easy but it was not as the apple was in a bowl of cold water and you had to eat the apple in the water. The ext task was the funniest to watch , they had to first fish a smarty out of a bowl of water and eat it, but with your face and on hands. Next you had to then try and eat 7 smarties from a bowl of flour, now as you know water and flour turn to glue so let’s just say the poor people had a fun time getting flour glue out of their ears, eyebrows and noses.
After the activities we went for a walk. We walked to a hill and then were handed these huge big woven wax poles that were on fire. We then had to march around the village with these fire sticks. It was so much fun and it was so funny to see people’s reactions to a group of people carrying these huge fire sticks.
The next day was my favourite day of the two. We went sledging down these huge mountains. Before we went sledging however the Rotex decided that it would be fun to march us up a snow hill and then make us run/ fall down the hill and then run back up in a relay. And actually it was so much fun, I just love the snow
Sledging was so much fun however I thought that is would be a 2 minute down ride then pull your sled up and do it again kind of thing . But this was not the case, it was more a 100km an hour (well not that fast but it felt it at times) sled down a hill for about 10 or so minutes. It was so much fun. As most of you know my love for speed I zoomed down the slopes and only zoomed over the barricade and crashed into the snow once (and this was good by the way as there was a crash that resulted in a huge big pile ups of people and sleds, but luckily no broken bones.)
(Me relaxing at the bottom of the slope)
Once at the bottom it took us half and hour by bus to get back up to the top.
The view from the top of this mountain was so amazing, The Alps jutted into the sky and the sun reflected off the snow creating a sparkling mountain.
After sledging down my final mountain we had a huge snow fight at the bottom. I was having so much fun and then I was suddenly picked up by one of the Rotex boys who then pinned me on the ground and had all of this snow shoved down my jacket and all in my hair. So after a cold bus ride back to the accommodation and a quick change of clothes I cam home after a wonderful day.
I woke up at 7:30 to catch my 4 trains so that I could be in Grindelwald by 12:30. On the way in Bern I was swept up in a crowd of exchange students, new and old , and we all hopped onto the train. After a frenzy of pin swapping and card giving we arrived in Grindelwald.
The accommodation was that of a bomb shelter and I think that may be what it I was used for, that or boot camp. The bunks were 3 beds high and there were about 100 bunks in a room the size of a normal bed room. However this was really fun and so very different.
After we all unpacked out bags we got split into two groups; people who want to go swimming and those who want to ice-skate. I decided that I can swim at home in Australia so opted for ice-skating. This was so much fun, we ripped up the ice skating rink and I tried backward skating and I am proud to say I only feel over once (and that was when I was going forwards).
After Ice skating myself and my Deutsch class friend Lindsay and an oldie (well she came in August) American girl called Mary went for a walk around the village. We went into every souvenir shop we could find and had the best time. We also saw the oddest gum ball machine I have ever seen. I thought it was so cool I took a photo.
That night we had planned activities. The activities were not what one would call normal activities. Once again we were split into two groups, but this time at random. The groups then had people randomly selected to do a task. The first task was to have gummy bears thrown into your mouth off a spoon and you had to catch them and eat them. Next task was to eat an apple with your hands tied behind your back, sounds easy but it was not as the apple was in a bowl of cold water and you had to eat the apple in the water. The ext task was the funniest to watch , they had to first fish a smarty out of a bowl of water and eat it, but with your face and on hands. Next you had to then try and eat 7 smarties from a bowl of flour, now as you know water and flour turn to glue so let’s just say the poor people had a fun time getting flour glue out of their ears, eyebrows and noses.
After the activities we went for a walk. We walked to a hill and then were handed these huge big woven wax poles that were on fire. We then had to march around the village with these fire sticks. It was so much fun and it was so funny to see people’s reactions to a group of people carrying these huge fire sticks.
The next day was my favourite day of the two. We went sledging down these huge mountains. Before we went sledging however the Rotex decided that it would be fun to march us up a snow hill and then make us run/ fall down the hill and then run back up in a relay. And actually it was so much fun, I just love the snow
Sledging was so much fun however I thought that is would be a 2 minute down ride then pull your sled up and do it again kind of thing . But this was not the case, it was more a 100km an hour (well not that fast but it felt it at times) sled down a hill for about 10 or so minutes. It was so much fun. As most of you know my love for speed I zoomed down the slopes and only zoomed over the barricade and crashed into the snow once (and this was good by the way as there was a crash that resulted in a huge big pile ups of people and sleds, but luckily no broken bones.)
(Me relaxing at the bottom of the slope)
Once at the bottom it took us half and hour by bus to get back up to the top.
The view from the top of this mountain was so amazing, The Alps jutted into the sky and the sun reflected off the snow creating a sparkling mountain.
After sledging down my final mountain we had a huge snow fight at the bottom. I was having so much fun and then I was suddenly picked up by one of the Rotex boys who then pinned me on the ground and had all of this snow shoved down my jacket and all in my hair. So after a cold bus ride back to the accommodation and a quick change of clothes I cam home after a wonderful day.
4 Comments:
bahahahahahahhaha sounds like fun!! thats what they are rying to do here- rotex. i thought it wasa type of watch until you explained it and i was like "why is she going to a winter watch weekend? lol
i better go
love victoria
hey ange,
it sound like you had heapsof fun skiiing.......
it was so like you to crash into a barrier just like when you were at mt hothman or how ever you write it...
well i gtg coz i am in atudy at school....
Love Olivia.
I do agree with Olivia....how unusual for you to crash into something, Angela!!!!
How singularly beautiful are the Alps? You have some superb photos!
Love Mum xxx
Hi Angela
just tried to put a comment on your site and had to get my own site!! too much for me. sSounds like you are having a great time some places i remember from when i was over there 29 years ago.Continue to have fun
love Aunty Joy
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