Our Chalet Challenge

Here at Our Chalet we have what we call the Our Chalet Challenge. The guest version requires guests to complete tasks in four different categories - Swiss Culture, Our Chalet knowledge, Physical Challenge, and Service. If they complete it, they get a plaque with their name burned on it and the pride that comes from accomplishment.

The staff have their own version, which is a list of tasks that are more involved and slightly more dangerous. They also get a plaque and the pride that comes from accomplishment. I am taking on the challenge of course and wanted to share some of the things I have done.

One is to take a picture of yourself in the dryer...check.

Another is to climb down the fire escape of Main Chalet...check.

And then there's climbing down the fire escape of Spycher... ... ... but Sidsel and I couldn't find it at first, so we jumped out of a window. It's how you'd escape a fire right? So, check.

And then there's going through the old oven while writing a poem...check. Although, my ass was a little big for this one and it did take some work and a second try. But I was successful in the end. And there was pride involved in its completion.

And then we asked Kat, the cook, about the fire escape in Spycher. Well it's not jumping out of the window, but a roll up ladder in the attic. Great...so we went to find it and do the challenge right. Simple enough right?

Wrong!

It's a rope ladder first of all, with small wooden slats as rungs. And I was wearing clogs, so I had the brilliant idea to do it barefooted. As a side note, I've learned that I'm quite fearless when it comes to stupid crap that no sane human would do, like jumping off bridges and climbing out the top window of a perfectly good and not burning three story chalet onto a rope ladder for the sheer pride of accomplishment.

So out the window I went.

And soon discovered the ladder did not hold tension. So I stepped on a rung and it immediately slid into a vertical position. Not only that, but the sides of the chalets are not smooth. The wood is rough (that's what she said! :). And I was barefooted. So not only was I hanging on to dear life as the rungs slid up and down, but the skin on my feet was slowly being eaten away by the beautiful Spycher chalet.

Sidsel was taking photos and could hear my heart beat from the window. She said her palms were sweating just watching me.

But I made it. And will never do it again. Well I would if the building was on fire, but I think I'll request to sleep on the lower floor from now on.