Safety in the Ice Palace ?
Hello. I am booked on the Crown Jewel tour this September 2024. Having read reviews on the Ice Palace, I’m looking for opinions on just how slippery/unsafe I can expect walking to be, having had multiple serious falls (I’m now rather paranoid). I have “grippers” with spikes, for my shoes, but am told they aren’t allowed. Any thoughts would be very appreciated.
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You are essentially walking on ice. There are hand rails and I don't remember anyone in our group falling. I had lightweight boots with vibram soles for traction but could have done it with sneakers that had good traction.
My husband, at 90+ at the time, had no problem. Sturdy footwear with hard, rubber soles is imperative. Go slowly and use the handrails. Do not allow others to rush you along if you are uncomfortable. Just politely ask them to pass you. Most will gladly oblige.
And if you are uncomfortable, you can easily skip it.
I found it very uncomfortable because of how slippery it was and did not enjoy the Ice Palace and the Ice Bar at all because I was always afraid I'd fall. After the tour, I did some research on slip on things to give you better traction and put the information on my blog. Go to https://www.mikeandjudytravel.com/2023-2Switzerland-03.htm#IcePalace and you'll see what I found.
The only things that were prohibited were crampons which have metal nail like spikes. I suppose they don't want the ice chewed up. The "shoes" I pointed to do not have metal spikes.
Thanks everyone, your comments and suggestions are appreciated.
Mike, We will be there in September (different tour but same excursion) and bought the curling grippers you mentioned in a previous post. Hopefully that will make us feel a bit more secure. Thanks for the recommendation!
@cvc - please report your experience with those grippers. It would be nice to be able to tell other people about how they worked (if they do).
Will do
Mike, based on your recommendation, we also bought the grippers you mentioned. We are also going in September. Thank you very much for sharing this important information.
Reporting back on the curling grippers - We are on the Rhine, Swiss Alps and Amsterdam river cruise. We did the Jungfraujoch trip today which included the Ice Palace. We used the curling grippers Mike Henderson had suggested and felt very safe. They worked better than I anticipated. I told one of the TDs what we had the day before the excursion and she saw no issue with us using them. A few of the other guests asked about them when they saw us putting them on and wished they had known about them before, I think Mike came up with great idea when he shared info about the grippers. Thanks again, Mike!
Mike or cvc, when you get the chance would you please post links to the exact grippers you are using? Many of Mike's links have now disappeared. The traditional curling grippers look like they do not fit over a hiking boot, or do they?
When I posted those links, I had Googled "curling grippers" and found several places that sold them. There are people who sell them and they want to be found.
Try doing a search and see what you come up with. You might have to modify the search terms a few times to get what you want.
I'm surprised Tauck does not suggest getting those. Or at least warn people that the Ice Palace is slippery.
I am seeing lots of things that look like this, but wondering if it fits on a "regular" hiking boot/shoe:
https://www.goldlinecurling.com/curling-antislider-slip-on-gripper#:~:text=Made from rubber composition specifically,and removed only during delivery.
It looks like these are made for specific (curling) shoes.
I saw lots of over-the shoe strappy-looking recreational ones that all seem to have spikes. (or Yaktracks which appear to have metal wires), and ones for slippery work places (without cleats) that I am not sure would work on ice.
Appreciate any pictures that someone might have or any links. Thanks.
I googled "curling grippers" and came up with a lot of hits. There were at least 12 pictures of curling grippers at the top of the search and more in the text area. Here's the link (a bit long) - https://www.google.com/search?q=curling+grippers&rlz=1C1UEAD_enUS1093US1093&oq=curling+grippers&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyCQgAEEUYORiABDIICAEQABgWGB4yCAgCEAAYFhgeMggIAxAAGBYYHjIICAQQABgWGB4yCAgFEAAYFhgeMggIBhAAGBYYHjIICAcQABgWGB4yDQgIEAAYhgMYgAQYigUyDQgJEAAYhgMYgAQYigXSAQoxMDMwOWowajE1qAIIsAIB&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
I recommend you pick a couple of companies and contact them with your questions. I'm sure some of them will respond with help and suggestions.
I also just googled curling grippers and I don't think I have the company's name anymore. I also wanted to clarify that our TD did not "look and approve" our grippers. I told her they were made of a rubber-like material and didn't' have any metal. She thought they would be fine. I am not a curling fan so was surprised that curlers just wear the grippers on one foot so we had to order two for each of us. Wan, ours fit right over our tennis shoes. They are a tight fit, but I am sure that is so they don't slip off. We are packed and our bags already pulled for the next leg of our trip, but I will take a picture and post it tomorrow.
Here are pictures of the grippers - one from the side and one of the bottom. The name "Olson" appears on the gripper so assuming that may be the brand.
They look just like the tread of a regular shoe, how does that help on the ice compared to a good rubber soled shoe?
We went into an ice bar on the Patagonia trip, it was icy but not too bad and we were given thick clothing which might have cushioned a fall.
Thanks cvc. I really appreciate your time to do this. So you basically just step into it while you have your shoe on or simply place it on your shoe, and it just stays on?
I did not think the ice bar in Patagonia was too slippery.
I am interested in this topic because we have a trip to a northern location in the winter and a friend just broke her hip.(not on ice, but still a large hit of reality.)
I may end up just getting the Yaktraks but will continue to research.
The tread on my Keens and Hokas look better than that - how exactly does this work better? We've been to many ice caves in Keens and Hokas and never had an issue. Just truly curious how this compares?
With respect, the hard rubber soles on my touring shoes and ankle boots provide far better traction than what I see in that photo. Unless those 'shoe covers' fit snugly, I envision them falling off and posing a tripping hazard. This is merely my opinion and in no way meant to disparage those who might find them to be helpful.
I think the Yaktraks use metal on the sole and those will likely not be acceptable.
Mike: Not looking to go to the Ice Palace, but seeking extra traction for outdoor use. Being from the LA area I am not accustomed to wintery surfaces.
I really appreciate your blogs. Thank you!
Yes, Mike, Yaktraks are metal (though not spiked). Good thing I didn't bring mine! I did fine with my Merrills, but I was very cautious.