Lay me down on a bed of ice

I got off at the Rotenboden train station in Switzerland, uncertain. The train track seemed to be decorated with glistening ice, while all around me snowflakes continued to fall silently. There was snow as far as the eye could see — breached only by the mighty Matterhorn (4,478m) and its famous shark fin. Once the train chugged away, pin-drop silence descended on this white, Alpine expanse. I was warm enough though. I knew I would be spending the night on a bed of ice and had dressed for it.

Barely a month ago, dipping into my bucket list, I had booked an overnight stay at Iglu Dorf, a unique village that rents traditional igloos to curious souls like me. I was wildly excited then, but surrounded now by a blanket of snow, my feet slipping deeper and deeper into its grasp, I wasn’t so sure this was the big, life-affirming tick I was after. Suddenly — mid-reverie — two guides from IgluDorf appeared on skis, as if out of nowhere. Together, we walked to the village, a short 10 minutes from the train station.

In the distance, cold and aloof stood seven stumpy igloos, squat in the middle of untouched snow, smugly claiming the surreal landscape as their own.

Soon after, welcomed with a cup of gluhwein (warm wine), bowls of buttery popcorn and a cheese platter, warmth began to spread all over me. By the time I was led to my igloo, any residual doubts I might have had about IgluDorf’s ‘cold hospitality’ had long melted away. A heavy-duty sleeping bag lay on an ice-bed watched over by a fascinating sculpture of Icarus on the wall. The minimalistic architecture — a near-exact replica of the photos of igloos I had pored over as a child — was a source of great comfort too.

By this point, I was glad I had steered clear of the standard Swiss itineraries offered by travel agents in India — the trusty triumvirate of Zurich, Mt Titlis and Interlaken, and Jungfraujoch, that familiar Bollywood fairground, where many a tourist still breaks, unscripted, into song.

I spent the next two hours exploring the village at leisure — taking in the intricate ice sculptures on the walls of the Ice Bar and the handsome fur rugs adorning the ice-seats of the small amphitheatre next door. Powdery snow continued to layer the ground inch by inch as I made my way to the communal dinner table. On offer was an archetypal Swiss fondue; its rich, melted cheese a great companion to conversations struck up with strangers-turned-friends at IgluDorf.

Later, at dusk, I crept outside into the silence and stared at the setting sun, examining the intricate snowflakes as they fell on my gloves. When the cold became unbearable, I joined the other guests huddled in front of the fire at the heated bar. Hours passed over beers and cheery conversation. And before long, it was midnight. As we stepped outside the bar, there was a collective gasp of disbelief. A full moon had bathed the entire snow-covered landscape in a mellow blue light.

Crawling reluctantly into the sleeping bag (apparently built for Arctic conditions) that night, I continued to think about the star-studded skies and the shadowy visions of the Alps. I was warm within minutes, snug in my igloo within the igloo. So much so I didn’t want to leave it the next morning. Most guests had left right after breakfast, but I lingered till 11am, making this winter wonderland mine for just a little longer.

TRAVEL LOG

Get There : Several trains ply between Zurich/Berne and Zermatt. From the Zermatt train station walk to Gornergrat station (50m away) and take a train, onward to Rotenboden (check sbb.ch/en for timetables and ticket prices).

Stay : I stayed at the IgluDorf near Zermatt (from 109 euros for a standard igloo; iglu-dorf.com). But they have similar igloo hotels in Germany and Andorra.

Tip : If staying in an igloo sounds tame, build one instead! IgluDorf offers introductory workshops (1 hour) and longer, more intensive sessions (3-5 hours) on request.

Savi Munjal is an academic and travel enthusiast who blogs at bruisedpassports.com

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