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Marmi is looking to experience the fun he had last summer in winter, too: racing down into the valley on a sledge. He can do it with a Davos sledge, the most popular sledge in Switzerland.

From his mother’s stories, Marmi knows about the Christmas marmot, an old, white-haired marmot who comes over the mountains in a sledge bringing presents. Marmi wants to give out presents, too, so he loads up a Davos sledge that someone has forgotten on the mountain.

It’s a wooden conveyance that was developed from the lightweight Norwegian sledges of the 19th century. There is historical evidence of the first official sledge race in Davos in 1883, where the new type of sledge was used for the first time.

The Davos sledge is traditionally made of ash, it is up to 130 centimetres long and it can seat up to three people. There are also numerous other sledge variants, such as the Arosa, the Grindelwald or the Bergün sledge with its round bumper bar designed to deflect in the event of a collision.

Marmi could easily jump off whenever he likes without injuring himself. For humans, it’s different. According to the Swiss Council for Accident Prevention, 6,000 sledgers end up in hospital every year. So make sure to wear a helmet, back protector and high sturdy shoes for braking, and only use marked toboggan runs.

The sledge is now loaded up with all kinds of presents. With everything that marmots love: clover, nuts, grass and other treats. Marmi chirps to his family to come over. Push please! The sledge picks up speed in the snow and there’s no more stopping Marmi.