Bob Sleigh Stag Do

Ever wondered what it’s like to hurtle down an ice track in a tiny tin can, inches off the ice, at a speed your stomach doesn’t approve of? A bob sleigh stag do lets you find out. Most stag packages are a bobsleigh experience with a professional pilot driving, while you and a couple of mates sit in behind, holding on and trying very hard not to scream.

It’s usually called a taxi bob. The pilot steers, the brakeman stops it, and your job is to keep your head down and take it like a man. The run is over in about a minute. That minute feels a lot longer.

It’s short, it’s terrifying and it’s a guaranteed story for the speech. The forces in the corners push you down into the sled, and the noise of the runners on the ice is something else. You come out at the bottom shaky and grinning, and asking if you can go again.

Nobody needs any skill, because you’re a passenger. That makes it ideal for a group where some lads are sporty and others aren’t. And it gives the stag something no other stag in his friendship group has done, which is really the whole point.

My tip, if the track lets you choose seats, is to put the stag straight behind the pilot and the loudest lad behind him. Nobody can hear the stag scream, and the photo at the finish is priceless.

Real ice tracks are an abroad thing. Sigulda in Latvia has one, and it’s an easy trip out from Riga, which makes for a cracking combination of bobsleigh by day and Riga’s bars by night. Igls, just outside Innsbruck in Austria, is the other well-known option and pairs nicely with a ski trip.

Winter is the main season for taxi bob rides on ice, so check dates carefully before anyone books flights.

• Health restrictions. The forces are real. Tracks usually have rules on back and neck problems, heart conditions, and height or weight, so check everyone qualifies before you book.
• Riders per sled. A few passengers usually ride with the pilot. Find out how many runs you get and how the group will be split.
• Clothing. Warm layers, gloves and sensible shoes. Helmets are provided.
• Booze. Sober for the run. Save the celebrations for the bar at the bottom.
• Book ahead. Taxi bob slots can be limited, especially when the track is busy with training or competitions.

Bobsleigh is a short thrill, so build the rest of the trip around it. Add a snowmobile safari or a few days skiing if you’re in the mountains. Back home, a track day gives the petrolheads the same need for speed, with the lads doing the driving this time.