Imagine spending a frigid winter night sleeping inside an igloo that’s so cold the temperature is actually zero Celsius (32 Fahrenheit).
As it turns out – what sounds absolutely miserable to most people is an activity some people willingly pay money to experience.
Yeah – you can count me out! But if you want to hear what it’s really like to sleep inside an igloo (and where to go for this experience if you’re a glutton for punishment) – check out the details below.
If you love winter sports – you would appreciate skiing or snowboarding at Kühtai Ski Resort in Austria.
Personally, when it’s cold outside – I long to be near a roaring fire, happily sipping my hot cocoa and wrapped in a fuzzy blanket.
Thankfully there are many ski resorts that offer such “indoor” experiences while the rest of the winter enthusiasts play outside!
But at Kühtai Ski Resort not only can you play, hike, or spend all day in the snow…
… you can end your day sleeping inside a snowy igloo.
Located at the base of Kühtai Ski Resort is an igloo village – where travelers actually spend the night.
Yes, really.
While it might be somewhat cool to dine in such a place and have cheese fondue and hot liquids – spending the entire night surrounded by snow is insane.
One father wrote about his family’s experience – and didn’t hold back the details.
He admitted while sleeping in an igloo might be for “some people” – his family did not enjoy the experience.
While they were supplied with sleeping bags and animal skin rugs… it wasn’t enough to keep them warm.
CNN reported:
“As we plotted out all the clothes we would wear in the sleeping bag, including hats, gloves and ski pants, I predicted our breath and body heat would warm us up throughout the night. “We’ll be sweating by morning,” I said, profoundly incorrect.
“It’s like we’re sleeping in a refrigerator,” my younger daughter said. We should be so lucky. The ideal temperature for a refrigerator is 4.44 degrees Celsius (40 degrees Fahrenheit), according the US Food and Drug Administration.
Sleeping in a place as cold as a refrigerator sounds awful enough as it is!
As it turns out – the young girl was much too gracious in her description.
The father found out that their igloo was actually colder than a refrigerator – with temperatures dropping to 32 Fahrenheit!
Even worse – to use the bathroom, the family was forced to venture outside where it was even colder – with temperatures at 21 Fahrenheit (-6 degrees Celsius).
CNN continued:
But from the happy Finnish guest I spoke to in the sauna, and verified later by staff, I learned that inside our igloo was zero Celsius (32 Fahrenheit) — freezing point. Outside, where you needed to go to get to the bathroom and the portable sauna, was negative 6 degrees Celsius (21 Fahrenheit).
We all went to the sauna, of course, a welcome change of climate. Our pre-bedtime improvised plan was to rewarm ourselves there, scurry to the heated bathroom area to put on all the layers, sprint back to our igloo, quickly get into the sleeping bags to retain heat, and pray for quick sleep.”
Sleeping on a block of ice… wearing hats, gloves, and ski pants… in a room colder than the inside of a refrigerator… AND having to go outside – where it’s even colder – to use the bathroom!?
Sounds absolutely miserable!
But I get it – some people are those “adventure types” who enjoy pushing the limits and experiencing the latest travel trend.
If you truly want to pay money to be tortured sleeping in an igloo – the Iglu-Dorf has “snow hotels” located in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland.
You may want to sleep in an igloo just to say you’ve “done it once” …
… but brace yourselves – this experience is not for the faint of heart.
(h/t Proud American Traveler)