The Amazing Race Season 22 Episode 8: Trains, Trains, And More Trains

Reprinted with permission from www.travelfreak.com

Where were we? Oh right, we’re still in Botswana, but we’re on our way to Switzerland. Team Bro departs at 5:55 a.m. and goes to a travel agency to book tickets to Zurich, Switzerland. Because there’s only one flight out, all of the teams will arrive together at 2:00 p.m the next day. Then they will travel by train to Grindelwald and wait for an alpine shepherd to deliver their next clue. Teams YouTube and Roller Derby just misses the connecting train to Grindelwald, and it’s one of those magical TAR moments where you can see that the train was missed by mere second.

Once in Grindelwald, the teams find the spot where the shepherd is supposed to find them and realize that the happy dance they did on the train was a waste of energy because he will not be there until 8:00 a.m., allowing Teams YouTube and Roller Derby to catch up.

When the shepherd arrives by scooter sled, the teams learn that they must travel by train to the base of Kleine Scheidegg where they will pick up a Swiss rescue companion—St. Bernards with brandy barrels around their necks. Teams must travel by train (what is with all of these trains?) with their dogs to Jungfraujoch, the highest train station in Europe, 11,000 feet above sea level, and deliver the dogs to a mountain rescue guide. Seven gallons of slobber later, and the teams arrive at the top of the mountain, trudge through waist-high fluffy snowy goodness, and deliver the dogs.

Roadblock! One member from each team must climb out of an observation window and collect a roaming gnome by traversing along the side of Mount Eiger. Team Bro goes first and there’s like a little ledge that they walking along with ropes to clip onto, so it’s totally safe and no big deal.

The clue on the bottom of the gnome directs Team Bro to travel by train to the Grindelwald Grund Station and follow the sounds of one of those Swiss Miss horns to find their next clue. Permullet is having trouble navigating the rock wall, which allows the other teams to catch a train that arrives one hour ahead. And, because Team YouTube are on line behind Permullet, they are relegated to the later train as well. Poor Team YouTube, they just can’t catch a break on this leg.

When the teams locate the Swiss Miss horn guy they learn that they must repeat one of the funniest tasks from The Amazing Race—carry four 50-pound wheels of cheese on their backs, or on sleds, or however those contraptions work, and transport them down a hill. Only unlike the last time this task was performed, the hill is covered in snow. And Swiss hills are like American mountains. And nobody has the proper footwear. And did I mention the snow?

Team Bros figure out the only smart way to get the cheese down the hill and place two wheels each on the sleds, letting the weight of the cheese push them down the hill. Once Team Bros delivers their cheese, they take a taxi to the pit stop at the Bodmi Snowboard and Ski School and check in as team number one, for the third time in a row.

The Newlyweds finish second, followed closely behind by Roller Derby and My Family Is Famous. Just as the three teams are leaving for the pit stop, Teams YouTube and Permullet arrive at the task. Roller Derby checks in as team number two, while the Newlyweds get stuck behind a cow crossing and check in as team number three. My Family Is Famous check in as team number four.

Mrs. Permullet is having a difficult time getting up the mountain, so she’s crawling while Mr. Permullet pushes her up the mountain by her butt. Meanwhile, Team YouTube are already sliding their cheese down the hill. Once Permullet gets to the top of the mountain, they are confused as to how a sled operates and load the cheese on the sled blade side up to prevent any chance of the cheese sliding anywhere. Eventually, they leave their sleds behind and roll the cheese down the mountain.

Oh no! Team YouTube doesn’t see the taxi waiting for them at the bottom of the mountain and a local directs them to walk back to the railway station…where there are no taxis. This allows Permullet to zip ahead of them and check in as team number five. But! The clue states that teams must “properly transport their cheese,” and rolling the cheese is improper cheese transport. So Permullet need to wait out a 30 minute penalty. That gives Team YouTube time to walk up the mountain to the ski school and check in as team number five, completely out of breath.  A little awkward, but Team YouTube celebrates right next to Permullet, who are then eliminated from the race.

Next week, I have no idea what this is even supposed to be, but it looks like a dance party in a hamster habitrail. I’m guessing Germany?

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