Traditional German horn sled races
The snowy slopes of Bavaria provide a picturesque backdrop to an hair-raising activity: horn sled races.
Breaking hard
Participants speed down the track on their wooden sledge in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. It's the world's biggest traditional horn sled speed race, where teams compete on a track 1,000 meters long and reach top speeds of up to 100 km per hour.
Fun in the snow
This has been a tradition for over 40 years. The sleds are based on sledges once used for transporting wood in the German Alps...
Alpine farmers' transport vehicle
... as can be seen on this picture. This is how hay or logs were brought down from the mountains back in the days.
Too late, too fast
These guys in the Bavarian town of Gaissach, near Bad Tölz, couldn't stop their sledge. Daring manoeuvres and accidents are all part of the game. The race here is called "Schnablerrennen".
Horned sleds
Crashes during the race in Bad Tölz are not uncommon. The sleds are called "Hornschlitten" or "horned sleds" because of the shape of the runners. They curl right up and around, like the horns of a mountain goat.
Traditional costumes
Men in costume soar through the air. Many of the sleds used in the Garmisch-Partenkirchen races are originals and more than 60 years old.
The hardest part...
...is getting up that hill. Competitors push their heavy sledges uphill through a winter-wonderland.