Amazing experiences bring back childhood memories of a superhero

A s a young boy, I spent countless hours in my grandmother’s attic. This obscure world under the roof gable, with creaking wooden floorboards and countless old treasures, fascinated and absorbed me for days. There was an old Batman comic book, its pages completely tattered, yet I kept picking it up again and again. As we all know, behind Batman’s bat mask is the orphaned billionaire Bruce Wayne. Always at his side is the long-time family butler Alfred, whose support helps Bruce become a successful entrepreneur and a tireless superhero in the fight against the underworld.

My favorite part of the story has always been the Bat-Cave. For those not familiar with Batman: the Bat-Cave is Batman’s secret hideout from which he starts his missions. A well-camouflaged entrance led underneath the impressive family residence, where Alfred and Bruce faced every challenge with selfless dedication and always state-of-the-art technology, leading an undetected double life.

These are the memories that run through my mind as I turn through a tunnel above Gstaad into the elegant driveway of The Alpina Gstaad. An arrival of this kind is never accidental. This hotel welcomes a clientele that appreciates the utmost and, at the same time, unagitated discretion. Over the next few hours, I realize that nothing is left to chance here.

Organic what?

Let me briefly explain: Medical and biochemical research in recent years has analyzed various metabolic processes in our bodies at a cellular level and found methods of influencing them. High-tech devices, much like those in Bruce Wayne’s garage, can slow down our aging process, increase our physical and mental performance, improve our sleep, and lift our mood.

The hotel has a fascinating history that resembles a superhero family chronicle. The first hotel in Gstaad at the beginning of the 20th century, it was later abandoned and stood empty for decades. Only the courageous alliance between a Gstaad entrepreneur and a French sugar baron, who had built his fortune by growing sugar cane in Africa, allowed the unique hotel to emerge almost 100 years later.

From the lobby to the roof, you can marvel at an attractive and contrasting mix of Swiss chalet style, Senegalese elements, and the latest international art. The interplay of different textures is unique – both visually and tactilely. Wood is the dominant building material, entirely reused from old farms. Upcycling at its best.

You don’t need to know any of this to feel the unique atmosphere visually: a large Italian fresco, the kind you only see in churches, sits enthroned above the grand lobby staircase, next to a live DJ set paired with a larger-than-life work of art depicting penguins smoking pot. Perhaps it is this wild but never random mix of styles that encourages international guests to interact in an uncharacteristically open and informal way. An extremely appealing feature that sets this hotel apart from other destinations in this league.

I don’t take the time for the diverse interior impressions for the time being because I’m drawn back to the „Bat Cave“: The Alpina Gstaad offers biohacking in the Six Senses Spa – „wellness“ was yesterday. I have been involved in competitive and top-class sport for over 30 years. Any „hacks“ (clever shortcuts and backdoors) have always proved to be smoke and mirrors. There’s nothing good unless you do it – I believe that, but maybe I’ll be proven wrong here.

The procedure begins in a cold chamber. In my underwear, but with a breathing mask, headband, and gloves, I stand in a cabin for three minutes at minus 87°C (!). An arctic wind blows around my ears. The cold shock releases a positive hormone cocktail that invigorates body and mind and combats inflammation. It also relieves the pain of chronic illnesses. The cold is noticeable, but the neurological fireworks only begin once you are back at room temperature.

I continue seamlessly onto a magnetic field mat (pulsed electromagnetic field, PEMF). I lie in magnetic fields for ten minutes, which are supposed to stimulate my circulation – blood, but above all, fluids in and out of my cells. It is not Alfred who operates the equipment, but Sabrina, who accompanies me through the stations and patiently answers all my curious questions. In contrast to the Arctic phone booth, the second station leaves me relatively cold. But not my next hacking task.

I feel at home because I’m going on a cycle ergometer. I wear a mask – Batman sends his regards – and breathe pure oxygen. I pedal comfortably in place and sprint like a berserker in between. The body should receive the maximum oxygen dose to regenerate and rebuild better. To potentiate this stimulating effect, I then lie on a special sunbed (photobiomodulation). Here, my metabolism is specifically orchestrated with infrared and near-infrared light. Maybe there’s something to the tech magic anyway, I think, because my legs feel light and relaxed despite maximum sprints.

I study the evidence for these methods as I finish off by lying comfortably in a hyperbaric chamber. With two to three times the atmospheric overpressure, the oxygen I’ve just worked in is distributed to the last cell at the back and is supposed to work wonders there. I lie in a kind of submarine, doze off, and am amazed that a whole hour has suddenly flown by.

Fan or Fud?

Later, as we sit in the stunningly beautiful Japanese whiskey bar, the hotel’s supreme hosts ask me how I felt about biohacking. The in-house interpretation of a whiskey sour that stands before me certainly torpedoes recent hacks, and yet I believe that these methods can indeed benefit our overall health if used regularly. And if the hack makes you curious about the effects that pampering your body with cold, light, and oxygen on a regular basis can have, you’ll go home to your everyday life inspired and with good intentions. For my part, I will continue to prefer training in the fresh air, but my curiosity has definitely been aroused – after all, you don’t get any younger…

Conscious Enjoyment at the Highest Heights

Being active outdoors is something I recommend to everyone in Gstaad anyway. The snow-covered mountains around the village are perfect for skiing and snowshoeing. For those who like it a little more rigorous, there are extensive cross-country ski trails and hiking paths in and around Gstaad. I get hungry and look forward to a select omakase dinner at the Japanese Megu or a classic French gourmet menu at Sommet by Martin Göschel, the hotel’s main restaurant. The majority of the ingredients used come from Switzerland.

But the sustainability doesn’t stop there – the hotel runs a food truck on the Eggli (one of Gstaad’s local mountains), where valuable ingredients from the hotel’s starred kitchens are creatively used to create original dishes with hardly any food waste. I leave The Alpina Gstaad refreshed and fascinated by the delights I have experienced. The state-of-the-art methods may not have given me super (hero) powers, but they definitely contribute to optimized performance and recovery.

Top Secret

Now you too have been given an insight into the „Bat-Cave“. Please preserve the nimbus of this saga and keep the secrets of Bruce Wayne to yourself. Perhaps you will go and see for yourself; it’s worth it!