Don't mess with the Ghost of the Alps...
Don't mess with the Ghost of the Alps...
| Theme Park | Busch Gardens Williamsburg |
|---|---|
| Park Area | Rhinefeld (Germany) |
| Type | Rollercoaster |
| Audience | Thrillseekers |
| Opened | 22 March 1997 |
| Manufacturer | Bolliger & Mabillard |
| Model | Inverted Coaster |
| Height | 195 ft |
| Length | 3828 ft |
| Inversions | 6 |
| Max Speed | 67 mph |
| Duration | 2¾ minutes |
One of Alpengeist's six inversions
Taking visitors on a journey into the snowy Alps, Alpengeist is Busch Gardens' inverted rollercoaster in the park's German themed Rhinefeld section.
The ride is an Inverted Coaster from Swiss manufacturer B&M, and when it opened was the tallest inverted coaster in the world.
The inverted coaster trains are themed to resemble ski lift chairs, with the overall ride storyline sending them high up into the Alps on an out of control ski-lift being chased by the yeti-style Alpengeist: the legendary ghost of the Alps.
Alpengeist remains one of the longest and tallest B&M Inverted coasters, meaning the layout feels more spread out compared to the compactness of some other examples such as the various Batman clones. It's extremely well-paced though and the train glides through the impressive six inversions, including the spectacular cobra roll over the Rhine River.
There's some nice theming touches too, with the train passing over several snowy rocky outcrops as it runs closer to the ground during the ride's second half.
Alpengeist is one of the greatest inverted coasters. It benefits from a long layout and, while forceful, it doesn't whip and haul around uncomfortably as much as other inverteds. With some nice pieces of theming too, it is one of the favourite coasters at Busch Gardens.
Ride entrance
Alpengeist station
A train enters
First drop
Dropping down
Vertical loop
Skimming the ground
Ski lodge
