Wichtels Rätselherbst 2025 (5): Die verschneite Eisbahn
(Published on 25. October 2025, 20:25 by wichtel)
This year, Santa made an especially large effort to create a big surprise for his gnomes, after all of their hard work. He has built them an ice track, and in typical Wichtel manner has divided it into twelve parts of five cells each, with each of course differently arranged. Carefully he has pounded in the wooden posts at those locations where the track touches diagonally. Finally he has added the directional arrows to show the path of the ice track.
Now he waits for his gnomes to return, and is already looking forward to watching as they zip along the ice track. At that moment it begins to snow. Christmas doesn't get better than this!
But as he looks out the window, he can't believe his eyes: the ice track is completely snowed in, with not an iota of it still visible. A couple of the posts have also disappeared under the snow. Oh dear, he thinks, it was meant to be a present for the gnomes, he can't start by sending them out to clean up! What shall I do? Go out and shovel it away myself??? No, he thinks to himself, my gnomes are clever, they'll find the track and the ice without that. Satisfied, he takes a sip from the mulled wine that he has brewed for his wichtel.
Solution code: First the pentominoes in the main diagonal (from top left to bottom right, - for an empty field). Then the number of turns of the paths in each row, from top to bottom.
Comments
on 7. November 2025, 16:43 by Agent
Thank you! I don't know why I was convinced the puzzle was broken if all the pentominoes were crossed, but it worked this time anyway. Cool puzzle!
on 7. November 2025, 15:31 by ibag
@Agent: Santa Claus apparently assumes that every available part of the ice track must be used. I already wrote this in a hidden comment.
on 2. November 2025, 11:41 by Piatato
Lovely! Very smooth and fun!
on 26. October 2025, 22:24 by Myxo
Wunderschön :)
on 26. October 2025, 11:54 by ibag
Wie immer eine echte Wichtelwucht!!!
on 26. October 2025, 11:05 by Mark Sweep
Very nice and smooth solve!
To the comments below: Gabi's interpretation is indeed correct.
on 25. October 2025, 22:56 by ibag
Ich hatte es so verstanden dass sich dort zwei der Pentomino-förmigen Eisbahnen berühren.
on 25. October 2025, 22:53 by CHalb
Sollte es in der deutschen Anleitung bei den Pflöcken besser "...wo sich die Bahn berührt." heißen?
