Patrouille des Glaciers’s future is guaranteed, say organisers
The organisers of the Patrouille des Glaciers, an iconic ski mountaineering race between Zermatt and Verbier in the Swiss Alps, have signed a “roadmap” to ensure the continuation of the biennial event. A recent controversy had cast a shadow over its future.
This content was published on
3 minutes
Keystone-SDA/sb
Русский
ru
Будущее лыжной гонки Patrouille des Glaciers обеспечено!
The roadmap, signed between the Swiss Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport, canton Valais and the Association for the Support, Management and Promotion of the Patrouille des Glaciers (ASPdG), guarantees the organisation of the next four editions until 2028.
Under the agreement, a public foundation has been set up to take over most of the work of the association, which was created in 1995 to deal with marketing and sponsorship issues. The Swiss army will continue to be responsible for the organisation of the race, together with the cantonal authorities, a statementExternal link published on Monday said.
The 2022 edition will continue as planned, the organisers added.
The gruelling ski mountaineering race, which began in 1943, had been threatened by a recent dispute between the organisers. Following tensions between the army and the association, the canton Valais authorities got all sides to sit down together to hammer out problems, which reportedly focused on financial management issues.
Monday’s announcement comes following an independent audit of public funds used by the association. The Valais cantonal financial inspection service last Thursday concluded that the association had not committed any legal offence with respect to its financial management of the race. The audit followed accusations of excessive salaries paid to some organisers.
By signing the roadmap, the three organisers said they were keen to underline their commitment to the race and its importance. The agreement thereby guarantees the “necessary means and structures to ensure the long-term organisation of the event”, the statement said.
The long-distance ski-touring race from Zermatt to Verbier in southern Switzerland, one of the most challenging in the world, takes place every two years at the end of April, involving military and civilian teams from Switzerland and abroad.
Around 1,600 teams take part. Each three-person patrol battles freezing temperatures, fog, high winds, or blazing sunshine, and 3,000-metre passes to cover the 110 kilometres.
The record is held by a male Italian team: 5 hours 35 minutes and 27 seconds (2018). The same year, a female Swiss-French team competed the course in 7 hours 15 minutes and 35 seconds.
More
More
British team survives gruelling mountain race
This content was published on
On Saturday his three-man British team completed the mythical long-distance ski-mountaineering race from Zermatt to Verbier, battling freezing temperatures, fog, high winds and 3,000-metre passes. Their team was one of 1,412 patrols from 22 countries taking part in the biennial competition organised by the Swiss army, said to be one of the most challenging in the…
Switzerland invites 160 delegations to June Ukraine peace talks
This content was published on
Russia is currently not among the delegations invited to talks aimed at helping bring about peace in the conflict between Moscow and Ukraine.
Survey: air travel most popular way to go on holidays for Swiss
This content was published on
Despite the climate crisis, flying is the most popular mode of transport for private travel – particularly among young, urban and high-income travellers.
Swiss government to use phone data to identify asylum seekers
This content was published on
From April 2025, authorities plan to be able to analyse data from mobile phones, computers and other data carriers to identify asylum seekers.
Young undocumented migrants gain easier access to vocational training
This content was published on
Rejected asylum-seekers and young undocumented migrants in Switzerland will have easier access to basic vocational training from June 1.
Migration: Swiss government wants to shorten reunification period for families
This content was published on
Family members of people temporarily admitted to Switzerland should in future be able to join them after two years instead of three.
This content was published on
2023 was a record year for the Rhaetian Railway in several respects. Never before has the narrow-gauge railway in Graubünden, eastern Switzerland, transported so many passengers and cars.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Pippa’s Swiss bucket list
This content was published on
Switzerland’s most famous and iconic mountain has been climbed by Pippa Middleton, younger sister of the Duchess of Cambridge.
This content was published on
On the way to the summit of Switzerland’s iconic Matterhorn, the site where the rope broke in one of mountaineering’s most famous accidents is quickly followed by an eerie statue of St Bernard, patron saint of alpinists. It’s a reminder that climbing the peak is more than a physical challenge; a climber also has to grapple with history and myth.
This content was published on
That’s the Haute Route, which follows a series of glaciers almost without interuption from near the highest peak in the Alps – Mont Blanc – to near the second highest peak in the Alps – Monte Rosa. For mysterious reasons I’ve yet to ski it, but here we are walking a version of that classic…
This content was published on
On Saturday his three-man British team completed the mythical long-distance ski-mountaineering race from Zermatt to Verbier, battling freezing temperatures, fog, high winds and 3,000-metre passes. Their team was one of 1,412 patrols from 22 countries taking part in the biennial competition organised by the Swiss army, said to be one of the most challenging in the…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.