Patrouille des Glaciers only on a shorter route
Published: Friday, Apr 19th 2024, 22:50
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This year, the Patrouille des glaciers (PdG) will only take place on the shorter route from Arolla VS to Verbier VS. The weather conditions do not permit the start from Zermatt, as the organizers of the mountain race announced on Friday evening.
There had previously been cancellations in the first half of the week and on Thursday evening the start was postponed until Saturday night. However, according to the organizing committee, hopes for an improvement in the weather have since been dashed.
The temperature felt by the military and civilian marshals at 3000 meters above sea level has now dropped to -35 degrees. The persistent cloud cover meant that no rescue operations were possible in the first half of the night on Saturday, either from the air or on the ground.
For the second half of the night on Sunday, however, the weather forecast promises brighter skies, so that the start from Arolla on the shorter route should be possible.
The first take-offs from Zermatt and Arolla on Tuesday and Wednesday were canceled on Monday. Safety concerns related to the weather were also the deciding factor at that time.
Almost 4900 participants had registered for the 40th Patrouille des Glaciers. A total of 1633 teams of three were due to start. The route from Arolla is 29.6 kilometers long and includes 2200 meters of ascent. The army is responsible for the entire organization of the event and is on site with 1600 military personnel.
©Keystone/SDA
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