Start of the Patrouille des Glaciers postponed

Published: Thursday, Apr 18th 2024, 22:10

Following the cancellations in the first half of the week, the start of the Patrouille des Glaciers races planned for Friday has been postponed by 24 hours on Thursday. The reason is the weather conditions.

The commander of the patrol places the highest priority on the safety of the participants in the ski touring race, the members of the army involved and the civilian helpers along the high alpine route from Zermatt or Arollo to Verbier VS.

The disturbances that passed through during the night from Friday to Saturday led to a lot of snow on the route, the organizers announced on Thursday evening. In addition, fog and clouds would prevent normal helicopter flights and thus the rescue from the air.

According to the commander, Brigadier Christian Sieber, the postponement was decided in the hope of better visibility conditions during the night from Saturday to Sunday. The first launches on Tuesday and Wednesday had already been canceled on Monday. Safety risks due to the weather conditions had also been the deciding factor at that time.

A low pressure system from the northwest had caused temperatures to drop to what felt like -25 degrees at 3,000 meters above sea level. In addition, there were gusts of wind of 50 kilometers per hour on ridges and crests.

Almost 4900 participants had registered for the 40th Patrouille des Glaciers. A total of 1633 teams of three were due to start. The most experienced teams set off from Zermatt on the 57.5-kilometre route with its 4386 meters of ascent. The route from Arolla is 29.6 kilometers long and includes 2200 meters of ascent. The army takes over the entire organization of the event and is on site with 1600 military personnel.

©Keystone/SDA

Verwandte Geschichten

Swiss Consumer Confidence Down In April

13 Mai 2024

April's consumer sentiment index in Switzerland remained stable, reflecting little change from previous months and the...

Swiss Hells Angels Monster Trial: Drugs, Gambling, Sex Crimes & More

13 Mai 2024

Hells Angels trial in Basel commences, as a Turkish national faces charges for investment fraud, money laundering, and...

Underground Freight Transportation in Zurich Faces Criticism

17 Mai 2024

Underground freight transport project "Cargo sous terrain" faces criticism from Zurich and other municipalities over...

Ousman Sonko’s Verdict Opens Today in Switzerland

15 Mai 2024

Minister faces charges for crimes against humanity with possible life imprisonment demanded by Swiss prosecutors....

Swiss Universities Use Police To Disperse Student Protests

15 Mai 2024

Police clear Unitobler building in Bern as occupiers comply without resistance. Universities are not negotiating. ...

Council of States: Cutting Asylum Credits

16 Mai 2024

Swiss Council of States committee recommends slashing the Federal Council's proposed funding for asylum centres by CHF...

UBS CEO: Bank Will Grow By 40% After CS Integration

16 Mai 2024

UBS CEO Sergio Ermotti discusses the future size of UBS and regulatory changes at a Zurich event, emphasising the...

In Kontakt bleiben

Erwähnenswert

Switzerland Viral TikTok Gone Wrong: Child Injured During 24,000 CHF Drone Cash Frenzy!

Erwähnenswert

13 Mai 2024

Switzerland Viral TikTok Gone Wrong: Child Injured During 24,000 CHF Drone Cash Frenzy!

Vaudoise Acquires Prevanto: Pension Fund

Erwähnenswert

30. April 2024

Start of the Patrouille des Glaciers postponed

Verwandte Geschichten

In Kontakt bleiben

Erwähnenswert

Switzerland Viral TikTok Gone Wrong: Child Injured During 24,000 CHF Drone Cash Frenzy!

Vaudoise erwirbt Prevanto: Pensionskasse

Schnelle Links