World Cup slope in Zermatt partially overhangs ski area
Published: Thursday, Nov 2nd 2023, 19:02
Updated At: Friday, Nov 3rd 2023, 00:54
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The Valais Construction Commission has found irregularities during an inspection of the new Gran Becca ski race slope in Zermatt. It confirmed a ban on the use of the area outside the ski area. This has no consequences for the World Cup races in mid-November. These can be held as planned.
However, any criminal proceedings remain reserved, the cantonal building commission announced on Thursday. The commission, accompanied by an engineering and surveying firm, had made precise calculations on site in a helicopter. The area of the groomed slope along the start area of the men's downhill is wider and includes areas outside the ski area for several meters, he said. This concerns in particular the installation of the safety nets.
For this reason, the commission had confirmed the ban on the use of the area of the slope, which is located outside the ski area. For the safety nets, meanwhile, it pronounced an exception. "In application of the principle of proportionality and in view of the temporary nature of the event," they could be tolerated by way of exception, the communiqué said.
Furthermore, during the site visit, the commission had found that the area of the glacier where dredging was taking place was outside the ski area. This dredging work had been stopped.
The access to the start of the women's downhill (on Italian territory), which was originally planned to be located in this zone, had been prohibited. At this stage, a restoration of the site was not desirable, as snow and ice should be left in their natural state, the commission found.
The organizers of the race take note of the decision of the commission and waive an appeal, as they write in a media release. However, they point out that GPS measurements by the independent surveyor of the municipality of Zermatt and Zermatt Bergbahnen AG would have led to different surveying results than those of the construction commission.
Heated tempers
A polemic had arisen around the prestige object Gran Becca and the planned descents on November 11/12 and 18/19 after French-speaking Swiss media had reported in mid-October about alleged illegal excavation work on the Theodul glacier. The organizers took the position that they had acted to the best of their knowledge and belief.
The association Klima-Anwälte:innen, which represents the interests of WWF, Pro Natura and Mountain Wilderness Switzerland, intervened and demanded that the authorities clarify the situation. The building commission then issued a ban on the use of the affected facilities outside the approved zone, which it confirmed again on Thursday.
Last week, the Gran Becca also came under the scrutiny of the Italian authorities. The public prosecutor's office in Aosta opened an investigation into the work on the Italian side of the slope. At the planned premiere last year, the races starting in Zermatt and finishing in Cervinia (I) had to be cancelled due to lack of snow.
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