Patrouille des Glaciers
Encyclopedia
Ski mountaineering
Ski mountaineering is form of ski touring that variously combines the sports of Telemark, Alpine, and backcountry skiing with that of mountaineering...
race organized every two years by the Swiss Army, in which military and civilian teams compete. It takes place at the end of April, in the south part of the canton of Valais
Valais
The Valais is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland in the southwestern part of the country, around the valley of the Rhône from its headwaters to Lake Geneva, separating the Pennine Alps from the Bernese Alps. The canton is one of the drier parts of Switzerland in its central Rhône valley...
below the summits of the Pennine
Pennine Alps
The Pennine Alps are a mountain range in the western part of the Alps. They are located in Switzerland and Italy...
Alps
Swiss Alps
The Swiss Alps are the portion of the Alps mountain range that lies within Switzerland. Because of their central position within the entire Alpine range, they are also known as the Central Alps....
.
There are two different races, a normal and a short one:
- ZermattZermattZermatt is a municipality in the district of Visp in the German-speaking section of the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It has a population of about 5,800 inhabitants....
- VerbierVerbierVerbier is a village located in southwestern Switzerland in the canton of Valais. It is one of the largest holiday resort and ski areas in the Swiss Alps, is recognized as one of the premiere "off-piste" locations in the world...
- ArollaArollaArolla is a village in the municipality of Evolène in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.It is situated at the end of the Val d'Hérens south of Sion at 1998m altitude in the Pennine Alps...
: 53 kilometres, altitude difference +2994m and - 4090m. This is equivalent to 110 km without altitude difference. - ArollaArollaArolla is a village in the municipality of Evolène in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.It is situated at the end of the Val d'Hérens south of Sion at 1998m altitude in the Pennine Alps...
- VerbierVerbierVerbier is a village located in southwestern Switzerland in the canton of Valais. It is one of the largest holiday resort and ski areas in the Swiss Alps, is recognized as one of the premiere "off-piste" locations in the world...
: 27 kilometres, altitude difference +1881m and - 2341m. This is equivalent to 53 km without altitude difference.
Each patrol consists of 3 members who, in order to compete, must
- have alpine experience which ensures their capability to independently master unexpected situations under extreme conditions in an inhospitable high-alpine environment
- train to meet the physical, mental and technical requirements of the competition
- be willing to live the ‘PDG spirit‘ towards their own team, all participants and organizing staff by acting fair, with caution and solidarity recognizing their limits as well as respecting nature and the unique alpine world
- have excellent skiing skills, experience in skiing while being roped up to others, experience in alpine touring and mountaineering competitions
- be able to complete the races in the following times, given normal conditions: Zermatt - Schönbiel within 3h; Zermatt - Arolla within 8h 30min; Arolla - Riedmatten within 1h 45 min; Arolla - Verbier within 8h 30 min.
History
The Patrouille des Glaciers has military origins. During the Second World War, the Swiss army organized a race to test the abilities of its soldiers. The first military patrolMilitary patrol
Military patrol is a team winter sport in which athletes compete in both cross-country skiing respectively ski mountaineering, and rifle shooting. It is usually contested between countries or military units. Biathlon was developed from military patrol....
edition was held in April 1943 thanks to the work of two captains of Mountain Brigade 10 (Rodolphe Tissières and Roger Bonvin
Roger Bonvin
Roger Bonvin was a Swiss politician and member of the Swiss Federal Council for the Canton of Valais ....
). That year, 18 patrols, each consisting of three members, travelled 63 kilometres to reach Verbier. In 1944, 44 teams participated, but for a few years, no races were organized because of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. On April 10 1949, the race was organised once again, but the deaths of three participants from Orsières
Orsières
Orsières is a municipality in the district of Entremont in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.-Geography:Orsières has an area, , of . Of this area, 16.8% is used for agricultural purposes, while 25.2% is forested...
(Mauritius Crettex, Robert Droz and Louis Thétaz) at the hands of a crevasse caused a controversy. As a result of that accident the organization of the race was prohibited by the Federal Military Department until 1984.
The competition was revived by Rene Martin and Camille Bournissen. It remains under the control of the army which ensures its smooth running. The race is now held every two years and is also open to civilians. In 1986, bad weather forced organizers to inerrupt the race. In 2002, the same mishap occurred.
In 2004, a foreign team won the race for the first time. The same year, the race was competed by 2934 participants (approximately 60% of civil patrols and 40% military), with 984 for the normal race, and 636 and 1314 for the short races.
In 2006, organizers were forced to refuse a thousand entries. That year a second race was organized from Zermatt for the first time. The media have recently raised the problem of doping: patrols are not subject to any controls which causes rumours about the performance of the participants. The commander of the race, Brigadier Marius Robyr (who retired in 2008), refused to impose controls and instead called for participants to act honestly, and in the spirit of the race in which there is no financial gain for the winners.
On April 18, 2007, memorials donated by the Swiss army were unveiled in Zermatt, Arolla and in Verbier in honour of the communities connected with, benefactors of, and friends of, the PDG. A doping case came to light at the end of the 2008 edition in which ten competitors were checked.
Men
The best time is 5 hours 52 minutes 00 seconds and is held by a Swiss team winning the 2010 race. Team members are:- Florent TroilletFlorent TroilletFlorent Troillet is a Swiss ski mountaineer.Troillet was born in Lourtier. He competed first in 1995. He has been member of the national team since 1996 and member of the Dynafit team since 2003...
- Martin AnthamattenMartin AnthamattenMartin Anthamatten is an Swiss ski mountaineer.Anthamatten was born in Zermatt. He played ice hockey for National League B until 2005, and has been member of the national ski mountaineering team since 2007....
- Yannick EcoeurYannick EcoeurYannick Ecoeur is a Swiss ski mountaineer.Ecoeur was born in Martigny VS. He started ski mountaineering in 2003 and has been member of the national team since 2005.- Selected results :* 2005:...
Women
The best time is 7 hours 41 minutes 18 seconds and was held by a Swiss team in the 2008 race. Team members are:- Marie TroilletMarie TroilletMarie Troillet is a Swiss ski mountaineer.Troillet was born in Bagnes. She started ski mountaineering in 2000 and has been member of the national team since 2004 as well as member of the Dynafit-Team since 2005. Marie Troillet, who teaches in an elementary school, lives in Lourtier...
- Etzensperger NathalieNathalie EtzenspergerNathalie Etzensperger-Nanzer, née Nanzer , is a Swiss ski mountaineer and long distance runner.Etzensperger was born in Gamsen, where she grew up...
- Emilie Gex-FabryEmilie Gex-FabryEmilie Gex-Fabry is a Swiss ski mountaineer.Gex-Fabry was born in Vevey. She started ski mountaineering in 1991, and competed first in the 2000 Trophée des Gastlosen event. She has been member of the Swiss team since 2002, and lives in Val-d'Illiez...
Checkpoints
Several points of supply and control are divided between Zermatt and Verbier:| Name | Distance from Zermatt | Altitude |
| Zermatt Zermatt Zermatt is a municipality in the district of Visp in the German-speaking section of the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It has a population of about 5,800 inhabitants.... |
0 km | 1616 m |
| South of Schönbiel Hut Schönbiel Hut The Schönbiel Hut is a mountain hut located north of the Matterhorn. It is situated at above sea level, north of the Zmutt Glacier, a few kilometers west of the town of Zermatt in the canton of Valais in Switzerland... |
8 km | 2600 m |
| North of Tête Blanche Tête Blanche Tête Blanche is a mountain in the Pennine Alps on the Swiss-Italian border. It is generally the high point of the Haute route between Chamonix and Zermatt and the annually race Patrouille des Glaciers. Tête Blanche lies within a few kilometres of the Matterhorn and Dent d'Hérens on the... |
16 km | 3650 m |
| Bertol Pass | 20 km | 3279 m |
| Plans de Bertol | 23 km | 2664 m |
| Arolla Arolla Arolla is a village in the municipality of Evolène in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.It is situated at the end of the Val d'Hérens south of Sion at 1998m altitude in the Pennine Alps... |
28 km | 1980 m |
| Col de Riedmatten | 33 km | 2919 m |
| Pas du Chat | 35 km | 2581 m |
| La Barma | 38 km | 2581 m |
| Rosablanche | 43 km | 3160 m |
| Col de la Chaux | 47 km | 2940 m |
| Les Ruinettes | 49 km | 2195 m |
| Verbier Verbier Verbier is a village located in southwestern Switzerland in the canton of Valais. It is one of the largest holiday resort and ski areas in the Swiss Alps, is recognized as one of the premiere "off-piste" locations in the world... |
53 km | 1520 m |
 |
Green : Zermatt (start) Red : Verbier (end)
|
The total drop is 3994 meters (ascent) and 4090 meters (descent).
Rules
Participants are divided into two groups: civil and military. The categories are (Regulation 2006):- Female civilian patrols
- Male or mixed civilian patrols
- Senior I (total age of three members less than 102 years)
- Senior II (total age of three members between 103 and 132 years)
- Senior III (patrols remaining)
- Female military patrols
- International military patrols (only for normal race)
- Swiss military patrols
- Military I (total age of three members less than 102 years)
- Military II (total age of three members between 103 and 132 years)
- Military III (patrols remaining)
- Female international civilian patrols (only short race)
- Male international civilian patrols (only short race)
Material
Each patrol must be equipped with the following equipment (Regulation 2006):- Ice axeIce axeAn ice axe, is a multi-purpose ice and snow tool used by mountaineers both in the ascent and descent of routes which involve frozen conditions. It can be held and employed in a number of different ways, depending on the terrain encountered...
- compassCompassA compass is a navigational instrument that shows directions in a frame of reference that is stationary relative to the surface of the earth. The frame of reference defines the four cardinal directions – north, south, east, and west. Intermediate directions are also defined...
, altimeterAltimeterAn altimeter is an instrument used to measure the altitude of an object above a fixed level. The measurement of altitude is called altimetry, which is related to the term bathymetry, the measurement of depth underwater.-Pressure altimeter:... - three climbing harnessClimbing harnessA climbing harness is a piece of equipment used in certain types of rock-climbing, abseiling or other activities requiring the use of ropes to provide access or safety...
es - pairs of gloves, hats, bags
- a Rope of at least 30 meters, snow shovel
- skiSkiA ski is a long, flat device worn on the foot, usually attached through a boot, designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow. Originally intended as an aid to travel in snowy regions, they are now mainly used for recreational and sporting purposes...
s - three headlamps, first aid kit, glasses
- Avalanche transceiverAvalanche transceiverAvalanche transceivers are a class of radio transceivers specialized to the purpose of finding people or equipment buried under snow. They are variously called Trackers, Pieps, or Arva's in a reference to some of the popular brands, "avalanche beacons" or "avalanche transceivers" - with many...