428:
17:
28:
147:
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 interrupt the race. In 2002, the same mishap
155:
In 2006, organisers 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
159:
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.
132:). 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 war fatigue from the years of military mobilization during
151:
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.
156:
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.
107:
be willing to live the âPDG spiritâ towards their own team, all participants and organising staff by acting fair, with caution and solidarity recognizing their limits as well as respecting nature and the unique alpine
114:
be able to complete the races in the following times, given normal conditions: Zermatt â Schönbiel within 3h; Zermatt â Arolla within 8h 30min; Arolla â Riedmatten within 1h 45 min; Arolla â Verbier within 8h 30
681:
621:
101:
have alpine experience which ensures their capability to independently master unexpected situations under extreme conditions in an inhospitable high-alpine environment
483:
124:
The
Patrouille des Glaciers has military origins. During the Second World War, the Swiss army organised a race to test the abilities of its soldiers. The first
331:
651:
383:
305:
396:
660:
111:
have excellent skiing skills, experience in skiing while being roped up to others, experience in alpine touring and mountaineering competitions
144:
caused a controversy. As a result of that accident the organisation of the race was prohibited by the
Federal Military Department until 1984.
344:
292:
50:, in which military and civilian teams compete. It takes place once every two years at the end of April, in the south part of the canton of
68:
that includes the most important ski mountaineering competitions of the season. There are two different races, a normal and a short one:
616:
357:
739:
676:
759:
744:
716:
83:: 57,5 kilometers, altitude difference +4386m and â 4519m. This is equivalent to 110 km without altitude difference.
93:: 27 kilometres, altitude difference +1881m and â 2341m. This is equivalent to 53 km without altitude difference.
749:
128:
edition was held in April 1943 thanks to the work of two captains of
Mountain Brigade 10 (Rodolphe TissiĂšres and
754:
706:
637:
769:
494:
Participants are divided into two groups: civilians and military. The categories are (Regulation 2006):
721:
479:
655:
481:
480:
136:. On April 10, 1949, the race was organised once again, but the deaths of three participants from
585:
8:
47:
43:
223:
566:
189:
184:
168:
Record times are measured on the longer course only (i.e. from
Zermatt to Verbier)
65:
265:
764:
685:
664:
213:
194:
125:
279:
104:
train to meet the physical, mental and technical requirements of the competition
20:
733:
625:
547:
Each patrol must be equipped with the following equipment (Regulation 2006):
234:
Several supply and control stations are located between
Zermatt and Verbier:
218:
133:
129:
55:
427:
597:
370:
209:
and is held by a French/Swiss team from the 2018 race. Team members are:
180:
and is held by an
Italian team winning the 2018 race. Team members are:
137:
58:
31:
560:
711:
486:
The total drop is 4386 meters (ascent) and 4519 meters (descent).
141:
527:
Military II (total age of three members between 103 and 132 years)
556:
551:
409:
251:
97:
Each patrol consists of 3 members who, in order to compete, must
90:
80:
72:
507:
Senior II (total age of three members between 103 and 132 years)
140:(Mauritius Crettex, Robert Droz and Louis Thétaz) who died in a
318:
86:
76:
51:
478:
16:
524:
Military I (total age of three members less than 102 years)
577:
504:
Senior I (total age of three members less than 102 years)
27:
535:
Female international civilian patrols (only short race)
701:
538:
Male international civilian patrols (only short race)
518:
International military patrols (only for normal race)
618:Die Gotthardbrigade an der Patrouille des Glaciers
731:
707:Swiss Air Force at Patrouille des Glaciers 2012
678:Gedenksteine fĂŒr die Patrouille des Glaciers
645:
712:Swiss Army at Patrouille des Glaciers 2010
64:The Patrouille des Glaciers is a stage of
574:a Rope of at least 30 meters, snow shovel
26:
15:
582:three headlamps, first aid kit, glasses
732:
46:race organised every two years by the
670:
639:Patrouille des Glaciers abgebrochen
13:
426:
14:
781:
695:
657:Die Geschichte des Skialpinismus
530:Military III (patrols remaining)
740:Ski mountaineering competitions
501:Male or mixed civilian patrols
631:
610:
510:Senior III (patrols remaining)
229:
1:
760:Mountaineering in Switzerland
603:
436:Green : Zermatt (start)
23:, near the highest checkpoint
7:
591:
571:pairs of gloves, hats, bags
542:
422:
10:
786:
745:Mountaineering in the Alps
163:
119:
642:(German), April 27, 2002.
439:Red : Verbier (end)
54:below the summits of the
489:
200:
750:Military patrol (sport)
727:Ski mountaineering race
663:March 28, 2009, at the
521:Swiss military patrols
515:Female military patrols
498:Female civilian patrols
40:Patrouille des Glaciers
628:(German), May 5, 2008.
431:
243:Distance from Zermatt
171:
35:
24:
755:Skiing in Switzerland
688:, M2b, April 20, 2007
586:Avalanche transceiver
430:
30:
19:
205:The record time is
176:The record time is
34:, above Bertol Pass
770:Skiing in the Alps
684:2008-07-24 at the
567:climbing harnesses
432:
48:Swiss Armed Forces
44:ski mountaineering
36:
25:
476:
475:
455:Col de Riedmatten
421:
420:
332:Col de Riedmatten
224:Jennifer Fiechter
777:
702:Official website
689:
674:
668:
649:
643:
635:
629:
614:
423:
237:
236:
190:Robert Antonioli
185:Michele Boscacci
66:La Grande Course
785:
784:
780:
779:
778:
776:
775:
774:
730:
729:
728:
698:
693:
692:
686:Wayback Machine
675:
671:
665:Wayback Machine
650:
646:
636:
632:
615:
611:
606:
594:
545:
492:
484:
482:
467:Col de la Chaux
384:Col de la Chaux
306:Plans de Bertol
232:
214:Axelle Mollaret
203:
195:Matteo Eydallin
174:
166:
126:military patrol
122:
12:
11:
5:
783:
773:
772:
767:
762:
757:
752:
747:
742:
726:
725:
724:
719:
714:
709:
704:
697:
696:External links
694:
691:
690:
669:
644:
630:
624:2012-08-02 at
608:
607:
605:
602:
601:
600:
593:
590:
589:
588:
583:
580:
575:
572:
569:
563:
554:
544:
541:
540:
539:
536:
533:
532:
531:
528:
525:
519:
516:
513:
512:
511:
508:
505:
499:
491:
488:
477:
474:
473:
472:
471:
468:
465:
462:
459:
456:
453:
450:
447:
444:
433:
419:
418:
415:
412:
406:
405:
402:
399:
393:
392:
389:
386:
380:
379:
376:
373:
367:
366:
363:
360:
354:
353:
350:
347:
341:
340:
337:
334:
328:
327:
324:
321:
315:
314:
311:
308:
302:
301:
298:
295:
289:
288:
285:
282:
275:
274:
271:
268:
261:
260:
257:
254:
248:
247:
244:
241:
231:
228:
227:
226:
221:
216:
202:
199:
198:
197:
192:
187:
173:
170:
165:
162:
121:
118:
117:
116:
112:
109:
105:
102:
95:
94:
84:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
782:
771:
768:
766:
763:
761:
758:
756:
753:
751:
748:
746:
743:
741:
738:
737:
735:
723:
720:
718:
717:Swissinfo.org
715:
713:
710:
708:
705:
703:
700:
699:
687:
683:
680:
679:
673:
666:
662:
659:
658:
653:
652:Claude DĂ©fago
648:
641:
640:
634:
627:
626:archive.today
623:
620:
619:
613:
609:
599:
596:
595:
587:
584:
581:
579:
576:
573:
570:
568:
564:
562:
558:
555:
553:
550:
549:
548:
537:
534:
529:
526:
523:
522:
520:
517:
514:
509:
506:
503:
502:
500:
497:
496:
495:
487:
470:Les Ruinettes
469:
466:
463:
460:
457:
454:
451:
448:
445:
442:
441:
440:
437:
434:
429:
425:
424:
416:
413:
411:
408:
407:
403:
400:
398:
397:Les Ruinettes
395:
394:
390:
387:
385:
382:
381:
377:
374:
372:
369:
368:
364:
361:
359:
356:
355:
351:
348:
346:
343:
342:
338:
335:
333:
330:
329:
325:
322:
320:
317:
316:
312:
309:
307:
304:
303:
299:
296:
294:
291:
290:
286:
283:
281:
277:
276:
272:
269:
267:
266:Schönbiel Hut
263:
262:
258:
255:
253:
250:
249:
245:
242:
239:
238:
235:
225:
222:
220:
219:Laetitia Roux
217:
215:
212:
211:
210:
208:
196:
193:
191:
188:
186:
183:
182:
181:
179:
169:
161:
157:
153:
149:
145:
143:
139:
135:
131:
127:
113:
110:
106:
103:
100:
99:
98:
92:
88:
85:
82:
78:
74:
71:
70:
69:
67:
62:
60:
57:
53:
49:
45:
41:
33:
29:
22:
18:
677:
672:
656:
647:
638:
633:
617:
612:
546:
493:
485:
446:TĂȘte blanche
438:
435:
280:TĂȘte Blanche
233:
206:
204:
177:
175:
167:
158:
154:
150:
146:
134:World War II
130:Roger Bonvin
123:
96:
63:
39:
37:
21:TĂȘte Blanche
598:Haute Route
464:Rosablanche
458:Pas du chat
449:Bertol Pass
414:53 km
401:49 km
388:47 km
375:43 km
371:Rosablanche
362:38 km
349:35 km
345:Pas du Chat
336:33 km
323:28 km
310:23 km
297:20 km
293:Bertol Pass
284:16 km
230:Checkpoints
42:(PDG) is a
734:Categories
604:References
270:8 km
256:0 km
148:occurred.
32:Bertol Hut
667:(German).
561:altimeter
443:Schönbiel
278:North of
264:South of
246:Altitude
207:7 h 15'35
178:5 h 35'27
682:Archived
661:Archived
622:Archived
592:See also
543:Material
461:La Barma
358:La Barma
142:crevasse
138:OrsiĂšres
557:compass
552:Ice axe
417:1520 m
410:Verbier
404:2195 m
391:2940 m
378:3160 m
365:2581 m
352:2581 m
339:2919 m
326:1980 m
313:2664 m
300:3279 m
287:3650 m
273:2600 m
259:1616 m
252:Zermatt
164:Records
120:History
91:Verbier
81:Verbier
73:Zermatt
56:Pennine
765:Bagnes
565:three
452:Arolla
319:Arolla
87:Arolla
77:Arolla
52:Valais
722:Video
490:Rules
240:Name
201:Women
108:world
578:skis
115:min.
59:Alps
38:The
172:Men
736::
654::
559:,
89:â
79:â
75:â
61:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
