Patrouille des Glaciers
In the true spirit of a blog, or Weblog, this portion of the Traveltrekkr site is dedicated to my training programme for the legendary Patrouille des Glaciers race in 2012.
What is the Patrouille des Glaciers?
The Patrouille des Glaciers is the toughest ski touring race in the world, covering 52km along the Verbier high-level route from Zermatt to Verbier, Switzerland. The race is organised by the Swiss Military and is held once every 2 years, usually in April or May, along the course from Zermatt to Verbier.
As the name suggests, (Patrouille = patrol), this is a team event, where each team consists of three to four members. This race stems from the old days where the Swiss military would send out patrols to ski tour from town to town. To qualify as a member of a team for this race you must:
- be very familiar with mountain terrain
- participate regularly in mountain ski-touring and/or competitions
- be very good skiers
- be able to ski roped up
- be physically fit
- be capable, under normal conditions, of covering: Zermatt – Schönbiel in 3 hrs, Zermatt – Arolla in 7 ½ hrs, Arolla – Riedmatten in 1 ¾ hrs, Arolla – Verbier in 8 ½ hrs
What makes it such a tough race? Well, according to UK guide book publisher, Cicerone, the Zermatt to Verbier route should take the average ski tourer 4 – 5 days to complete. Whereas, the average team on the Patrouille des Glaciers completes the coure in 7.5 hours.
Where is the Patrouille des Glaciers?
The Patrouille des Glaciers covers 52km of terrain from Zermatt to Verbier, Switzerland (the Western Alps). The course is typically called the “Verbier High-Level Route”. Check out this google earth generated birds-eye view of the course.
Why would you want to compete in the Patrouille des Glaciers?
Personally, I was looking for a goal that would challenge me over the long term. I have trained for half marathons and marathons, and I thought it was time to ’step-up’ and create a goal that would really challenge me. I am a very experienced skier and what attracted me to the Patrouille des Glaciers was the team nature of the challenge, and the fact that there are many more skills I need to master before competing. For instance, I need to learn how to ski tour, I need to do some avalanche training, learn how to rescue someone out of a cravase and increase my endurance.
Here’s a great video that sums up why someone would want to be involved in the Patrouille des Glaciers. Just a warning, it’s sub-titled so will require your attention. Also, my favourite line is the final line in the video – classic!
Other Useful Links
PDG Training Plan
