2023-10-16 02:32:18
In a protected area?
Excavators crush glaciers in Zermatt for World Cup ski races
There is still a lot of work to be done before the Ski World Cup races can take place in Zermatt/Cervinia in mid-November. Meanwhile, there are uncertainties about the legality of the piste route.
Published16. October 2023, 04:32
The ski stars are supposed to compete for best times here in a few weeks.
20min/Sébastien Anex
Excavators are currently working on the slope.
20min/Sébastien Anex
As 20 Minutes writes, several areas should go beyond the program provided for in the municipal usage plan.
20min/Sébastien Anex
Or to put it another way: The work on the route is said to have expanded to protected areas.
20min/Sébastien Anex
A year ago the spectacle had to be canceled due to lack of snow.
20min/Sébastien Anex
Several ski World Cup races are scheduled to take place in Zermatt/Cervinia in mid-November.
We are currently working hard on the slopes.
A year ago the spectacle had to be canceled due to lack of snow.
In 2022, the double downhill runs in Zermatt/Cervinia, which were announced as a big spectacle, had to be canceled due to a lack of snow. Things are looking better this year. In contrast to last year, the race dates have been pushed back by two weeks. The two men’s downhill runs are scheduled to take place on November 11th and 12th, the women’s downhill runs a week later.
But until that happens, there is still a lot of work to be done by those responsible. Current photos show excavators digging through the ice on the Theodul Glacier. This is because the first two thirds of the competition take place on the glacier. Despite repeated requests from our French colleagues at 20 Minutes, organizers led by Zermatt OK boss Franz Julen do not want to reveal exactly what the exact route looks like. However, Julen assures that “there is approval from the local authorities for the competitions.”
There are many open questions
But is this true? Photos and video footage taken between September 28th and October 7th raise doubts. As 20 Minutes writes, several areas should go beyond the program provided for in the municipal usage plan. Or to put it another way: The work on the route is said to have expanded to protected areas. When asked about this, the cantonal building commission says: “If it turns out that expansions have been made, building police proceedings will be initiated.” The community doesn’t want to answer any questions about this, but many ski fans are outraged.
Recently, scientists also reported unexpectedly strong glacier melting. It is expected that the Theodul Glacier will melt by half by 2080. When asked about this, the piste planners say: “At the end of summer 2022, the glacier surface in the piste area was 1.5 to two meters higher than outside the piste area.” Matthias Huss, glaciologist at the Zurich University of Technology, tells various media: “With the slopes you solidify the snow and it therefore becomes denser. But that doesn’t stop it from melting at the same rate as if it hadn’t been solidified.”
Ski stars speak out
Ski racing, or rather the early start to the season, has repeatedly caused criticism in the last few days. Mikaela Shiffrin said, for example: «I can get into the mental state to race at any time, even in warm temperatures. But does it really make sense?”
Also the Swiss Michelle Gisin spoke on the topic of climate change, she confirmed Shiffrin’s theory and said: “You could certainly optimize the calendar.” The two-time Olympic champion said to 20 Minutes: “I think you’re still working against nature rather than with events.” People tend not to move forward with climate change, she explained.
The World Cup season is scheduled to begin on October 28th and 29th with the men’s and women’s giant slalom races in the Tyrolean ski resort of Sölden.
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