Commend Patrouille des Glaciers
Patrouille des Glaciers Command
The Patrouille des Glaciers was founded in 1943 and ceased to be organized after the tragic accident in 1949. The "Patrouille des Glaciers" is a concept imagined by Captains Roger Bonvin and Rodolphe Tissières, just before the outbreak of World War II. Captain Roger Bonvin later became a Federal Councillor while Captain Rodolphe Tissières founded Téléverbier SA while representing the canton of Valais in the National Council. In 1983, the concept and idea to resume the organization of the Patrouille des Glaciers were approved by the head of army instruction, Corps Commander Roger Mabillard. He entrusted the organization to Adrien Tschumy, commander of the Mountain Division 10. Since then, this unique competition, taking place in the high mountains, has been held every two years. Since 1986, women's participation has been possible. The Patrouille des Glaciers then experienced constant growth, organizing the "Ski Mountaineering" World Championships several times on its course and reaching its maximum size in 2022, after a pause in 2020 caused by the pandemic.
The Swiss army organizes this military competition, allowing civilian participants to participate in their own categories, in cooperation with the "Fondation de la Patrouille des Glaciers". The current field of participants consists of Swiss and international military personnel, competitors, and amateur athletes. They all take up the challenge of showcasing their skills on one of the most beautiful alpine competition courses in the world and of competing against each other in sports. The courses run along the southern border in the Valais Alps, from Zermatt (57.5 km) or Arolla (29.6 km) to Verbier. Teams of three, in the spirit of a mountain athlete, overcome 4,386 meters of elevation, climb steep corridors, and demonstrate their driving skills on the unparalleled downhill tracks of the mystical Valais nature in winter.
The Patrouille des Glaciers is useful to the army for maintaining and instructing mountain skills to other infantry corps, cooperating with the air force's transport squadrons, transmission, logistics, and finally the planning and execution of this complex mission by the staff of the "Patrouille des Glaciers". It is a win-win partnership between military instruction and a major sporting event. All participants attach great importance to the preservation of this unique mountain landscape. Particular attention is given to reducing the impact on the environment.
The next edition of the Patrouille des Glaciers will take place during the week of April 15 to 21, 2024. More detailed information on this will be communicated in the second half of 2023. The Patrouille des Glaciers is a great challenge for all participants, uniting us all under the slogan #Achieve Greater Heights Together.
More information : Chef comm PdG, cap Marc Liew, presse@pdg.ch