Patrouille des Glaciers
Patrouille des Glaciers takes place Apr 2028 (held in even years only; the 2026 edition ran Apr 13 - 19) in Zermatt, Switzerland. The dress code is Full technical ski-mountaineering kit for racers; heavy insulated layers, gloves and sturdy boots for spectators standing out at altitude before dawn. Typical cost ranges from 800 to 2500 EUR per person.
A ski-mountaineering race organised by the Swiss Army, running teams of three from Zermatt to Verbier via Arolla across high glaciers, roughly 57.5 km with about 4,386 m of climbing. A shorter Arolla to Verbier course runs alongside it and the whole thing is held in even years only, which makes each edition an event. It is a genuine bucket-list objective for alpine touring athletes and one of the hardest amateur races in the world.
- When
- Apr 2028 (held in even years only; the 2026 edition ran Apr 13 - 19)
- Where
- Zermatt, Switzerland
- Dress code
- Full technical ski-mountaineering kit for racers; heavy insulated layers, gloves and sturdy boots for spectators standing out at altitude before dawn.
- Cost
- Typical cost ranges from 800 to 2500 EUR per person.
- Weather
- -10 to 5C at altitude with snow, wind and possible whiteout; noticeably milder down in the valleys
- When to book
- Even years only. Team registration opens roughly a year ahead via pdg.ch and is heavily oversubscribed; book Verbier or Sion lodging as soon as the dates are published
- Getting there
- GVA (Geneva), about 2 hr to Verbier or Zermatt; Sion (SIR) sits in the valley between the start and finish
- Where to stay
- W Verbier, Chalet d'Adrien, Verbier, Hotel Montpelier, Verbier
- Official site
- https://www.pdg.ch
How to attend
Racing requires a qualified three-person team with proven ski-mountaineering experience; registration opens more than a year ahead via pdg.ch and is always oversubscribed. Spectating is free and needs no ticket - the Verbier finish area is the focal point, with accessible viewing near Arolla and the Col de Riedmatten sections. Note the next edition is 2028, so the 2026 dates listed elsewhere are historic. Plan lodging in Verbier or Sion early, as the whole valley fills.
Watching is free and needs no ticket, so there is nothing to buy - and the next race is not until 2028, with team entry opening on pdg.ch roughly a year beforehand.
Insider tip
The spectacle for spectators is the Verbier finish in the small hours, when the headlamp trains come off the high ground in the dark - be in place before dawn rather than turning up for the mid-morning finishers.
Get inside Patrouille des Glaciers
Booking matters here: even years only. Team registration opens roughly a year ahead via pdg.ch and is heavily oversubscribed; book Verbier or Sion lodging as soon as the dates are published. Members track that window, what it really costs, and 573 more events across the season.
Free while in beta. One email when your invitation is ready, nothing else.