On Wednesday (January 4th, 2023) the Alpine Ski World Cup will stop off in Garmisch-Partenkirchen for the first time this season. The men’s night slalom on the Gudiberg is on the program. The piste is being prepared for the race at full speed – despite the lack of snow.
The white band that stretches from the Gudiberg to the ski jumping stadium above the Partnach is 650 meters long. There, on Wednesday, the slalom artists should pull tight and, above all, fast curves around the poles. A lot of preparatory work was necessary to make this possible given the spring-like temperatures of the last few days. Markus Anwander from the German Ski Association (DSV) is the slope manager for the race: “The situation is serious, but not hopeless,” he jokes.
“In the cold period around December 15, we were able to produce a relatively large amount of snow in 72 hours. That’s what’s still there now. 40 percent melted away again in the warm period afterwards.” With the snow cover, which is still there, “a good race” will be possible on January 4th – the main thing is that the slope holds.
30,000 cubic meters of artificial snow for the World Cup slope
For a good race, 30,000 cubic meters of machine-made snow were produced. The workers at the Garmisch-Partenkirchen building yard distributed it along the 650-meter-long slope. Electricity and water cost 2.50 to 3 euros per cubic meter. A fraction of the cost of hosting the event with global television coverage. through the Combination with New Year’s ski jumping synergies result for the organiser, the ski club Garmisch and the market town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
After the race, the steep grass slope will again be available to the young skiers of Skigau Werdenfels. The artificial snow for the World Cup now enables the basic preparation for youth training later in the winter. This is where the young people and also the top stars of the association train, says Markus Anwander, head of the Olympic base in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, which doesn’t involve much more effort than in other years.
criticism from environmentalists
For the second time since the Ski World Championships in 2011, the Gudiberg is once again the setting for a slalom in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Environmentalists are critical of snowmaking and major sporting events. Axel Döring from the Bund Naturschutz: “After the last World Ski Championships, we suddenly no longer had World Ski Championships in the forest, as it was before, but we had remnants of the forest between the ski runs.”
In addition, the position on the mountain has changed. “The mountain was no longer treated well,” says the conservationist: “The mountain has increasingly degenerated into sports equipment and play equipment and was no longer an end in itself as it was before.”
respect for the environment
This only applies to a limited extent for the Gudiberg. Years ago, the steep T-bar lift was replaced by a simple 2-seater chair lift. The snow guns have been replaced by quieter, more modern machines. The environmental damage caused by the spectators is limited by the fact that the finish line for the race is in the run-out area of the ski jumping facility right next to the Gudiberg.
For safety reasons, spectators are not allowed on the slalom slope. This year, the organizers introduced a multi-way system for catering. If you also want to do something for the environment, we recommend using public transport. There is a shuttle bus service from the train station to the event site. The first run starts on Wednesday at 3.40 p.m.
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Source: Midday in Upper Bavaria 01/02/2023 – 12:05 p.m
