This is how Didier Defago plans the descent on the Matterhorn

The new downhill course in Zermatt, which will be on the World Cup calendar from 2023, is already dividing opinions. While some are looking forward to a new mega downhill run in the style of Kitzbühel or Wengen, others are critical of the project. The risks to the environment are enormous and the effort cannot be justified. In the Swiss tabloid View piste planner Didier Defago, who is responsible for the route of the Matterhorn descent, spoke about the huge project.

Defago emphasizes that the nature around the Matterhorn does not have to suffer any major disruption. “We will show how wild and rough nature is at almost 4000 meters - but we will not change it. “60 percent of the piste already exists today, it goes through an existing ski area,” the 2010 Olympic champion tries to reassure. It is important to the Swiss that no fixed stands have to be concreted for the safety nets. “No, we will primarily rely on B networks and probably also on mattresses. Everything is set up and dismantled for the races.” New lifts don’t have to be built either, says Defago. Longer than the Lauberhorn descent in Wengen? As far as the difficulty of the route is concerned, the 43-year-old is hoping for the start of a new racing classic in alpine skiing: “I'm planning three or four jumps, there will be a super-G part and also high-speed sections. You don't have to expect a descent with the level of difficulty of Wengen or Kitzbühel. But the extreme altitude and the length of the route alone will be challenging.”

World Cup races for men and women will soon take place against this backdrop. © APA/afp / MARCO BERTORELLO

Speaking of length: There is speculation that the Matterhorn descent could even be longer than its counterpart on the Lauberhorn. Defago says: “It depends on the snow and the exact route. But the travel time could go in that direction.”

Bernhard Russi, head of the FIS Alpine Committee, is impressed by the new run – and especially by the backdrop around one of the highest mountains in the Alps: “I am thrilled by this story. Technically it won't be the biggest challenge, but the stuff around it will take care of the rest. If you compare it with alpinism, the project is something like the Mount Everest of skiing." Russi is convinced that the cross-border descent (the goal lies with the... Laghi delle Cime Bianche near Cervinia) has what it takes to be a ratings hit, like Kitzbühel or Wengen have been for decades: “The comparison with the two legendary downhill runs is simply there straight away.”

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This is how Didier Defago plans the descent on the Matterhorn

A new mega downhill run is being built on the Matterhorn. If Olympic champion and piste planner Didier Defago has his way, then the route can compete with Wengen and Kitzbühel - even if it will have a completely different character.

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