Glacier Training

With Zermatt’s summer lifts closed, select Swiss-Ski athletes can still train on the Theodul Glacier. The exclusive access is raising questions as rival teams search for increasingly scarce summer snow.

Saas-Fee will suspend summer ski operations beginning Aug. 10 due to persistent high temperatures and deteriorating glacier conditions, following a similar closure in Zermatt.

Zermatt Bergbahnen has extended the suspension of glacier training operations through at least Aug. 17 as persistently warm temperatures continue to prevent the snowpack from freezing overnight. The closure is driven by safety concerns, including unstable snow conditions, glacier crevasses, and lift maintenance.

Zermatt has temporarily suspended public summer skiing on the Theodul Glacier after sustained heat and warm nights made safe glacier maintenance increasingly difficult. Selected Swiss-Ski teams retain limited training access.

Shared training environments are one of the most underutilized tools in alpine ski racing. By breaking down silos and bringing competitors together before race day, clubs can raise performance standards, improve athlete development, and create stronger, more connected training cultures.

Get ready for the 2025–26 winter season with fall and winter camps. There are plenty of great camps to choose from worldwide.

The decision by Zermatt Bergbahnen to exclude elite ski teams from gate training this summer has sent ripples of concern through the ski racing community. This decision most significantly impacts Swiss-Ski, Switzerland's national federation, which heavily relied on Zermatt as the world's premier glacier speed training destination. The root of this decision lies in a series of disappointments and challenges faced by the Zermatt/Cervinia World Cup Downhill, scheduled as the opening World Cup Downhill races over the past two seasons.

Photo: Adrian Haginger The summer of 2022 was a significant challenge for summer skiing on

Never underestimate the potential of the Zermatt Bergbahnen.

The 2022 Mount Hood Summer Ski Camp sessions have ended, and it was another successful season!

For decades during the entire prep period, you could find teams training on the Hintertux

This summer, there has been no pleasure in reporting the difficulties of glacier training in