Good news for the start of the FIS World Cup 2022/2023. This year it will only be possible to start competitions on the glacier. There is still some uncertainty due to the extremely high temperatures this summer, but things seem to be going well. One month has passed before the World Cup race in Sölden, and “We have enough snow already,” FIS’s Groner says of Sölden.
World Cup in Sölden
Every year, everything is done in order to prepare to descend in Sölden for the first World Cup competition. Fortunately it snowed this month already! Last weekend there was between 25 and 30 centimeters of snow. In addition, temperatures have dropped dramatically and the snow cannons can do their job. If that’s not enough, you can also go back to four hectares of covered snow bunkers.
“Don’t forget that our start is over 3000 metres,” says Isidor Grüner, from the ski organization FIS. “And with September, the lowest temperatures come at night – and often it rains. Otherwise, it will snow only in October.” The ice skating area in Sölden has reopened as of today, earlier than planned!
World Cup in Zermatt / Cervinia
In Zermatt/Cervinia there will be a World Cup match for the first time this year. Very special, because this pedigree is found in Switzerland and Italy. The match is also supposed to take place as usual. “Assuming more snowfall and lower temperatures, nothing stands in the way of the success of an event,” said FIS Race Director Marcus Waldner.
Read also: FIS Ski World Cup 2022/2023 calendar: all competitions
Glacier retreat
What is causing a lot of fuss now is the retreat of the glaciers. Already warm summer has caused many summer ski areas to close early. Zermatt and Sölden are now open again. But it turns out that glaciers are melting at record speeds. It is clear that global warming is being felt. This causes cracks in the glaciers and the retreat of the ice. At Dachstein Glacier, the difficult decision was made not to allow skiing to continue all this winter (and possibly for a long time). Who knows if this will apply to more ice skating areas in the future. What is the impact of this on the beginning of the World Cup of the Islamic Salvation Front in the coming years?
