With the World Cup opener in Sölden just over three weeks away, Switzerland's speed team has an unexpected problem: there is no snow. According to Swiss daily Blick, persistently high temperatures have left the Theodul glacier above Zermatt almost bare, even at the foot of the Matterhorn. That is where Swiss-Ski's downhill and super-G racers had planned to continue their preparations in October.
Plan B: back to South America
Men's head coach Tom Stauffer and speed chief Reto Nydegger have drawn up an unusual contingency plan. If fresh snow does not arrive on the Zermatt glacier soon, the team could fly back to Chile, where conditions remain good enough, unlike in Europe. The group, led by Olympic champion Franjo von Allmen, only returned last Saturday from a three-week snow camp in South America.
The groundwork for that scenario was laid before they left. The Swiss deliberately left their skis in cargo storage in Chile so they could get back on snow quickly if needed. Blick reported that the decision on whether to stay in Switzerland or make the long-haul trip again was due on Thursday, after consulting a meteorologist.
The outlook is not all bleak. Nydegger pointed to the forecaster's prediction of cooler weather in the Matterhorn region this weekend, with around ten centimetres of fresh snow, which the speed chief said would help considerably.
Von Allmen shines, Odermatt catches up
On the snow, the Chile camp went well for the Swiss. Blick reported that von Allmen posted one fastest time after another in the team's internal training runs. Nydegger said the 25-year-old has improved enormously, now skis with remarkable consistency and has hardly crashed in recent weeks.
Marco Odermatt arrived in Chile late because of a muscle injury he picked up in August, but still completed nine training days across giant slalom, downhill and super-G. Stauffer admitted there had not been enough time for more specialised work, but said a good foundation had been laid. Odermatt himself spoke of having had a few really good training days after joining the group.
Alpine Skiing'Calendar is full': Aicher, Weidle-Winkelmann reject annual WorldsThe South American trip was not entirely smooth. Conditions swung from soft snow to a few excellent days and finally to excessive warmth. As a result, a planned joint session with international rivals such as Italy's Dominik Paris never happened.
Odermatt stays close to home
For Odermatt, the Chile question does not arise. The giant slalom specialist will not need to make any long trips before the season starts, as several training options for his discipline are available close to home over the coming weeks. According to Laola1, his team is looking at slopes on the Diavolezza, in South Tyrol's Schnalstal valley and in the Pitztal. He may even be able to train on the race piste in Sölden in around two weeks.
The 2026-27 World Cup season opens there with a giant slalom on October 24. For von Allmen and the rest of the speed group, the priority this month is simply getting enough mileage on downhill skis, whether that happens under the Matterhorn or on the other side of the world again.
