New 8km (5 Mile) Long Ski Descent Opens in Switzerland
A new ski descent some 8km long has opened this week at the Glacier 3000 ski area near Les Diablerets and Gstaad in Switzerland.
It’s believed to be the longest new groomed descent to be created in Western Europe for some years.
Currently named simply ‘The Red Run,’ the piste – which links some existing sections piste together to make its full 1,670 vertical metre descent – descends from Scex Rouge (2,971m) up to the base of the lists at 1,300m.
// New Red Run // The time has finally come : the new Red Run is open ! 🎿The Red Run begins at the Scex Rouge mountain top station, passes under the Oldenhorn and below the Cabane middle station, to where it then joins the existing Martisberg Run. Thanks to the new Red Run, Glacier 3000 guests can enjoy an 8 km run from 3000 down to 1300 meters. This new and spectacular run will definitely excite winter sports fans! Opening subject to change on short notice due to weather conditions. More: https://glacier3000.ch/en/information/news-and-events/new-red-run
Posted by Glacier 3000 Diablerets – Gstaad on Freitag, 22. Dezember 2017
The Red Run’s route takes it under the Oldenhorn lift station and below the Cabane station from where it then joins the existing Martisberg Run.
It took Glacier 3000 three years to get approval to create the new run, with environmental organisation Pronatura opposing it.
The run’s designer, Walter Egger, told Swiss media that the aim, and the challenge, of creating the new run was to locate a relatively straight slope in the mountains with a maximum gradient of 40%.
Bernhard Tschannen, CEO of Glacier 3000 (Pictured below at the official opening yesterday), told Swiss media that his ski area’s problem was that when the snow is good most skiers tend to head to bigger ski areas nearby, whereas when it’s bad they all go to Glacier 3000 and the area could do with more terrain for them.
He says he hopes that adding the new run will both offer more to skiers and boarders in good snow conditions and provide more space for crowds when lower altitude resorts are closed.
