Patrouille des Glaciers

The PDG is a ski touring classic. First staged in World War II as a means of keeping troops fit, it was revitalised in 1984 and is still run by the Swiss Army. It is held every other year (on even years, in late April) and goes overnight, when the snow is at its most stable, running between the traditional ski resort of Zermatt, via Arolla to Verbier. The Patrouille des Glaciers is raced in teams of three, whose members climb on skins and then must rope up on certain stages of the downhill (as the name suggests, the course runs over glaciers in places). There is around 13,000 feet (4000 m) of elevation gain in the race, and the highest point reached is around 13,000 feet. See here for the event website, www.pdg.ch