PdG: How to Succeed on the Legendary Zermatt–Verbier Course
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Patrouille des Glaciers (PdG): discover how to prepare for and succeed in this legendary ski mountaineering race. Featuring insights from Karine Fragnière of Reaching Summits.
Preparing for the PdG: Key Factors for Success in the Mountains
A truly iconic ski mountaineering event, the Patrouille des Glaciers (PdG) returns in April 2026 in Switzerland. This race demands long-term physical and technical preparation, as well as solid mountain knowledge. In this article, you’ll find, an overview of the PdG, key points for preparing for the Patrouille des Glaciers, and selected insights from an interview with Karine Fragnière, founder of Reaching Summits.
The Patrouille des Glaciers: a legendary race requiring intense preparation
An exceptional alpine traverse between Zermatt and Verbier
The PdG is an international race open to both military and civilian / elite competitors. It is organised by the Swiss Army. The Patrouille des Glaciers is widely considered one of the most demanding high‑mountain races in the world.
The first edition took place in April 1943, on the now‑mythical Zermatt–Verbier route, to be completed in a single push. The objective for the military teams was to prove their operational capability in a patrol race format.
The third edition, in spring 1949, was marked by tragedy when a military patrol disappeared in a crevasse, leading to a ban on the race until 1983.
In 1983, Corps Commander Roger Mabillard relaunched the concept. The race resumed in the night of 5–6 April 1984, with around 187 three‑person patrols and safety provided by the Swiss Army – which is still the case today.
Women’s patrols were first allowed to compete in 1986.
Key figures
5,500 participants are registered for the 2026 Patrouille des Glaciers, grouped into 3‑person patrols plus 1 reserve member (around 1,400 patrols).
The main Patrouille des Glaciers race stretches from Zermatt to Verbier, the flagship event.
It covers a distance of 57 km, with approximately 4,400 meters of elevation gain.
Course record: 5h35’27’’ (set in 2018).
Around 21% of PdG participants in recent editions have been women.
4–6% of patrols on the Zermatt–Verbier route have been all‑female teams in recent years.
The highest point of the race is Tête Blanche, at around 3,650 m above sea level.
A highly controlled race… but often risky preparation
The Patrouille des Glaciers itself is tightly organised and extremely well secured by the Swiss Army. Hundreds of soldiers are mobilised and rescue teams are on standby throughout the event.
However, preparation for the Patrouille des Glaciers takes place mostly in autonomy.
Future patrols multiply ski mountaineering outings, train roped up, and refine their technical skills. This means patrollers must be able to manage mountain risk and apply rescue procedures in a high‑mountain context.
Preparing for the PdG therefore means managing risk over months of training, not just on race day. Participants naturally want to train in conditions that are as close as possible to the actual race, and often chain long outings at altitude, in real, complex mountain environments.
Preparing for the PdG: the real challenge for patrols
The specific demands of the Patrouille des Glaciers
How do you prepare for a ski mountaineering race like the Patrouille des Glaciers?
The main Patrouille des Glaciers race (Zermatt–Verbier) requires not only strong rope team skills, as teams are sometimes roped together while crossing glaciers, but also technical ability and endurance. Patrollers must cover a distance of 57.5 km, tackle around 4,400 meters of elevation gain, and face several long climbs at high altitude.
The body is put under intense strain due to prolonged effort, cold conditions, and lack of sleep (with a night start). Around six months of specific preparation are therefore essential.
Progressing as a team of three on a rope must be carefully managed. It requires coordination, communication, and mutual trust. Thorough preparation is key to successfully synchronizing movements and decisions.
The PdG also demands strong adaptability from each member of the team. Patrollers must manage effort and pace, while constantly supporting one another in often challenging conditions.
The contribution of Reaching Summits
Founded by Karine Fragnière, who completed the 2022 Patrouille des Glaciers, Reaching Summits supports all‑female teams at each edition of the PdG. The goal: to give them the best possible conditions to succeed in their challenge. “Women need to hear that they are capable. The PdG is something extraordinary, it inspires respect. Thanks to my main sponsor, Reaching Summits offers three outings with a mountain guide. The guide prepares them for the specific techniques of the PdG and gives them the fundamentals (how to move safely on slopes, how to ski roped together, etc.),” explains Karine.
“It’s an important step that builds their confidence, a real boost for these women. My objective is that they feel capable of evolving in an alpine environment, at night,” she adds.
Human factors: the key to performance and safety
Decision‑making, energy management and mental clarity
On a ski mountaineering race like the PdG, there is no room for improvisation. Mistakes can have serious consequences, and human factors play a central role.
Patrollers need to be able to make sound, informed decisions, and manage their effort and mindset over time. Progressing for 57.5 km in the cold is only possible if you avoid burning through your energy reserves too quickly.
Karine breaks down the legendary Zermatt–Verbier route: “The hardest part of the Zermatt–Verbier format is that you move at night: you start at 1,600 m and reach 3,600 m on the first climb. It can be extremely cold. It’s very demanding on the body and the mind.
By the time you reach mid‑course and your support team, you’ve already used a lot of resources and you still have half the distance and half the elevation to go, this time in daylight.
You spend more than half the race above 3,000 m. It’s really tough!”
Hence the need to remain lucid throughout the route to safely bring the patrol to the finish.
Team dynamics: the core of every patrol
To succeed, each patrol must thoroughly rehearse its routines during preparation. It also needs to designate a clear leader, and learn how to defuse potential tensions between members. Not everyone has the same pace or comfort level in ski mountaineering. One major objective of preparation is to harmonise the team and build a solid shared rhythm. This is what Karine calls the “spirit of the rope team”.
Communication is one of the keys to success for her: “Knowing yourself well, knowing your limits, realising when you’re not doing things right and daring to say it to the others, that’s essential. Not communicating will only make things worse and can lead to giving up. You also have to regularly ask the others if everything is OK.”
The 2018 Ironman Zurich age‑group winner also warns patrollers: “At night, 8 metres apart, it’s not always easy to communicate. In the first part of the race, we’re roped for a good portion of the time. The person in the middle has to play that communication role.”
WEMountain: a new way to train for the mountains
Digital training, accessible anywhere
Designed by 50 international experts, WEMountain courses have already attracted more than 5,000 members. Feedback has been very positive, particularly regarding the quality of the training provided. As a multilingual program, WEMountain is accessible anywhere. Proof of this: its users come from 52 different countries.
WEMountain is available as an e-learning platform, offering a range of courses to choose from ideal before heading out to ride and ensuring your safety in the mountains.
The training places strong emphasis on human factors and prevention, helping riders recognize dangerous situations and avoid committing to them.
It also includes a detailed analysis of avalanche risk.
WEMountain & Reaching Summits: a powerful partnership
WEMountain is the education partner of Reaching Summits for its all‑female teams. The approach proposed by Dominique Perret, co‑founder of WEMountain, immediately convinced Karine Fragnière.
For the Patrouille des Glaciers, upstream preparation is essential. But it also needs to be structured, in order to reduce the risk of accidents during the many months of intense training and to give patrols clear reference points. This is where the collaboration between WEMountain and Reaching Summits naturally took shape.
“I wanted to work with Dominique so that the patrollers move safely and understand the mountain. Thanks to this training, the women were able to train in a safe way. I left the safety side to WEMountain and the guide, it’s fundamental to work with them. It’s essential that all four patrollers are fully trained,” says Karine. “You can start the online training in November, when there is no snow yet and you have time. WEMountain goes much further than what we usually see. Prevention is very important; you need to know the mountain and know yourself,” she adds.
Conclusion – Training: the key to going further, with more freedom
The Patrouille des Glaciers (PdG) is the stuff of dreams.
Moving across glaciers at night, crossing the Alps from Zermatt to Verbier, sharing powerful moments with your team…
But the success of such an adventure is decided long before race day.
Months of training, decisions made in the field, and the ability to manage fatigue all play a key role.
This is where training truly makes a difference, helping improve performance while, above all, allowing you to move in the mountains with greater control. So you can keep your freedom in the mountains for the long run…
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