The longest downhill run on the ski world cup circuit
After the racing is finished in mid-January, the perfectly groomed slope of the Lauberhorn downhill run at the Grindelwald-Wengen skiing area is always opened to the public. Don’t miss this unique opportunity! To get there, take the Wengernalp Railway from Wengen to Kleine Scheidegg and then continue with the chairlift to the Lauberhorn. The mountain station is located at 2,394 m above sea level. You can grab some refreshments at the Start Bar before you head to the starting point. Take a deep breath, followed by one or two more, and then go!
Famous and infamous
The key sections of the Lauberhorn downhill run, such as the Minsch-Kante, the Hundschopf, the Kernen-S, the Langentrejen, the Hanneggschuss, the Österreicherloch and the Ziel-S, are familiar even to people who have little to do with ski racing. The notorious Lauberhorn downhill race has been held since 1930. It covers almost 4.5 km, making it the longest downhill run on the ski world cup circuit. Skiers blaze downhill for around two and a half minutes, with the majestic triumvirate of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau as their backdrop. They descend 1,028 m in altitude. In 1997, the Italian Kristian Ghedina raced down into the valley at an average speed of 106.33 km/h and set a course record of 2:24.23 minutes. However, the record for the fastest top speed is held by a Frenchman. In 2013, John Clarey reached a speed of 161.9 km/h in the Hanneggschuss section, the highest speed ever recorded in the Alpine Ski World Cup.
More than 30,000 local ski fans and millions of TV viewers around the world watch the Saturday downhill run every year.
You can find out more about the winners, the history, the facts and figures, and also everything about the worst day in the history of Switzerland’s biggest annual winter sports event on the official website of the International Lauberhorn Ski Races.
