Engelberg Magazin Nr. 25

Diese Impressionen bewei- sen: Die Gämschelijagd ist ein verrücktes Rennen.. There's no doubt about it - the Gämschelijagd is a crazy race!.

The Gämschelijagd must be Engelberg’s craziest ski race. On 4 April 2020, freeriders will once again be skiing as fast as they can down from the Joch Pass into the valley, while also showing off their skills with a rifle. The victor will be crowned “Gämschelijäger”, or “Chamois hunter”. The Swiss word “Gämschelijagd ” means “chamois hunt ”. A lthough the f reeriders in this fast-paced competition do not ac tua lly hunt rea l chamois goats, they do have to dem- onstrate their shooting skills. And for each

skis,” smiles Bruno. Af ter a ll, this is more a f re- eride race than a pure downhill race. Over the past seven years, no one has yet won the title three times, but there are severa l racers who have won twice and who will be hoping for a hat trick this year. Anyone who wins thrice over is permit ted to keep the trophy, which is – what else? – a mounted chamois head. Usua lly, around 80 to 90 f reeriders com- pete in the Gämschelijagd. The ex traordinar y event requires lots of assistants, with 50 to 60 in ac tion during the race. “That ’s because we need to ensure the rac- precise route of the race is on ly decided the evening before. It is par t of the assistants’ job to direc t the racers the right way. “In par ticu- lar, the competitors need good super v ision when shooting,” says Bruno. It isn’ t dif f icu lt to f ind assistants: there are many people who no longer wish to compete, but who want to be a par t of this ex tremely cool happen- ing. “They embrace the cha llenge of put ting on a f un event where ever yone stays safe. In race mode, people tend to push themselves past their limit, and that can be dangerous.” To compete in the Gämschelijagd, you don’ t on ly have to be a bold skier and a good shot – you a lso have to be able to get up early. The race takes place before the public slopes open. The Titlisbahnen runs a specia l cable car at 7 a.m. to bring racers up to the star ting line. Af ter brief instruc tions and the distribu- tion of star t numbers, the race can begin! ers’ safety on various levels,” explains Bruno. Because the race takes place of f-piste, where weather conditions and ava lanche risks have to be caref u lly assessed, the

missed target, they have to do a pena lty round on foot! The crazy competi- tion main ly takes place of f-piste, around the Joch Pass and down into Engel- berg. It requires courage, a

The Gämschelijagd is a crazy combination of powder skiing, giant slalom, and shooting.

competitive spirit, and the hunting instinc t. For the winners, the main reward is glor y and honour. Af ter the f ierce competition is over, par ticipants forget their riva lr y and get together for a conv iv ia l drink or two. The socia l aspec t is an inherent par t of the event. The Gämschelijagd is staged by three dif ferent companies. Freeride specia list store Arena Spor t in Buochs is responsible for over- seeing the race itself, while restaurants Nidair Ennetbürgen and Bärghuis Jochpass are in charge of keeping ever yone cheer y and well fed. Bärghuis Jochpass a lso hosts the award ceremony. “Each year, we tr y to keep the event f un, varied and exciting,” says Bruno von Flüe, the race’s co-organiser and owner of Arena Spor t. That makes the outcome more unexpec t- ed – you never know who is going to win. Some of the par ticipants, including many of Arena Spor t ’s customers, are former ski racers. “But in this race, those with shor ter, wider skis have an advantage over those with long, downhill

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