Important information at a glance
Winter sports athletes are made in the summer, it’s said. The Chiemgau Arena is also set up for winter all year round. The stored snow is constantly generously topped up, guaranteeing perfect competition and public cross-country skiing trails.
It looks really unimpressive, a U-shaped silo on the edge of a field where cows are grazing peacefully. The rear walls and both side walls are made of concrete. 15,000 cubic metres of pressed, moulded artificial snow are stored here under Styrofoam, a thick insulating layer and white windproof film. Unimaginable, not just on a hot August day with 28 degrees. This white splendour has been kept in the Chiemgau Arena over the summer since 2005. People mocked this idea first of all but all the Biathlon World Cup venues have long since followed suit. The cover is removed in October and the snow is brought out in November. It’s the ideal base for the cross-country skiing trails in the Chiemgau Arena, dense and stable until well into spring. As soon as it’s cold enough they’re also covered in snow since the trails have to be in perfect condition on the second weekend in January as that’s when the Biathlon World Cup stops off in Ruhpolding.
The biathlon world championships took place at the foot of the Zirmberg for the first time in 1979, Ruhpolding has been a venue for top-class competitions since then. The Chiemgau Arena was converted into one of the most modern winter sports arenas in the world in 2010. The stadium area extends over almost 16 hectares where the temporary erected stands seat roughly 15,000 spectators at major events. The earth shakes when the international biathlon elite gathers. Crowds waving flags, cheering and going wild, on the edge of their seats and rooting for their favourites. “We are also Bavaria’s Olympic Training Centre and the National Training Centre for biathlon and Nordic skiing, roughly 60 leading athletes train here, they need the very best conditions too and in fact throughout the entire season,” says Alois Reiter, Deputy Manager of the Chiemgau Arena and former top athlete himself.
Cross-country skiing fun for everyone – amateur athletes and guests also benefit from these superbly prepared trails. The Chiemgau Arena is open to the public at set times during the winter months. With floodlighting as bright as daylight, anyone can glide in their idols’ tracks with guaranteed snow from December to March. The Ruhpolding network of trails includes a total 155 kilometres in classic and skating variety. The scenic highlights include the 3 lakes tour. The vast, sunny valley is also called Little Canada. Ruhpolding’s trails are prepared every day, always coordinated flexibly to the weather conditions. “We have a 24-hour on-call service,” says Alois Reiter. If he could choose, he would want proper minus temperatures from mid-November and then snow, snow, snow.
