Downhill world champion Jasmine Flury about the new highlight of Davos: “The black slope is also no piece of cake for me”

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The Davos ski area on the Jakobshorn has a new highlight: Since the beginning of the current winter season, the “Vertical Davos” piste has offered skiers the opportunity to take a direct route from the Jakobshorn via the valley station of the Usser Isch chairlift to the center of Davos Platz . “The Davos Klosters Bergbahnen has long had the desire to offer an additional, attractive valley run on the Jakobshorn using the existing infrastructure,” says Martina Walsoe, Head of Business Development and Sustainability at the Davos Klosters Bergbahnen. “The new route greatly enriches the popular Jakobshorn ski area.”

And the attribute “vertical” suggests it: the slope has it all! At an altitude of 500 metres, it is extremely steep and classified as a black run. This route is mainly intended for experienced winter sports enthusiasts. “The black slope is a unique piste experience for good skiers and snowboarders,” says Walsoe. “Compared to other black runs, this one is consistently steep.”

A month after opening, the new track already has countless fans, as Martina Walsoe knows. Among them is a prominent skier from Davos: downhill world champion Jasmine Flury loves the valley descent. “I like it a lot and it is very demanding,” says the two-time World Cup winner. “It’s really cool that there is now a very sporty, attractive valley descent from the Jakobshorn to Davos.” In the following interview she shows how she assesses the bottlenecks from a professional perspective and what should be paid attention to:

Is the new black slope on the Jakobshorn a piece of cake for you as a professional?

Jasmine Flury: In short, I really like difficult and demanding slopes like the new black one. But it’s not a piece of cake for me either (laughs). I always try to make the coolest and most perfect turns on the slopes. But I also think you should have some respect for every slope. In addition, other skiers have been taken into account. It is always important that you adhere to the rules of conduct of the international ski association FIS.

Is there a World Cup course that you can compare with the new track?

Comparisons are always difficult because every path is unique. But the “Gran Risa” in Alta Badia spontaneously comes to mind. The men’s World Cup track is steep and narrow and – just like now on the Jakobshorn – is all in the forest. I have never ridden this slope myself, but the “Gran Risa” seems similar to me based on the TV images.

What are the specific difficulties of the new valley descent on the Jakobshorn?

It really depends on the conditions on a slope, they can be very different. On my first trip on the new route it was really “crunchy”, ie hard and icy. Add to that the gradient: in some places it is extremely steep. So you should certainly not underestimate the circumstances. But if you dare to try the black slope, exactly the mentioned features are really cool to ski.

What should you pay particular attention to?

When it is hard and icy, it is important to have well-prepared skis with sharp edges. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the first black run you ski on. And if so, take it easy. An important tip: for anyone who has stayed too long at the Jatzhütte: take the other, easier valley descent or, even better, take the train back to the village.

Relief for the existing valley run

A highlight is the new valley run, although its construction was preceded by a short marathon. The idea for the project emerged six years ago. The reason: on the existing Gämpendal run there were more and more bottlenecks at the end of each skiing day. Some relief was needed – and as a result, the Davos Klosters Bergbahnen developed the project for a new, exciting slope. Once the community, environmental authorities and affected landowners were on board, it was necessary to convince the population of the project. This was achieved thanks to good work and equally good arguments: as many as 81 percent of residents said yes to this upgrade of the Jakobshorn ski area in November 2021.

The track builders took action from the spring of 2022. You must create the new slope with as little interference as possible with the existing landscape. The advantage: Due to the existing path of the Carjöler lift, the course of the ski slope was largely already predetermined. “Only a few areas had to be cleared,” says Martina Walsoe. “In other places, forests were reforested and we invested in other sustainability projects.”

Sustainability and safety are trump cards

The topic of sustainability is generally very important for the Davos Klosters Bergbahnen. In addition to reforestation, other replacement services were also carried out, for example by supporting the “Improvement of the capercaillie habitat” project. A project that uses structural measures to make the mountain forest attractive for the highly endangered capercaillie.

In addition, the construction of the new reservoir in the Usser Isch area will take place in the summer of 2024. From next winter season, the water collected in the lake will allow efficient snowmaking on the valley run below. “That means that no water needs to be pumped from the valley. “In this way we save important energy and the available water can be stored efficiently on the mountain during the summer months,” says Walsoe.

All in all, the construction of the new valley run is a win-win situation: ski enthusiasts have a slope that suits their abilities, while less experienced skiers can continue to use the old Gämpen valley run. This means that all ski guests in Davos have more space towards the valley at the end of a skiing day – which in turn benefits safety: the two valley runs, as a complementary duo, reduce the risk of accidents.

Source : Blick