An athlete kites during 2025 Winter Eigertour. Photo: Tobias Dimmler

Heiniger and Marclay win Winter Eigertour 2025

"The level on the podium is incredible – the teams were very fast"

17 January, 2025, by Tarquin Cooper | Photographs: Tobias Dimmler

Challenging weather conditions characterised the fourth edition of the Winter Eigertour, a three day mountain race where teams of two skitour-and-fly tasks in the Andermatt region of Switzerland.

Held over the weekend of 10-12 January snowfall and low cloudbase on day one meant difficult visibility and sub optimal flying conditions, while a strong northerly föhn arrrived in the afternoon of the second day, bringing strong winds. Flying was all but abandoned on the final day due to predicted gusts in excess of 50km/h and it became a race on skis. However, kiting was permitted.

A pilot launches during 2025 Winter Eigertour

The Swiss pair Nicola Heiniger and Basile Marclay dominated the race, winning the first two tasks to take the overall win. Rémi Bourdelle (FRA) and Gaël Droz (SUI) came second and Tomas Matera (CZE) and Sebastian Weber (SUI) snatched the win on day three to come third overall, after a duel to the finish with Heiniger/Marclay.

The three tasks were short but challenging. Day one was a 25km courseline via three turnpoints that began with an 870m ascent. Heiniger / Marclay were first to goal arriving after 4h 49m 27s, just three minutes ahead of Bourdelle/Droz.

The pair also won the second task, a 22km straight line run down the valley via two turnpoints from Obergoms to Fiesch, finishing after 3h 36m 01s – 36 minutes ahead of Bourdelle/Droz. The final day’s task was a 17km ski route with about 1,100m of ascent via two turnpoints, the Maighels pass, 2,424m and a cyclinder near the Gemstock peak at 2,817m. Matera/Weber won the task, coming in 52 seconds ahead of Heiniger/Marclay. Bourqui / Eschenbach were third, 6m 39s later.

Entry was limited to 12 teams, three of whom were female. The first female pair were the Czech duo Alina Burau and Martina Skulavikova.

competitors ski and fly during the 2025 winter Eigertour
Visibility was limited during much of the 2025 Winter Eigertour

“The level on the podium is incredible. The teams were very fast,” organiser Michael Witschi said. “To be on the podium, you need to be a very good pilot, a very good mountaineer, you need to know the combination of skis, skins and the wing and when to soar.”

He added that this was the first year the race stayed in one place with each task in a different area. “We used to have a safari system which is cool but also a bit stressful as everyone had to take their luggage with them every day. It’s calmer in one place.”

The podium of the 2025 Winter Eigertour
The podium of the 2025 Winter Eigertour with organiser Michael Witschi

Despite the high level of talent, he says the goal is to broaden the race to non-elite athletes and pilots. Alongside the race a winter Eigertour academy was held, where pilots got the chance to learn the skills of ski touring, and kiting and flying with skis.

See the full results on Burnair and Eigertour.rocks



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