The Olympia Bob Run St. Moritz-Celerina is both the oldest and the most ecological bobsleigh track in the world that’s still in use. Built solely with snow and water, it relies on the weather to keep it cold. The track is set to open on Monday, December 23, to kick off the 2024/25 winter season.
Track workers arrive to construct the track beginning in late November, building the course with 15,000 cubic meters of snow and 10,000 cubic meters of water. The course is designed to fit in with its terrain, though minimal changes do occur year by year.
No chemical substances are used in the construction of the track. Work begins every year at Sunny Corner, and crews work their way to the end of the course from there. Then they return to the start of the course, working their way back down to Sunny Corner.
Shoveling is still done by hand, as it was when the course was first built in 1904. Some modern technology is used to construct the track, including the use of trucks to transport the snow, but a majority of the actual building work is done by man power alone.
The course is set to open on Monday, December 23, with plenty of events hosted throughout the winter. That includes the IBSF World Cup Bobsleigh & Skeleton event between January 10-12. A full list of events for the course is available here.