Engelberg Cup 2026 · Full version
The thrilling centimetre-by-centimetre battle across the Alps
A gripping head-to-head race, bold route choices at key points in the Central Swiss mountains, and finish-cylinder dramas decided by seconds: The fourth edition of the Engelberg Cup delivered hike-and-fly sport at the absolute top level. A detailed look back at an epic race day.
The starting gun and the first acid test
It is Saturday morning, exactly 08:55, when the starting gun fires at the home base at Äigèbraij brewery in Wolfenschiessen. Before the 74 athletes lies a demanding course of around 90 kilometres in the high-alpine arena around the Titlis. The weather delivers what the forecasts promised: After a morning inversion and heavy cloud cover, the thermals are just waiting to kick in.
The first brutal climb takes the entire field steeply up towards Diegisbalm and on to the Gummen – a hefty 1,100 metres of elevation above the valley floor.
Women Pro: Linda Hoch's tactical masterstroke
In the Women Pro category, an extremely high pace emerges early on. At 10:40, Mirjam Barrueto and Lia Sutter are the first to reach the Gummen. At this point, flying on to Engelberg is still impossible – the cloud layer is blocking the thermals. A trio forms at the front, grinding out the route mechanically on foot.
At the Brunni turnpoint, the paths finally diverge. While part of the field is still climbing, Linda Hoch and Lia Sutter choose the tactical option: They climb only half the way up and launch at 13:10 as the first above Bord. A brilliant chess move, because the thermals are firing properly now. Linda Hoch thermals her way up to a spectacular 3,000 metres above the Rigidalstock in no time.
The ordeal on the Titlis
On the mighty Titlis massif, the preliminary decision falls. Linda Hoch flies resolutely onto the rugged south face. A route that demands maximum courage: Anyone who has to land in the steep flanks of the Wendenstöcke or in the Gental faces a very long alpine return on foot. But the risk pays off. Above the Wendenstock ridge, Linda gains altitude confidently to 3,750 metres – the perfect platform to cross the Gental with ease. Lia Sutter follows the same tactics but is around 25 minutes behind at this point.
Mirjam Barrueto, meanwhile, chooses the alternative route north of the Titlis. She impressively proves that the task is feasible on this line too, but can no longer make up Linda Hoch's lead.
A historic finish
On the return leg, Linda Hoch demonstrates absolute top-class flying: In fast glide she traces a perfect, highly efficient line along the Arvigrat, holds her altitude with almost no time-consuming thermalling, and flies towards a well-deserved victory after passing Chaiserstuhl and Buochserhorn. Linda Hoch triumphs with a fabulous time of 07:09:30, ahead of the equally outstanding Lia Sutter (07:34:00).
Men Pro: The pentathlon of giants
Among the men, X-Alps ace Nicola Heiniger hits the accelerator from the first second. After just 1 hour and 20 minutes he storms to 1,600 metres as the first. With the thermals still asleep due to the cloud cover, the athletes have no choice but to grit their teeth: After a hard 7-kilometre march, Heiniger reaches the Engelberg checkpoint first to collect the traditional, coveted angel figurine. Close behind lurks top-class competition: Nicola Sidler, Nicola Eschbach and Silvan Wüthrich.
Without losing time, Heiniger, Sidler and Wüthrich climb another 550 metres on foot to get airborne again at Schönenboden. Heiniger launches a whisker ahead of the other two.
A game of patience and the leap to the Titlis
Finally the thermals work, and the trio catapults itself quickly to 3,000 metres. But the air mass is treacherous. A premature push by Heiniger and Wüthrich towards the Haldigrat fails due to insufficient climb. After scratching without gaining height, they have to glide back west of the Walenstöcke to laboriously and doggedly generate altitude again. Nicola Sidler has it even harder: He is forced into an unintended intermediate landing in Engelberg. Almost back to square one.
At the Hahnen, the field closes up again. The leading group gains altitude together to 3,100 metres. Once again it is Heiniger who dares the leap to the Fürenalp and directly to the Titlis north ridge – this time closely followed by Nicola Eschbach, Elias Gerber, Silvan Wüthrich and Michael Maurer.
At 13:36, the group of five flies past, led by Michael Maurer, at around 2,700 metres south below the Titlis summit. Here too, the rule applies: Anyone who sinks out here is out of the race. But the leading group flies as if on rails. At breathtaking pace the five pilots race along the Wendenstock chain, even gaining height in the process, and reach the westernmost and most distant turnpoint at the Glogghüs almost simultaneously shortly before 14:00.
The breakneck finale in the valley
From the Glogghüs onwards, the race mutates into an alpine Formula 1 run. The pace is astronomical, thermalling is barely done any more. Fans at the home base in Wolfenschiessen can follow the drama live in the sky: Five paragliders race in express mode towards the Arvigrat, switch valley sides effortlessly and clear the Chaiserstuhl (2,400 m).
From now on, only pure glide ratio and raw speed count. Elias Gerber, Michael Maurer and Silvan Wüthrich thunder practically side by side towards the Buochserhorn and on to the finish cylinder. In the end, a fraction of a blink decides it: The 21-year-old Elias Gerber shoots into the finish cylinder first at 1,350 metres and secures victory after 06:07:41 – a tiny 20 seconds ahead of Dolomitenmann record holder Michael Maurer (06:08:01) and just 36 seconds ahead of Silvan Wüthrich (06:08:17). What a historic finale!
Sport class: Clever tactics and a dramatic ambush
In the Sport class, it becomes clear from the outset how tactically versatile hike and fly can be. As climbing the Gummen is not mandatory for this category, many pilots opt for an early start in Diegisbalm. The fastest group glides through to Grafenort, uses the legal option to take the cable car there, and outsmarts the Pro category: They reach the Engelberg checkpoint before the elite. By cable car it continues via Ristis to the Brunni.
Here Pascal Arnet takes command. He continues on foot towards Schonegg and launches first shortly before midday. While others are still sweating on the ground, Arnet proves that flying is the faster choice. He overflies the Rigidalstock, sets off towards the Haldigrat at 3,000 metres and leads the field confidently for a long time, closely followed by Stefan Ruider.
The crunch at Wirzweli
The Sport class too struggles with tough conditions at the Haldigrat. The trio of Pascal Arnet, Sascha Pezo and Stefan Ruider also has to divert back to Engelberg west of the Walenstöcke, but saves itself with good height gain back to the Rigidalstock. From there they fly over the Fürenalp to the Titlis and then cross the valley twice at high speed towards Wirzweli.
Pascal Arnet almost believes himself the certain winner on the home straight. But hike and fly is only over at the finish. At the Walenstöcke, Stefan Ruider and Sascha Pezo appear as if from nowhere. The two had quietly built up a 500-metre altitude buffer at the Rigidalstock.
With this height and speed advantage, they throw themselves at the leader from behind. In a dramatic, arrow-fast head-to-head race over the final metres, Stefan Ruider catches long-time leader Pascal Arnet and snatches the Sport class day victory, closely followed by Arnet and Sascha Pezo.
Conclusion: A day of personal triumphs
As the athletes analyse their flight tracks late in the afternoon over wood-fired Pinsa and a cold beer at the home base, it quickly becomes clear: The true spirit of the Engelberg Cup showed itself not only on the podium. Behind the top places, countless very personal dramas and triumphs unfolded throughout the day. Whether in the Pro category or Sport class – every single pilot pushed to their absolute limit that day. Many of the athletes not mentioned by name fought their way up steep slopes on foot for hours, defied difficult thermal conditions and set themselves ambitious personal goals. Even if not everyone made it all the way into the finish cylinder in time, the effort shown on the hard hiking sections and in the air was simply outstanding. Every key point mastered and every safe flight back into the valley was a bravura victory over one's own limits – and memories that will last.