Kandahar: Alpine racing beneath the Kreuzeck

Kandahar is a name for several race variants on the same mountain. There are separate start points for women, men and the super-G. Tröglhang, Himmelreich and the lower sections belong to one course, whose exact use depends on the competition. Once you know this, you will also read the spectator plan more carefully.

The slope lies on the Garmisch-Classic side below the Kreuzeck. The Olympic ski stadium with its ski jump is a different destination in town. For attending a race, this distinction matters more than the question of the most famous photo spot. You want to reach the right entrance before the first racer is on the course.

When looking at the media guide, it is worth going over the map a second time. First follow only the women’s line, then only the men’s line. The shared sections are just as noticeable as the separate ones. This gives you a more precise picture than assuming that every competition automatically uses the entire Kandahar in the same form.

The organiser’s plan shows separate starts for the women’s downhill, men’s downhill and super-G. The published line runs from the respective start through named sections to the finish area. This is an important limitation of any table of figures: a length belongs to a specific variant. It cannot simply be applied to every race.

The figures in the box come from the downhill profile described by GaPa Tourismus. For the upcoming competition, the current organiser’s plan is what counts. Anyone wanting to get to know the slope should therefore distinguish between the two levels: the terrain as a fixed form and the course prepared within it for a particular discipline. This often makes apparently contradictory information easier to understand.

In the upper section, the official plan names Tröglhang and Schussanger. Further down are names such as Himmelreich and Seilbahnsprung. For us, this is the first way into understanding Kandahar: follow the sequence of these sections before focusing on one maximum gradient. The downhill consists of transitions that lead into the next challenge.

The map in the 2025 media guide leads from Seilbahnsprung into Hölle and then into the FIS-Schneise. Tauberschuss and the finish area follow. In the illustration, these named sections appear one after another along the line. You should check separately in the current plan which route has been set for your competition.

When watching, pay attention to the direction after a change in terrain. A racer must be able to reach the next section without having to correct their line immediately. This is our editorial recommendation for observation, not a statement about any particular run. Compare several racers at the same visible point. This turns a white expanse into a slope with recognisable challenges.

One qualification is important. The most difficult sections shown on television are not automatically accessible viewing areas. A line on the piste map is not a visitor route. Choose an officially designated area and check the view from there. For a first visit, we recommend the finish area if watching the arrivals and understanding the race are your priorities.

The organiser traces the name Kandahar back to the Arlberg-Kandahar races. Garmisch-Partenkirchen became a venue for this racing tradition in 1954. World Cup races have been held here since 1970. The history of the course is therefore older than its current role in the calendar and explains part of its reputation.

The 2011 Alpine World Championships gave the slope another major stage. For this profile, such milestones matter more than any arbitrary winning time. The variant and conditions of a race affect how long a downhill run takes. A figure without this context would mainly create the appearance of comparability.

For your holiday, this leads to a simple decision. If you want to watch a particular discipline, choose that competition and plan your trip around it. If you mainly want to ski yourself, add a race day to the itinerary. Kandahar does not have to become your own run down to the valley; a famous name is no substitute for choosing something suited to your ability.

The organiser’s visitor information names Kreuzeck station for the Kandahar Arena. Continuing from Garmisch-Partenkirchen is therefore a separate part of the train journey. Check the connection for the specific race day and the walk that follows. We have deliberately not included older shuttle times here.

The Zugspitze is in a different ski area from the race slope. A ski day planned there is therefore not an incidental way to begin your visit to Kandahar. Staying in Grainau likewise requires a specifically checked route to the arena. Proximity on a map does not yet tell you how you will actually arrive on race morning.

Begin your accommodation search with one decision: should the daily journey to the ski area or to the viewing spot be short? Then check the final route to your arena entrance.