Ski mountaineering
Encyclopedia
Ski mountaineering is form of ski touring
that variously combines the sports of Telemark
, Alpine
, and backcountry
skiing with that of mountaineering
. The spectrum of ski mountaineering spans from ascending a mountain in pursuit of virgin powder to achieving a mountain's summit using skis as a tool, with skiing down secondary.
Ski mountaineering may be distinguished from general ski touring by a willingness to travel over any part of a mountain, not just trails for ascending or sheltered powder snow fields for spirited descent. This may include significant rock, ice, or broken glacier sections, as well as high-altitude traverses as part of multi-peak ascents.
In addition to skins and ski crampons for traction, ski mountaineers may use a range of technical equipment - including crampons
, ice axe
s, and rope
s - to reach otherwise inaccessible or dangerous points on foot. When skiing is the primary goal, skis are carried on backpack as far as the mountaineers go; when not, they are removed and cached until the climbers return from their continued ascent.
.
The first group ski tour in the Alps took place near Davos when the Branger brothers teamed up with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle from Frauenkirch to Arosa in 1894. The iconic winter Haute Route
between Chamonix
and Zermatt
is finally linked together in 1911.
Ski mountaineering as a sport is particularly popular in the European Alps
, where people will commonly do a hut-to-hut tour through the mountains, often crossing difficult passes where mountaineering techniques are required. Day trips from valley bases to make ascents and descents of peaks are also popular.
Ski mountaineering is also popular in other European ranges, such as the Tatra
, the Pyrenees
, the Troll Peninsula in northern Iceland
, and ranges in Norway
. The sport is popular to a lesser extent in New Zealand
and the Andes
of South America
.
Numerous mountain ranges in the United States offer ski-mountaineering opportunities. Popular options include the Sierra Nevada, Wasatch
, Tetons
, and White Mountains
of New England
, the American birthplace of the sport at Mount Washington
's Tuckerman Ravine
.
North American Pacific Rim volcanoes such as Mount Rainier
, Mount Shasta
, and Lassen Peak
also draw numbers, along with Mexican giants Pico de Orizaba
, Popocatépetl
and Iztaccíhuatl
. Canada has numerous wild, remote mountains appropriate to ski mountaineering.
Expeditionary ski mountaineering necessary to reach the base of climbing routes takes place in such places as the Andes
, Alaska
, Himalayas
and Greenland
.
In Alpine-style
ski mountaineering bindings can be engaged to clamp down the heel for maximum downhill control. In Telemark
-style equipment the heel remains free so telemark turns can be executed as well as parallel.
Both Alpine and Telemark ski mountaineers use skins attached to the base of the skis to make uphill progress. Originally made from animal pelts, these skins are now made from nylon or mohair and clip over the upper end of the and fixed to its base by a layer of permanent reusable adhesive. Skins allow the ski to slide forward yet grip against downhill resistance. They are generally taken off for descent, though difficult conditions may call for their partial use downhill.
Along with sometimes collapsable poles safety equipment is often garried, including avalanche
rescue gear, transceiver
s, snow shovels, and probes. When called for, traditional mountaineering equipment such as alpine crampons, ice-axes, ropes, and harnesses will be carried.
A backpack is standard. For longer expeditions, ski mountaineers may tow a sled. On long expeditions kites may be used to tow skiers and sleds over extended smooth terrain like frozen sea ice.
Competition ski mountaineering has military origins, the so-called military patrol
s, intended to test abilities of soldiers. The first civilian races took part in the 1920s. Better known were the Austrian "Mairennen" (May race) in Gosau
or the "Geierlauf" (vulture run) in the Wattentaler Lizum
. Combined ski mountaineering and shooting was an official event of the 1924 Winter Olympics
, followed by demonstration events in 1928
, 1936
and 1948
.
Participants of military patrol teams consisting of an officer, NCO
, and two runners, had to be on military duty during the games. Due to want of games observers' interest, it was declared to a demonstration event by the International Olympic Committee
in 1926. These military patrol races are considered as predecessors of today's biathlon
. It is planned by the Union Internationale des Associations d’Alpinisme (UIAA), to make ski mountaineering by itself part of the 2018 Olympic Games.
After World War II, some alpine countries organized ski mountaineering competitions, especially in the 1990s France, Italy, Slovakia,Andorra and Switzerland, that founded also the Comité International du Ski-Alpinisme de Compétition
(CISAC). Besides the Italian Mezzalama Trophy
and the Swiss Patrouille des Glaciers
with roots in the 1930s and 1940s, a third race was created in the 1980s, that belongs to the "big three of ski mountaineering" of today, called the Pierra Menta
, carried out in France. The first European Cup was carried out in 1992 as well as the first European Championship
.
Organization of international competition ski mountaineering events have been organized amongst the International Council for Ski Mountaineering Competitions
(ISMC) of the UIAAsince 1999, the follow-on institution of the CISAC. The first official World Championships of the ISMC was carried out in 2002, but prior the 1975 Trofeo Mezzalama was held as a "World Championship of Ski Mountaineering" with the classes "Civilians", "Soldier
s" and "Mountain guide
s". Ascents have to be mastered with affixed ski fells, that have to be removed for the descents and refixed for the following ascents. If courses include climbing tours or sections, that could only be mastered on foot, the racers have to carry their skis in their rucksacks. Currently, ski mountaineering competitions include individual, team and relay as well as vertical race
s, sometimes also long-distance races.
Ski touring
Ski touring is a form of backcountry skiing involving traveling over the winter landscape on skis under human power rather than through the assistance of ski lifts or snow vehicles. It can take place in terrain ranging from perfectly flat to extremely steep...
that variously combines the sports of Telemark
Telemark skiing
Telemark skiing is a form of skiing using the Telemark turn. Unlike alpine skiing equipment, the skis used for telemarking either have a binding that only connects the boot to the ski at the toes, just as in cross-country skiing, or may be released to only connect there.Telemark turns are led with...
, Alpine
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
, and backcountry
Backcountry skiing
Backcountry skiing is skiing in a sparsely inhabited rural region over ungroomed and unmarked slopes or pistes, including skiing in unmarked or unpatrolled areas either within the ski resort's boundaries or in the backcountry, frequently amongst trees , usually in pursuit of fresh fallen powder...
skiing with that of mountaineering
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
. The spectrum of ski mountaineering spans from ascending a mountain in pursuit of virgin powder to achieving a mountain's summit using skis as a tool, with skiing down secondary.
Ski mountaineering may be distinguished from general ski touring by a willingness to travel over any part of a mountain, not just trails for ascending or sheltered powder snow fields for spirited descent. This may include significant rock, ice, or broken glacier sections, as well as high-altitude traverses as part of multi-peak ascents.
In addition to skins and ski crampons for traction, ski mountaineers may use a range of technical equipment - including crampons
Crampons
Crampons are traction devices used to improve mobility on snow and ice. There are three main attachment systems for footwear: step-in, hybrid, and strap bindings. The first two require boots with welts, the last adapt to any type....
, ice axe
Ice axe
An ice axe, is a multi-purpose ice and snow tool used by mountaineers both in the ascent and descent of routes which involve frozen conditions. It can be held and employed in a number of different ways, depending on the terrain encountered...
s, and rope
Rope
A rope is a length of fibres, twisted or braided together to improve strength for pulling and connecting. It has tensile strength but is too flexible to provide compressive strength...
s - to reach otherwise inaccessible or dangerous points on foot. When skiing is the primary goal, skis are carried on backpack as far as the mountaineers go; when not, they are removed and cached until the climbers return from their continued ascent.
History
The use of skis for over-snow travel and winter mountain access has a long historyHistory of skiing
Skiing, or traveling over snow on wooden runners, has a recorded history of almost five millennia.- Ancient history :The first hints to the existence of skis are on 4500 to 5000 year old rock drawings, e.g. at Rødøy in Norway or at Steinkjer , which depict a man on skis holding a stick...
.
The first group ski tour in the Alps took place near Davos when the Branger brothers teamed up with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle from Frauenkirch to Arosa in 1894. The iconic winter Haute Route
Haute Route
The Haute Route, is the name given to a route undertaken on foot or by ski touring between Chamonix, France, and Zermatt, Switzerland....
between Chamonix
Chamonix
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc or, more commonly, Chamonix is a commune in the Haute-Savoie département in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. It was the site of the 1924 Winter Olympics, the first Winter Olympics...
and Zermatt
Zermatt
Zermatt is a municipality in the district of Visp in the German-speaking section of the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It has a population of about 5,800 inhabitants....
is finally linked together in 1911.
Pioneers
The sport's pioneers include:- John "Snowshoe" ThompsonSnowshoe ThompsonSnowshoe Thompson was a nickname for the Norwegian-American John Albert Thompson, an early resident of the Sierra Nevada of Nevada and California. He is considered the father of California skiing.-Background:...
, perhaps the earliest modern ski mountaineer, a prolific traveler who used skis to deliver the mail at least twice a month up and over the steep eastern scarp of the Sierra Nevada to remote California mining camps and settlements. His deliveries began in 1855 and continued for at least 20 years. Thompson's route of 90 miles (144.8 km) took 3 days in and 48 hours back out with a pack that eventually exceeded 100 pounds of mail.
- Cecil SlingsbyWilliam Cecil SlingsbyWilliam Cecil Slingsby was an English mountain climber and alpine explorer.Slingsby first visited Norway in 1872 and fell in love with the country. He has been called the discoverer of the Norwegian mountains, and the father of Norwegian mountaineering...
, one of the earliest European practitioners, who crossed the 1,550 m high (5,800 ft) Keiser Pass, Norway, on skis in 1880.
- Wilhelm von Arlt (1853–1944), regarded by many as the "father" of the sport, who made the first ski ascent over 3,000 m when he climbed the Rauris Sonnblick (3,103 m / 10,180 feet high) in 1894.
- Orland Bartholomew skied alone over 300 miles (482.8 km) of California's High SierraHigh SierraHigh Sierra is an early heist film and film noir written by W.R. Burnett and John Huston from the novel by Burnett. The movie features Ida Lupino and Humphrey Bogart and was directed by Raoul Walsh on location at Whitney Portal, halfway up Mount Whitney.The screenplay was co-written by Bogart's...
from Cottonwood Creek to Yosemite National ParkYosemite National ParkYosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States. The park covers an area of and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain...
in 1929, roughly following the line of the summer route now known as the John Muir TrailJohn Muir TrailThe John Muir Trail is a long-distance trail in the Sierra Nevada mountain range of California, running between the northern terminus at Happy Isles in Yosemite Valley and the southern terminus located on the summit of Mount Whitney . For almost all of its length, the trail is in the High Sierra...
. This included the first winter ascent of the highest peak in the contiguous United StatesContiguous United StatesThe contiguous United States are the 48 U.S. states on the continent of North America that are south of Canada and north of Mexico, plus the District of Columbia....
, Mount WhitneyMount WhitneyMount Whitney is the highest summit in the contiguous United States with an elevation of . It is on the boundary between California's Inyo and Tulare counties, west-northwest of the lowest point in North America at Badwater in Death Valley National Park...
. Bartholomew was self-supported using food caches placed over the summer.
- Adolfo KindAdolfo KindAdolf respectively Adolfo Kind was a Swiss chemical engineer and one of the fathers of Italian skiing.- Life :Kind was a member of an old Walser family which had been living in Chur for more than 4 centuries...
- Ottorino MezzalamaOttorino MezzalamaOttorino Mezzalama was an Italian mountain climber, and is deemed to be one of the two pioneers of Italian ski mountaineering besides Luciano Roiti. He died in an avalanche accident in the Rochemolles Valley...
- Paul Ramer
- Patrick VallençantPatrick VallencantPatrick Vallençant was a French alpinist/skier and pioneer in ski mountaineering.He was a pioneer in ski mountaineering and leader of the French school of ski mountaineers. His motto was: "si tu tombes, tu meurs", translated as "you fall, you die"...
Locations
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
, where people will commonly do a hut-to-hut tour through the mountains, often crossing difficult passes where mountaineering techniques are required. Day trips from valley bases to make ascents and descents of peaks are also popular.
Ski mountaineering is also popular in other European ranges, such as the Tatra
Tatra Mountains
The Tatra Mountains, Tatras or Tatra , are a mountain range which forms a natural border between Slovakia and Poland, and are the highest mountain range in the Carpathian Mountains...
, the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
, the Troll Peninsula in northern Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, and ranges in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. The sport is popular to a lesser extent in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
of South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
.
Numerous mountain ranges in the United States offer ski-mountaineering opportunities. Popular options include the Sierra Nevada, Wasatch
Wasatch Range
The Wasatch Range is a mountain range that stretches approximately from the Utah-Idaho border, south through central Utah in the western United States. It is generally considered the western edge of the greater Rocky Mountains, and the eastern edge of the Great Basin region...
, Tetons
Teton Range
The Teton Range is a mountain range of the Rocky Mountains in North America. A north-south range, it is on the Wyoming side of the state's border with Idaho, just south of Yellowstone National Park. Most of the range is in Grand Teton National Park....
, and White Mountains
White Mountains (New Hampshire)
The White Mountains are a mountain range covering about a quarter of the state of New Hampshire and a small portion of western Maine in the United States. Part of the Appalachian Mountains, they are considered the most rugged mountains in New England...
of New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, the American birthplace of the sport at Mount Washington
Mount Washington (New Hampshire)
Mount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at , famous for dangerously erratic weather. For 76 years, a weather observatory on the summit held the record for the highest wind gust directly measured at the Earth's surface, , on the afternoon of April 12, 1934...
's Tuckerman Ravine
Tuckerman Ravine
Tuckerman Ravine is a glacial cirque sloping eastward on the southeast face of Mt. Washington, in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Although it draws hikers throughout the year, and skiers throughout the winter, it is best known for the many "spring skiers" who ascend it on foot and ski down...
.
North American Pacific Rim volcanoes such as Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier is a massive stratovolcano located southeast of Seattle in the state of Washington, United States. It is the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous United States and the Cascade Volcanic Arc, with a summit elevation of . Mt. Rainier is considered one of the most...
, Mount Shasta
Mount Shasta
Mount Shasta is located at the southern end of the Cascade Range in Siskiyou County, California and at is the second highest peak in the Cascades and the fifth highest in California...
, and Lassen Peak
Lassen Peak
Lassen Peak is the southernmost active volcano in the Cascade Range. It is part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc which is an arc that stretches from northern California to southwestern British Columbia...
also draw numbers, along with Mexican giants Pico de Orizaba
Pico de Orizaba
The Pico de Orizaba, or Citlaltépetl , is a stratovolcano, the highest mountain in Mexico and the third highest in North America. It rises above sea level in the eastern end of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, on the border between the states of Veracruz and Puebla...
, Popocatépetl
Popocatépetl
Popocatépetl also known as "Popochowa" by the local population is an active volcano and, at , the second highest peak in Mexico after the Pico de Orizaba...
and Iztaccíhuatl
Iztaccíhuatl
Iztaccíhuatl , is the third highest mountain in Mexico, after the Pico de Orizaba, , and Popocatépetl, . Its name is Nahuatl for "White woman"....
. Canada has numerous wild, remote mountains appropriate to ski mountaineering.
Expeditionary ski mountaineering necessary to reach the base of climbing routes takes place in such places as the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
and Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
.
Equipment
Ski mountaineering equipment normally includes skis fitted with a binding that allows the heel to lift for easy ascents. The equipment used is similar to cross country skiing but is generally much more robust, featuring metal-edged lightweight skis and a plastic boot similar to those used for downhill skiing.In Alpine-style
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
ski mountaineering bindings can be engaged to clamp down the heel for maximum downhill control. In Telemark
Telemark skiing
Telemark skiing is a form of skiing using the Telemark turn. Unlike alpine skiing equipment, the skis used for telemarking either have a binding that only connects the boot to the ski at the toes, just as in cross-country skiing, or may be released to only connect there.Telemark turns are led with...
-style equipment the heel remains free so telemark turns can be executed as well as parallel.
Both Alpine and Telemark ski mountaineers use skins attached to the base of the skis to make uphill progress. Originally made from animal pelts, these skins are now made from nylon or mohair and clip over the upper end of the and fixed to its base by a layer of permanent reusable adhesive. Skins allow the ski to slide forward yet grip against downhill resistance. They are generally taken off for descent, though difficult conditions may call for their partial use downhill.
Along with sometimes collapsable poles safety equipment is often garried, including avalanche
Avalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
rescue gear, transceiver
Transceiver
A transceiver is a device comprising both a transmitter and a receiver which are combined and share common circuitry or a single housing. When no circuitry is common between transmit and receive functions, the device is a transmitter-receiver. The term originated in the early 1920s...
s, snow shovels, and probes. When called for, traditional mountaineering equipment such as alpine crampons, ice-axes, ropes, and harnesses will be carried.
A backpack is standard. For longer expeditions, ski mountaineers may tow a sled. On long expeditions kites may be used to tow skiers and sleds over extended smooth terrain like frozen sea ice.
Competition
Military patrol
Military patrol is a team winter sport in which athletes compete in both cross-country skiing respectively ski mountaineering, and rifle shooting. It is usually contested between countries or military units. Biathlon was developed from military patrol....
s, intended to test abilities of soldiers. The first civilian races took part in the 1920s. Better known were the Austrian "Mairennen" (May race) in Gosau
Gosau
Gosau is a municipality in the district of Gmunden in Upper Austria, Austria.- Location and General Information :Gosau is situated along the Gosaubach stream in the Salzkammergut region. The center of the town is at an elevation of 767...
or the "Geierlauf" (vulture run) in the Wattentaler Lizum
Wattentaler Lizum
The Wattentaler Lizum is the name of the head of the Wattental valley which branches off the lower Inn valley near Wattens. Lizum means "alpine pasture at the head of the valley" in Tyrolese...
. Combined ski mountaineering and shooting was an official event of the 1924 Winter Olympics
Military patrol at the 1924 Winter Olympics
At the 1924 Winter Olympics, in Chamonix, France, in 1924, a military patrol competition was held. The Olympic lists the official medal winners for the event, yet several sources have counted this competition as a demonstration event only. The event was also demonstrated in 1928, 1936, and 1948,...
, followed by demonstration events in 1928
Military patrol at the 1928 Winter Olympics
At the 1928 Winter Olympics, in St. Moritz, Switzerland, in 1928, a military patrol competition was held. Because of a snowstorm the night before the competition, the start of the event was delayed 45 minutes to the cleaning up of the track. The competition was contested over a 30 km distance...
, 1936
Military patrol at the 1936 Winter Olympics
At the 1936 Winter Olympics, in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, in 1936, a military patrol competition was held. The International Olympic Committee refused admission of this sport into the Olympic Program, but the expressed desires of Adolf Hitler forced the IOC to make this program a...
and 1948
Military patrol at the 1948 Winter Olympics
At the 1948 Winter Olympics, in St. Moritz, Switzerland, in 1948, the last military patrol competition was held as a demonstration sport. This was in part to the aftermath of World War II, which decimated Europe. This sport would be superseded by the biathlon competition which debuted at the 1960...
.
Participants of military patrol teams consisting of an officer, NCO
Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
, and two runners, had to be on military duty during the games. Due to want of games observers' interest, it was declared to a demonstration event by the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
in 1926. These military patrol races are considered as predecessors of today's biathlon
Biathlon
Biathlon is a term used to describe any sporting event made up of two disciplines. However, biathlon usually refers specifically to the winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting...
. It is planned by the Union Internationale des Associations d’Alpinisme (UIAA), to make ski mountaineering by itself part of the 2018 Olympic Games.
After World War II, some alpine countries organized ski mountaineering competitions, especially in the 1990s France, Italy, Slovakia,Andorra and Switzerland, that founded also the Comité International du Ski-Alpinisme de Compétition
Comité International du Ski-Alpinisme de Compétition
The Comité International du Ski-Alpinisme de Compétition was the international committee of competition ski mountaineering and was founded in 1991....
(CISAC). Besides the Italian Mezzalama Trophy
Mezzalama Trophy
The Mezzalama Trophy is an Italian high altitude ski mountaineering competition in the region of Cervinia. The Mezzalama Trophy, that belongs to the "big three of ski mountaineering" besides the two other best-known and classical skimountaineering events, the Patrouille des Glaciers and the...
and the Swiss Patrouille des Glaciers
Patrouille des Glaciers
The Patrouille des Glaciers is a ski mountaineering race organized every two years by the Swiss Army, in which military and civilian teams compete...
with roots in the 1930s and 1940s, a third race was created in the 1980s, that belongs to the "big three of ski mountaineering" of today, called the Pierra Menta
Pierra Menta
The Pierra Menta is an annual competition of ski mountaineering at Arêches-Beaufort in the Beaufortain region since 1985. The Pierra Menta is one of the three best known races of the Alps besides the Patrouille des Glaciers and the Trofeo Mezzalama.The athletes have to travel a cumulative...
, carried out in France. The first European Cup was carried out in 1992 as well as the first European Championship
European Championships of Ski Mountaineering
The European Championships of Ski Mountaineering have been the European championships for national ski mountaineering teams since 1992, currently held biannually. There are both men's and women's competitions....
.
Organization of international competition ski mountaineering events have been organized amongst the International Council for Ski Mountaineering Competitions
International Council for Ski Mountaineering Competitions
The International Council for Ski Mountaineering Competitions located in the Floridablanca 84 in Barcelona was part of the Union Internationale des Associations d'Alpinisme and responsible for ski mountaineering and vertical race competitions...
(ISMC) of the UIAAsince 1999, the follow-on institution of the CISAC. The first official World Championships of the ISMC was carried out in 2002, but prior the 1975 Trofeo Mezzalama was held as a "World Championship of Ski Mountaineering" with the classes "Civilians", "Soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
s" and "Mountain guide
Mountain guide
Mountain guides are specially trained and experienced mountaineers and professionals who are generally certified by an association. They are considered experts in mountaineering.-Skills:Their skills usually include climbing, skiing and hiking...
s". Ascents have to be mastered with affixed ski fells, that have to be removed for the descents and refixed for the following ascents. If courses include climbing tours or sections, that could only be mastered on foot, the racers have to carry their skis in their rucksacks. Currently, ski mountaineering competitions include individual, team and relay as well as vertical race
Vertical race
A Vertical Race is a special kind of ski mountaineering without the typical downhill skiing after ascending. At the mountain running and climbing passages the runners have to carry their skis in their backpacks...
s, sometimes also long-distance races.
See also
- Skiing and Skiing topicsSkiingSkiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
- History of skiingHistory of skiingSkiing, or traveling over snow on wooden runners, has a recorded history of almost five millennia.- Ancient history :The first hints to the existence of skis are on 4500 to 5000 year old rock drawings, e.g. at Rødøy in Norway or at Steinkjer , which depict a man on skis holding a stick...
- Ski touringSki touringSki touring is a form of backcountry skiing involving traveling over the winter landscape on skis under human power rather than through the assistance of ski lifts or snow vehicles. It can take place in terrain ranging from perfectly flat to extremely steep...
- Haute RouteHaute RouteThe Haute Route, is the name given to a route undertaken on foot or by ski touring between Chamonix, France, and Zermatt, Switzerland....
- List of climbing topics
External links
- Doglotion.com Ski Magazine Backcountry Skiing and Ski Mountaineering stories and videos.
- WildSnow.com Ski mountaineering website
- TetonAT Ski mountaineering website
- The International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA - Union Internationale des Associations d'Alpinisme)
- Skimountaineering.org: ski mountaineering competitions
- British Mountaineering Council - Ski Mountaineering
- United States Ski Mountaineering Association
- Ski Mountaineering Competition Canada
- Mountain Storm - Ski Mountaineering Race
- John "Snowshoe" Thompson
- Piste-Off Ski mountaineering website
- Ski Mountaineering Gear Comprehensive Gear List, Description and Information