Ski mountaineering is an advanced form of ski touring that combines the fun of skiing with the challenge of mountain climbing. Mountaineers brave paths off the beaten trail on their way up the mountain, then trailblaze new daring descents on the way down. This sport requires special ski equipment for extra traction, plus climbing equipment borrowed from mountain climbing. Practiced since the days of the California Gold Rush, it is popular today in the Sierra Nevada, Cascade, Rocky, and Appalachian ranges in the United States, in the Alps and other mountain ranges of Europe, and even in Latin America and New Zealand. Competitions have been held since the 1920s at all levels from the Winter Olympics on down, and today more and more participants are taking up this exciting activity as a hobby and sport.

What Is Ski Mountaineering?

Ski mountaineering is a type of ski touring, which is like hiking with skis. Ski touring, also called backcountry skiing, differs from regular skiing because it discards fixed trails and ski lifts in favor of remote, unpatrolled locations, in pursuit of fresh fallen powder snow.

It takes ski touring a step further by adding the challenge and risk of mountaineering to the equation. Where most ski tourists usually seek the easiest available means of ascent, ski mountaineers use any available methods to ascend, risking rocks, ice, and broken glaciers. Ski mountaineers may also cross long distances at high altitudes while ascending multiple peaks.

See it in action: 2011 Ski Mountaineering Championship in Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Some ascents are geared towards climbing. Others are more for the purpose of downhill skiing. When reaching a peak is the goal, skis may be cached at a certain level while the climbers continue upwards without them, then retrieved on the way back down. When downhill skiing, the skis are carried as far as the climb goes.

Ski Mountaineering Equipment

Ski mountaineers rely on special equipment to make their ascents and every item in a ski mountaineering pack is crucial. These include special ski equipment to increase traction, as well as the same type of climbing equipment used by regular mountain climbers.

Experts usually use skis fitted with a binding that allows heel lifting to make ascent easier. This binding is modeled on that used in cross-country skiing but is more specialized and sturdier. Some ski mountaineers use Alpine-style bindings that can hold the heel down for downhill control. Others prefer Telemark-style bindings where the heel remains free for turns.

Ski skins provide mountaineering skis with extra grip when moving forward. These removable coverings were originally made from furry seal skin, but today are usually made from nylon. They attach to the base of the skis. They are woven at an angle that allows skis to glide forward, but not to slide back. Skins are often removed during descent.

Ski crampons support feet with additional traction. Crampons, originally used in mountain climbing, are metal boot frames with spikes jutting out to serve as extra metal “toes.” Ski crampons are crampons specially adapted to ski mountaineering. They are most common in Europe and often referred to by their European names, such as Harscheisen in German, coltelli in Italian, or couteaux in French.

In addition to specialized ski equipment, skiers may use traditional mountain climbing equipment and ski mountaineering gear, including regular crampons, ice axes, pitons, piton hammers, ropes, harnesses, backpacks, sleds, kites for towing across extended ice, avalanche rescue gear, communications equipment, and quality mountaineering sunglasses , especially important to filter snow-reflected light.

Popular Ski Mountaineering Locations

Norwegian-American John Albert Thompson, better known as “Snowshoe Thompson,” was the father of California skiing and one of the earliest known pioneers of ski mountaineering. During the California Gold Rush in the 1850s, Thompson used skis to deliver the mail to remote mining camps in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Since Thompson’s time, ski mountaineering has grown in popularity in the Sierra Nevadas and spread to other parts of the United States. In the Cascade Range, Mount Rainier, Mount Shasta, and Lassen Peak are major draws for ski mountaineers. In the Rockies, ski mountaineering is popular in the Wasatch Range and the Tetons. In the Appalachians, Tuckerman Ravine in the White Mountains of New Hampshire hosts the birthplace of American sport ski mountaineering.

From North America, ski mountaineering has spread south to the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, to peaks such as Pico de Orizaba, Popocatepetl, and Iztaccihuatl. Ski mountaineering is also practiced in the Andes.

Ski mountaineering is especially popular in Europe. The Alps naturally attract many ski mountaineers. Other popular ski mountaineering spots are the Troll Mountains in Iceland, ranges throughout Norway, the Pyrenees of France and Spain, and the Tatras of the Carpathian Range between Slovakia and Poland.

New Zealand also boasts a ski mountaineering community, with enthusiasts often gathering in the Mount Cook Region of the Southern Alps.

Ski Mountaineering Competitions

Competitive ski mountaineering grew out of military competitions, designed to test the skills of soldiers assigned to patrol duty in snowy mountain terrain. Civilian competitions began in the 1920s. They soon grew popular in places such as Austria.

During the 1924 Winter Olympics, combined ski mountaineering and shooting was held as an official event. A follow-up military patrol race in 1926 became the predecessor of today’s biathlon. In 2018 ski mountaineering is scheduled to be held as a separate event.

European Alpine countries have organized several major European competitions, which have grown in popularity since the 1990s. Major national competitions include the Italian Mezzalama Trophy, the Swiss Patrouille des Glaciers, the French Pierra Menta. In 1992 the European Cup and European Championship premiered.

International championships are organized by the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (Union Internationale des Associations d’Alpinisme, or UIAA) through its arm the International Council for Ski Mountaineering Competitions (ISMC). Official ISMC World Championships have been held since 2002.

Worthy List of Ski Mountaineering Resources

Piste-Off Worldwide Ski Mountaineering Index
Unites States Ski Mountaineering Association
Pro Guiding Service

The popularity of ski mountaineering will undoubtedly continue to grow after the 2018 Games, with more and more enthusiasts taking up this exciting activity. Try it out and join the fun!

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