Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Outdoors

The Best Ski-Mountaineering Races In North America

Austin Parker
By

Ski Mountaineering
Image used with permission by copyright holder
We’ve been fans of backcountry skiing for years now; all of the powder, and none of the crowds make for a great day on the snow. The only trade off? You’ll be earning your turns with ski touring gear every step of the way.

If you don’t mind a little sweat, backcountry skiing is one of the best winter hobbies out there. However, trust Type-A athletic junkies to turn everything mellow and fun into a painful sufferfest. If you’ve ever seen a backcountry rider in tight clothing veritably sprinting uphill, you’ve likely met (albeit briefly) a ski-mountaineering racer on a training run.

Recommended Videos

So what exactly is ski-mountaineering racing? Picture a mountain marathon – run uphill, in the snow, on specially designed skis. When you get to the top, lock your gear down and ski down as fast as possible (trust us, on ultralight race gear this is scarier than it sounds), and start up your next climb. If it sounds absolutely miserable, well, it sort of is. For many racers though, that is part of the draw. Conquering the elements and the mountain while you race the clock is both a great motivator to keep your training up over the winter, and also to dig deep and find the “fun” when you’re charging uphill in forty mile-an-hour wind and sub-zero temperatures. If we haven’t scared you away from the sport yet, read on for our favorite ski-mountaineering races in North America.

Uphill Skiing
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Power Of 4: Aspen, CO

The Power of 4 will always have a special place in our hearts as our first taste of real mountain fueled pain. Three years ago we suited up with friends from Outside Magazine and Gear Junkie for a taste of the race. The full course covers every resort in Aspen, CO – Snowmass, Buttermilk, Aspen Highlands, and Aspen. We did an abbreviated “Power of 2” half course that took us over 12 miles and nearly 8,000 feet of vertical. After almost six hours on the course, crossing the finish line was a sublime experience – and hooked us on skiing uphill ever since.

Skimo
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Shredhorn: Big Sky, MT

The Shredhorn is an annual race every spring in Big Sky, MT. In terms of distance, it is up there with the Power of 4 – the course covers 16-18 miles, and 8,600 vertical feet of climbing and descending. However, this jaunt around Lone Peak is decidedly scarier, as many of the climbs are far into dedicated alpine terrain, and you’ll often be boot packing and climbing along exposed ridgelines and cliff bands. If you’re scared of heights or easily get sketched out, it might be a good idea to save this one for a couple seasons until you’ve got experience under your belt.

Wasatch Powderkeg: Brighton, UT

The Powderkeg is a weekend race festival that features backcountry ski clinics, gear demos, and two different races for every skill level. Day one kicks things off with a vertical sprint up Brighton Ski Resort to the tune of 1,300 feet. If this lung buster isn’t enough for you, register for the full distance race on day two. This ten-mile course climbs major peaks and ridgelines along the resort boundaries, and gives you a chance to spot Park City, Salt Lake, and the Heber Valley. Of course, you’d probably enjoy the views more if you weren’t fighting the thin oxygen above 10,000 feet the entire way.

Wasatch Powderkeg
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Grand Traverse: Crested Butte to Aspen, CO

The Grand Traverse the the granddaddy of ski-mountaineering races. Covering more than forty miles from Crested Butte to Aspen, CO, this epic race crosses some of the most iconic terrain in the country. While it doesn’t have the painful vertical of some of the other races on our list (only 7,000 feet), it makes up for it distance and the amount of gear you have to carry. Racers travel in pairs, and have to have self-rescue gear, shelter, and sleeping bags in case of nasty weather. To make it even more fun, the start is over night, ensuring half your time on the course will be spent in pitch darkness.

Topics
Austin Parker
Austin Parker
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Austin Parker is a former contributor at The Manual Parker is a powder skier and sport climber and is no stranger hauling…
The best long-distance bike trails across the U.S.
Bikepacking trails or new places to adventure on two wheels
Sunset at the Continental Divide in Colorado Rocky Mountains

Bikepacking, more commonly known as bicycle touring, is a self-supported trip in which participants spend days, weeks, or even years traveling across regions, countries, and continents via bicycle. One of its greatest perks is the opportunity to explore amazing places.

Whether you’re traveling to a new city or region, there’s no better way to do this than on two wheels. You can cover more miles when pedaling using your bike shoes rather than walking and, unlike driving, you’re still connected to your environment -- no carbon footprint, just fresh air.

Read more
Dust off your gear, it’s time to hit the trail: The spring hiking tips you need
These tips will keep you safe and comfortable on the trail
A person hiking

I don't know about you, but I love the fact that spring is here, and I can hit the trail again. I went out the other day without having to load up in all of my outdoor layers and enjoyed a trail run along some snow-free tracks. It's that time of year when you can dust off your hiking boots, dig out your trekking poles, and start to make some hiking plans. But spring isn't all sunshine and dry tracks. A little like fall hiking, spring trails can be muddy, and some of the wettest, coldest days I've had on the trail have come in springtime. Maybe it's not quite a time to pack away all that warm gear after all.

Spring is changeable. That's what I'm getting at. It's perhaps the toughest time of the year to pack a hiking pack because, on any given day, you might need to change layers four times. The days are long enough to get a good hike done, but you can still find yourself caught out after dark if you're not careful, and once that sun drops, the temperature goes with it. In return, though, spring rewards us with those golden hours at sunrise and sunset — the outdoor photographer's dream — raging waterfalls as the snow melts off, and the sounds and sights of nature coming back to life after a winter's hibernation. It's great if you get it right, and if you follow our spring hiking tips, you won't go far off track.
Dress and pack accordingly

Read more
Campfire cooking: This is the absolute best way to make a pot hanger
Make the most of campfire cooking with this ingenious pot hanger guide
A campfire pot hanger holds a kettle over a stone circle

Campfire cooking is an art form. Sure, you can always just skewer a sausage or a s'more and roast it directly over the heat, but with a little camping cooking gear, you can elevate your camp cooking to new heights. With the cooler nights of fall just around the corner, camp cooking becomes even more important, as you'll need the extra calories to stay warm overnight. There are plenty of styles of campfire cooking to explore, and a suspended pot over your fire is one of the most versatile.

By hanging a pot or a kettle over your fire, you can keep your dish away from direct heat, but retain a rolling boil or a gentle simmer. This means you can always have hot water ready and waiting for a cup of coffee, heat yourself a cowboy casserole of beans and ground beef to pour over a biscuit, or simmer a stew for a substantial meal under the stars.

Read more