- Also called:
- skimo
- Related Topics:
- Olympic Games
- skiing
- mountaineering
- Winter Olympic Games
- ski
ski mountaineering
What is ski mountaineering?
What equipment is used in ski mountaineering?
Is ski mountaineering in the Olympics?
ski mountaineering, winter recreation and sport that involves ascending and descending mountain slopes using a combination of skiing and mountaineering techniques and equipment. On the ascent practitioners alternately use skis outfitted with high-friction coverings (called skins) and boots, as well as, sometimes, such climbing equipment as crampons and ice picks, to scale difficult terrain on foot. On the descent athletes switch back to using skis and move down the mountain much like downhill skiers. Ski mountaineering developed into an organized competitive sport in the late 20th century in Europe and grew in popularity in North America and Asia in the first decades of the 21st century. There are several types of organized races, ranging from short sprints and relays on artificial tracks that are over in minutes to grueling multi-hour treks through the backcountry. Ski mountaineering made its debut as an Olympic medal sport at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games with medal events in men’s sprint, women’s sprint, and mixed relay.
History
Skiing and mountaineering are both ancient human activities whose modern forms originated in the 18th and 19th centuries. Early practitioners, seeking to chart new routes and ascend previously inaccessible peaks, used a combination of techniques to move in the mountains. Their suite of skills could include skiing uphill and using gear such as boots, ropes, and picks to climb ice and rock. For example, British athlete Arnold Lunn, who helped popularize Alpine skiing and introduced slalom as a discipline in the 1910s and ’20s, used ski mountaineering techniques to originate new routes in the Alps. Later alpinists carried on the tradition of mixing climbing and skiing. Most spectacularly, several people have climbed Mount Everest and skied part of the way down, including Miura Yūichirō of Japan in 1970 (the subject of an Academy Award-winning 1975 documentary, The Man Who Skied Down Everest), Hans Kammerlander of Italy in 1996, and Davo Karničar of Slovenia in 2000.
Another path of development for ski mountaineering took place among military personnel. Troops have long used skis to travel in Scandinavian countries, and ski troops fought in both World War I and World War II. In particular, the success of Finnish troops on skis during the Russo-Finnish War spurred the creation of ski units elsewhere, including the 10th Mountain Division in the United States, which served in the Apennine Mountains during the Italian Campaign. Many veterans were very active in promoting the sport of skiing after returning to civilian life, contributing to the growth of ski mountaineering and other winter sports as popular recreational activities in the second half of the 20th century.
Over time several terms arose to describe an array of overlapping activities involving skiing up and down slopes in the backcountry and sometimes, but not always, removing skis to climb on foot: ski touring, backcountry skiing, randonnée skiing, and Alpine touring. The term ski mountaineering is sometimes reserved for such activities that include traversing slopes of 45 degrees or steeper, in which the goal is often to summit a peak and then descend on skis. Some sources use the shortened term skimo in reference to the organized sport, which often takes place on dedicated courses, and reserve ski mountaineering for the noncompetitive pastime, which is practiced on natural terrain.
Organization, competitions, and inclusion in Winter Olympics
Ski mountaineering developed into an organized sport in Spain and the traditional Alpine countries of Italy, France, and Switzerland in the late 20th century. The first international governing body, the Comité International pour le Ski Alpinisme de Compétition (International Committee for Ski Mountaineering Competition) was founded in 1991 in Barcelona. Eight years later this was succeeded by the International Council for Ski Mountaineering Competition (ISMC). The first world championships, sanctioned by the ISMC, were held in 2002. The ISMC assumed its current name, the International Ski Mountaineering Federation (ISMF), in 2007. In addition to the world championships, the ISMF organizes a World Cup circuit of competitions.
In 2016 the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognized ski mountaineering as a sport and the ISMF as an international sports federation (IF), the first step in the sport becoming part of the Olympic program. A year later the IOC voted to include ski mountaineering in the program of the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics in Lausanne, Switzerland. Following its successful debut at that event, in July 2021 the IOC announced that ski mountaineering would be an official medal event at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Ski mountaineering events were held at the Stelvio Ski Centre in Bormio, Italy.
Race types
The ISMF sanctions official competitions in several different ski mountaineering disciplines. They include:
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- Sprint: race lasting between two and four minutes on a short track. Athletes ascend a route up a slope with a maximum of 70 meters (230 feet) in elevation gain by first using skis with skins attached and then walking in boots before switching back to skis without skins at the top. Individuals race singly and are ranked according to time finished.
- Mixed relay: race between teams comprising one man and one woman on a short track similar to the one used for sprints. Each athlete completes the circuit twice, with the first ascent being done only on skis and the second one partially on foot.
- Relay: race between teams comprising four athletes of the same gender on a short track similar to the one used for sprints. Each athlete completes the circuit once.
- Vertical: race that features an ascent only. Athletes use only skis and do not walk in boots. Courses typically have between 500 and 700 meters (1,640 and 2,300 feet) elevation gain. All competitors begin the race together in a mass start.
- Individual: long race in natural setting that lasts up to 1 hour 30 minutes. Athletes move through several different alternating ascents and descents and use both skis and boots. A mass start is also used in individual races.
- Team: long endurance race in a natural setting that lasts up to three hours and features elevation gains of up to 2.4 km (1.5 miles). Teams of two athletes stay with each other through the duration of the race and work together using more extensive mountaineering equipment, including ropes, than in other ski mountaineering races. Teams begin the race in a mass start.
Ski mountaineering athletes at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics competed for medals in men’s sprint, women’s sprint, and mixed relay.
Race tracks for the shorter sprint and relay events are built in recreation centers, such as ski resorts, and are demarcated with various flags and markers. Typically, sections for uphill skiing are lined with green flags and those for moving on foot are marked by yellow flags. During the descent, which is marked by red flags, competitors must stay within designated gates, as in downhill races.
Equipment
Ski mountaineering athletes use lightweight skis that are a hybrid design of the narrower Nordic ski used in cross-country skiing and the wider Alpine ski used in downhill and slalom events. The skins that are attached to skis to increase traction for uphill routes were originally made from animal pelts, especially from seals, but modern skins are synthetic. During races, athletes are required to carry the skins after removing them and can be penalized for improperly stowing or losing skins. Ski mountaineers use boots that are designed to attach to skis using bindings and also have soles that allow them to walk on snow and ice during ascents (called bootpacking). Ski poles are also used in both the ascent and descent sections for traction and balance. Athletes in longer races typically bring climbing gear such as crampons, picks, harnesses, and rope as well as survival gear.
