Ski Mountaineering Races (also known as Skimo and Rando) is all the rage right now as it makes its’ Winter Olympic debut at Milano Cortina in 2026. If you are looking to start doing Skimo, either just for training or racing, I have made a complete guide of all the race distances for you here.
Ski Touring Gear & Skimo Gear
I have newly posted a complete gear breakdown and reviewed Skimo gear here. I have listed the most common ski touring skis, carbon boots as well as different types of skins and bindings.
Skimo races
There is several disciplines of Skimo racing.
Skimo races involve either uphill and downhill sections (as well as sections where competitors must carry their skis) or just uphill sections. Below is an overview of the different types of race formats typically found in ski mountaineering competitions:
1. Individual
This is the most common type of skimo race and tests the full range of a competitor’s skills. It often consists of several ascents and descents, with transitions between skinning uphill and skiing downhill. Most individual courses include sections where athletes need to carry their skis on their pack (bootpacking) to climb steep or technical terrain.
- Climbing: Ascend using skins
- Descending: Descend on varying snow quality, most often off-piste
- Transitions: Athletes must switch between uphill and downhill modes, requiring them to remove skins & adjust bindings. Transitions are a very important part of modern racing, and the best athletes use as little as 3 seconds on some transitions.
Downhill at the ISMF World Cup Val Martello 2024. As you can see the snow conditions are often challenging. There is no points awared for style – and straight down is the fastest!
2. Vertical
A vertical race focuses solely on uphill climbing. There is no descent component in these races. Competitors skin often in a single continuous push from the start to the finish line at the top of a mountain or high point. The vertical is a true test of endurance, with fewer technical elements than the other types of racing.
A vertical race at an ISMF World Cup in Cortina 2024. We started at 2100 masl and finished at 2750 masl. It was hard – note the spanish competitors on the ground infront of me.
3. Sprint
Sprint is one of the Olympic formats for Ski Mountaineering. Sprint races are shorter, high-intensity races usually lasting around 3-5 minutes. These races include all the elements of skimo in a condensed format: a short ascent, a short descent, transitions, and a bootpack section. Sprint races require quick transitions and a blend of speed, power and efficiency. There is often a prologue, qualifying rounds and then a semi-final and final.
- Sprint is highly debated. Some athletes think this form of Ski Mountaineering is too far away from the heart of the sport. Watch the finals of the ISMF World Cup in Cortina in 2024 and decide for yourself!
A photo taken from ISMF at the Schladming World Cup Sprint in 2024. Here the ‘Diamonds’ are pictured. This course was steeper than it looks, and goes up the famous alpine downhill.
4. Team
Team races are usually held in pairs or larger groups, where teammates must work together to complete the course. They often share the responsibility of pacing, transitions, and navigating the technical sections. Teams must remain within a certain distance of each other throughout the race, often achieved through using a rope.
- Strategy and teamwork: Partners must coordinate and support each other, especially during transitions and technical sections.
- Challenging courses: Courses are often longer and more complex than individual races, with more demanding terrain.
Team races are often a feature in World Championship racing. Grand Course races such as Pierra Menta are also team races.
Finishing the team race at the ISMF World Championships in 2023 with Norwegian teammate Bjørn Haugo-Hernfidal
5. Relay/Mixed Relay
Relay races consist of teams, with each team member completing a shorter circuit before tagging the next racer. The Mixed Relay will be one of the Skimo Olympic formats. These circuits typically include ascents, descents, and transitions. The focus is on speed and coordination, with teammates completing several laps over the course of the race. The average duration is 10-15 minutes for each lap.
- Lap-based format: Each team member completes a circuit and hands off to the next teammate.
6. Long Distance/Grand Course
These races are the true heart of Ski Mountaineering and take place over extended distances with significant elevation gain. These races often traverse rugged alpine terrain and require very good technical abilities.
- Endurance-focused: Longer courses with substantial elevation gain and distance, requiring stamina and strategic pacing.
- Alpine terrain: Competitors must navigate technical mountain terrain, often including glaciers, ridges, and couloirs.
Long distance races I have competed in include Pierra Menta.
Pierra Menta is a team race and the most famous Grand Course race. Here you can see me and fellow atomic ski mountaineer Yohan Seert at Pierra Menta 2024.
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