Ski Mountaineering, also called 'Skimo', is a human-powered endurance competition that involves climbing mountains on skis and by foot.
In many race disciplines, competitors pass through a series of transitions between uphill skiing and uphill walking, before descending on skis.
Not all races are created equal, as they can vary from local-smaller sprint races to ultra-style backcountry races. The first racer to cross the finish line wins.
Skimo originated in Europe, with German Wilhelm Paulcke’s 1897 completion of the first alpine traverse — crossing the Bernese Oberland on skis — considered to be the start of modern ski mountaineering.
In the last 10 years, the number of athletes has increased from 33,000 in 2010-11 to 94,500 in 2019-20. On a competitive level, the Italian team has brought home 63 medals in 11 editions of the World Championships, starting with the first in Serre Chevalier in 2002.
Olympic History
Ski Mountaineering will make its Olympic debut at Milano Cortina 2026. Olympic medals will be on offer in three events; the men's sprint, women's sprint and a mixed relay.
Every second is vital in sprint races, as the fastest finishers usually complete the course in approximately three minutes. The relay is also a fast event, with each circuit lasting about 15 minutes and includes two ascents and descents.
This will follow the Youth Olympic debut of Ski Mountaineering, which took place at the Lausanne 2020 Games.
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