The term, thought to originate from backcountry skiers in search of untouched snow, often involves bypassing ski lifts, gondolas and any other mechanized way up the mountain in favor of ascending on human power alone. Alternatively, you can carry your gear on your back and hike up β all for the rush of skiing pristine runs down the mountain. Backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering, which involves summiting peaks with alpine gear, are versions of traveling uphill in the snow.
Ski areas allowing uphill access designated routes and hours when skiers, hikers and snowshoers can walk up the mountain have increased by nearly a third over the past decade, according to statistics from the National Ski Areas Association , a trade association for ski area owners and operators that represents over alpine resorts in the United States. At some ski resorts, uphill skiing access is allowed only before and after regular resort operating hours, while others may allow it during operating hours.
Next time you ride the chair lift up the mountain, look for parallel tracks leading upward along the side of the trail or, in steeper terrain, a zig-zagging path. Steamboat ski resort allows uphill access before 9 a. While uphilling in-bounds at resorts mainly requires good fitness and the ability to ski down unless you plan to ride the lift , ski mountaineering can also require ice climbing and rock climbing skills, says Leven.
An offshoot of ski mountaineering referred to as skimo that involves racing is set to debut for the first time as an Olympic sport at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games. Her friends skinned up on their skis, and they all enjoyed a moonlit run down empty slopes. By the next year, Abell had invested in alpine touring skis to make it easier to get up the mountain and venture into the backcountry, too.
Every year, she and a group of friends take part in the Imperial Challenge , a rite of spring in Breckenridge. The challenge involves biking or running from the Breckenridge Recreation Center to the base of Peak 7 at Breckenridge Ski Resort before transitioning to ski gear to walk or for some, run uphill to the top of Peak 8.
