What is Ski Mo racing?

Photos: Mr Drew Photography / SkiMo Scotland

SkiMo (short for Ski Mountaineering) Racing is skinning up the hill, then skiing down hill as quickly as you can. You may do this once or several times depending on the race, following a marked trail (all off-piste) marshalled in places. There are short races requiring athletic skill and longer races requiring more mountain skills.

What is Ski Mo Racing?

Ski Mo races consist of four elements: skinning, boot packing, transition and downhill.

What races are there?

While recreational ski mountaineering and long-course SkiMo race events are typically carried out in high mountain terrain and involve ski-touring and mountaineering techniques such as skinning uphill, boot packing, freeride descent and roped glacier travel, Olympic ski mountaineering races take place on developed pistes.

The Sprint is an individual athlete event involving a short ascent and descent lasting around 3-4 minutes, combining all the technical elements of skinning uphill with some tricky turns and boot packing before a descent on a slalom-like course with gates and features including small jumps. In Milano-Cortina 2026, 18 athletes per sex will skin up an initial section, boot-pack a 10m section, then put their skins back on for a final ascent before a 70m downhill section. Smooth transitions will be key!

Relay is typically Teams 3 or 4 with two climbs and descent. One competitor after another. Typically 15 minutes each. The Mixed Relay in Milano-Cortina will involve 18 male-female pairs completing four loops in total on a longer 7-10 minute course. Each loop involves two ascents and two descents, with a bootpacking section on the second ascent. The women will take the first and third leg, the men the second and final.

The Vertical race is what it says on the tin, just up and up on skins or maybe bits of bootpacking only as fast as you can. Generally 700m.

The Team (2 or 3 athletes) event typically involving three ascent of around 2000m total and three descents lasting around 3 hours long, combining all the technical elements of skinning uphill with some tricky terrain steep and exposed ridges and cols needing more mountain experience. To succeed the team must work well together in all conditions.

The Individual event typically involving three ascent of around 2000m total and three descents lasting around 3 hours long, combining all the technical elements of skinning uphill with some tricky terrain steep and exposed ridges and cols needing more mountain experience.

These have more ascents and descents resulting in longer races, Some of these are multi-day stage races across whole mountain ranges and may extend into the night.

Competitors use lightweight skinny touring skis, boots, poles, skins, a helmet, sunglasses and a backpack, plus a tight and bright aerodynamic suit. No baggy insulated ski salopettes required - skiing uphill keeps the athletes very warm!