Ski Mountaineering
BMC Ski Mountaineering Genesis
SkiMo has been a feature of the British snowsports season for some years now, thanks to the efforts of Di Gilbert, Louella Hamilton and Skimo Scotland.
Since 2012, a hardy bunch of lycra clad competitors have been taking to the slopes to pit themselves against the Scottish conditions, in a variety of races including individual and vertical.
Whilst the scene has thrived, it has remained relatively small, lacking a framework for development of the sport and its athletes.
Unlike in the European Alps, where Skimo is a well-resourced pursuit with formed competitive teams, the British scene has remained entirely amateur. Those who have raced internationally, have done so independently, with the British Mountaineering Council acting as the representative body, issuing race licences, and providing support in the form of race suits.
It was widely acknowledged that, for the sport to develop, more structure was required.
Back in 2013 Di Gilbert (SkiMo Scotland Rep) first began pushing for support and a route to getting Skimo and Skimo athletes more representation. Meetings with Sport Scotland and Mountaineering Scotland, amongst others, followed. Unfortunately, nothing took off, and the project went back into hibernation.
It was only in 2023, when a chance meeting between Di Gilbert and Andy Syme, President of the BMC, in the CIC Hut led to a rekindling of effort.
Catalysed by the announcement that Skimo was to be trialled as an Olympic event, the BMC offered additional assistance, support and resource, and collectively set about finding athletes and supporters who might want to be involved.
The BMC Skimo Steering Group was born!
The initial Steering Group meeting was held in May of 2023, with mixed representation from across the Skimo and outdoors community. First, a terms of reference document was developed, with the relatively modest aims of promoting the sport, providing a framework for athletes to develop, and looking forward to the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milano Cortina.
Since then, the Steering Group has grown, become more organised, and begun to put in place the structures required to truly grow the sport of Ski Mountaineering Racing in GB.
A big thank-you to the team of enthusiastic volunteers who have got the project off the ground, and continue to take the sport from strength to strength.
Overview
Ski Mountaineering Racing (SkiMo Racing) is the competitive, racing form of ski touring open to athletes of all levels. Competitors use specifically designed, lightweight race skis, skins and boots to ascend and descend over mountainous terrain as quickly as possible.
SkiMo has its roots in the Winter Olympics of 1924, held in Chamonix, in the guise of the Military Patrol competition. Teams of Alpine troops competed against each other skiing through the mountains and with a rifle shooting competition at the end. Following three further Olympic iterations, the sport evolved into Biathlon - a Nordic skiing discipline, and SkiMo continued in the form of the long distance races such as la Patrouille des Glaciers and the Trofeo Mezzalama.
The discipline has continued to develop across Europe and the Americas, with a range of races held each week throughout Europe for every level of competitor. Races vary in length and complexity from the super short 10 minute sprint race, through to several hours or multiple days in more complex individual and sprint races. There are also many uphill only races (vertical races) held in ski resorts and communities in evenings throughout the European winter.
The international governing body for Ski Mountaineering racing (the ISMF) oversees the regulation of the sport, safety of races and runs inter-country championships and the world cup series.
Whilst SkiMo is primarily a competitive sport, based on classic ski touring, it is also has a strong grassroots community who use the sport as a means of enjoying exploring the mountain and racing with friends. Events are held across Scotland and all over the Alps; for racing in the UK, visit Skimo Scotland’s events page for inspiration.
GB Ski Mountaineering Team
British athletes have competed in ISMF European and World championships, the series of six races constituting La Grande Course and multiple smaller European and North American races for decades. This has been with the support of the BMC in obtaining an international race licence.
However, until 2023 there had not been a formal selection process in place for athletes wishing to compete for Great Britain on the international stage. We now aim to formalise this process to allow equitable and transparent team selection and opportunities.
How to get involved
There is a race in the SkiMo calendar for every level of athlete - from those wishing to try the sport for the first time, to elite athletes competing for their country on the world stage.
Recreational SkiMo
The SkiMo race scene is enabled and championed by SkiMo Scotland (www.skimoscotland.co.uk). This race series is held in Scotland each winter. They warmly welcome both newcomers and seasoned competitors.
This series is a brilliant opportunity to see what a race involves, and try it out. For many, this is a chance to have a fun race using their everyday touring kit, without having to invest in race kit without knowing if they enjoy the sport.
GB SkiMo
Races organised by the ISMF (international ski mountaineering federation) or ‘La Grande Course’ races require competitors to have a racing licence from their home country’s SkiMo federation.
The ISMF races include a ‘World Cup’ series and a biannual European or World Championships. These competitions see teams of athletes competing for their country in sprint, individual, team and vertical races. Each country can put forward 4 male and 4 female athletes for competition in each discipline (sprint, individual etc) at these championships. More details about these race formats can be found here ISMF (ismf-ski.org).
La Grande Course is a series of six long-standing team races held over a two year rolling cycle. Some of these are multi-day stage races across whole mountain ranges. Frequently one of these races is chosen as the ISMF Long Distance Team Championship for that particular season, and with their historical significance these races can be considered to be the Monuments of the sport.
In order to compete in these races, athletes need to have a licence from their home federation. This is essentially to ensure that those applying to compete have the necessary skills and experience to take on the often complex terrain.
In the UK, athletes wishing to be considered for an ISMF licence should complete this application form and send it to skimo@thebmc.co.uk.
Policies and forms
These forms are not yet available, please contact skimo@thebmc.co.uk for details.
ISMF licence individual athlete application policy
ISMF licence individual athlete application form
GB selection pathway/policy