Ski mountaineering, sometimes referred to as "Skimo," is a rapidly growingly popular uphill-and- downhill winter endurance sport. Usually calling for camping, it combines hiking, climbing, and skiing ability. Skimo racing athletes run timed competitions on recognised courses over challenging winter alpine terrain. Part of the competitions include individual mass start events, sprint circuit races, team relay circuit races.
Confident ascent and descent of steep hills requires especially skis, skins, ice axes, and crampons. Depending on the strategy, you could also need ropes and other climbing gear to rappell down or climb challenging rock or ice.
While the Cascades have long history of leisurely ski mountaineering, the competitive form of the sport is somewhat new. Inspired by military customs, Skimo contests let troops race across alpine terrain using both skiing and climbing techniques.
Though still relatively new, this winter endurance sport has advanced equipment and training remarkably already. While skis and boots have evolved wider and lighter, greater material science generates real jumps in technical proficiency. The obvious physical challenges of this exercise have also driven substantial improvements in diet, training, and mental preparation.
You definitely must utilise suitable boot fit and ski crampons for the uphill sections of your journey. A decent boot will be grippy on both rock and snow, even if simple cross-country boots might allow you climb more steep hills. A mountain guide provides excellent means of help in selecting the best equipment and safety recommendations for backcountry skiing.
The most important element of every ski mountaineering adventure is a decent respect of the mountains. Learn about the objectives you are working on, weather and avalanche conditions as much as you can. Use the red flag idea; stay alert and sensitive; find when events or observations your intuition or mind finds to be irrelevant actually point to approaching danger.
Many ski mountaineers compete in sprint events shaped after a cross-country skiing race in heats and finals, even though at higher altitudes. Physiological study has focused on the variables affecting performance with an eye towards great maximum oxygen absorption and high VO2max.
Apart from specialist tools like ice axes and crampons, which enable ski mountaineers be competent and confident in navigating difficult slopes, They must be versed with avalanche safety measures, know how to evaluate the condition of the weather and snow, and choose appropriate routes.
Often requiring several hours of uphill skiing and descents, ski mountaineers have to balance energy expenditure with recovery during events. Lower temperatures and drier air of higher elevations could cause athletes to lose more water through perspiration, therefore leading to dehydration.
Among the training approaches meant to improve performance are long-distance aerobic training sessions at or beyond the aerobic threshold and a variety of strength exercises. Many ski mountaineers also use a specific form of cross-country skiing with a longer stride length and shorter propulsive phase to more quickly overcome gravity. We refer to this sort of skinning as Given the demands of ski mountaineering, this is the ideal form of training.
