About

Snoqualmie Pass Skimo is a grassroots ski mountaineering racing series formed to provide more racing opportunities in the Cascades.  While ski mountaineering races are popular in Europe and gaining popularity in the Rockies, they are few and far between in the Cascades.  A great inspiration for this series was Andy Dorais, a skimo racer from Salt Lake City, Utah.  Andy started a similar race series last year at Brighton Ski Area. His ‘citizen series’ quickly gained popularity and has now become a well-attended series in the Wasatch, introducing many to the world of ski mountaineering racing.

Ski mountaineering races are an interesting concept.  The whole idea behind them is to mimic ski mountaineering, to better prepare one physically, skill wise and gear wise to be more efficient in the mountains and accomplish big objectives.  What has happened is that skimo racing has turned into a niche ski event that you find competitors gram counting gear, practicing transitions to remove all inefficiencies, and training specifically for races.  It definitely has become a “sport”, and a sport that once you try it you’re sure to be hooked.  In any given race you might see some people in tights, skinny skis, big skis, light boots, heavy boots, telemark gear, and maybe even a splitboard or two.   Ski mountaineering races are a great way to be competitive and maintain fitness. Also, they provide the opportunity to meet other skiers, and are a great introduction to the world of light gear.  

For the most part, the races in this series will take place at night within the boundaries of the Central area at the Summit at Snoqualmie.  Occasionally races will take place outside of the ski area and/or at different times.  The race formats will vary from week to week to keep the things interesting.  Most nights we will try to keep the race times limited to two hours, and will conclude the evening with an informal awards ceremony.  

 Participation in these events is entirely voluntary, and all risk and consequences of participation in such events fall on the participant.  The Summit at Snoqualmie has graciously allowed us to use the ski area for these events, so all efforts should be made to race as safely as possible.  These safety efforts include using headlamps on all uphill portions for better visibility, obeying all ski area rules when skiing, and being respectful to all other customers of the ski area as well as ski area employees. New this year(2013-2014): helmets and a headlamp are mandatory.

So come on out and join us, give the skimo scene a try, you’re sure to have a good time, and meet some interesting people!