Ski Touring
Ski mountaineering: What you need to know about the trend sport
Ski mountaineering goes beyond traditional ski touring. It’s a demanding contest with the mountain, the weather and one’s own limits.
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Anyone who has ever climbed through fresh snow on skins knows the feeling – the steady rhythm of each step, the deep silence of the mountains and the calm anticipation before the descent. In competitive ski mountaineering, or SkiMo as it’s known internationally, that same feeling defines a sport that pushes athletes to their limits – and beyond.
Rapid transitions are a must for SkiMo success
© Stefan Voitl/Red Bull Content Pool
Today, ski mountaineering has evolved into a precise, tactical and high-intensity endurance discipline that’s rapidly growing in popularity on the global stage.
01
How does ski mountaineering work?
Ski mountaineering combines uphill climbing and downhill skiing using lightweight equipment and climbing skins that allow athletes to ascend steep slopes without slipping. At the top, racers quickly remove the skins, adjust their bindings and ski back down through challenging alpine terrain.
Some sections require carrying skis on the back, and transitions between climbing and skiing are crucial – every second counts. Depending on the format, races can last from a few minutes to over an hour, testing endurance, speed, precision and tactical awareness in the heart of the mountains.
9 min
Paul Verbnjak
This exciting Austrian ski mountaineer is a rising star in a sport that’s rapidly taking the world stage.
02
Is ski mountaineering the same as ski touring?
While ski touring is a recreational activity focused on exploring the mountains at your own pace, ski mountaineering is a competitive, high-performance sport. In ski touring, the goal is often the experience itself – enjoying the climb, the scenery and the descent. In contrast, ski mountaineering demands speed, precision and strategy, with athletes racing against the clock and each other.
The equipment for ski mountaineering is even lighter and more specialised, transitions are timed to the second, and courses are designed to test endurance, technique and tactical skill. In short, ski touring is about the journey; ski mountaineering is about pushing physical and mental limits in a race against time.
“Basically, it’s like ski touring, but with a time limit,” explains Paul Verbnjak. “You climb the mountain and ski back down – but every movement counts. Every second matters, especially in sprint races or the mixed relay, where transitions are key.” In ski mountaineering, these changeovers are the equivalent of pit stops in Formula One – absolutely crucial. There’s no time to waste between the climb and the descent: skins must be stripped cleanly, bindings switched in a flash and skis shouldered in one smooth motion.
Ski mountaineering has become increasingly professional over the past decade – driven by lighter equipment, deeper competition fields, and shorter, more spectator-friendly race formats. The sprint and mixed relay, now official Winter Games disciplines, were specifically developed to make the sport faster, more dynamic and better suited for television.
03
Common beginner mistakes and how to avoid them
Beginners in ski mountaineering often make a few common mistakes that can be easily avoided with the right preparation and mindset. One of the biggest issues is starting with equipment that’s too heavy or not suited for racing, which makes ascents far more demanding than necessary. Choosing lightweight, well-fitting skis, boots and skins dramatically improves efficiency.
Another frequent mistake is poor skin management – skins that aren’t properly trimmed, cleaned or warmed can peel off mid-climb. Keeping skins dry, storing them inside your jacket, and practicing quick transitions helps prevent this.
Applying the skins
© Lorenz Richard/Red Bull Content Pool
From tip to tail
© Lorenz Richard/Red Bull Content Pool
Many newcomers also push too hard at the start, underestimating how taxing continuous uphill movement can be; pacing conservatively and focusing on steady breathing keeps energy levels stable. On descents, beginners often struggle because they don’t train enough on ultra-light race skis, which feel very different from touring gear. Regular practice on race equipment builds confidence and control.
04
The four ski mountaineering disciplines
Ski mountaineering brings together four distinct competition formats under one umbrella – each with its own unique demands, from the explosive intensity of the sprint to the gruelling endurance of the “Individual.”
The sprint is the sport’s most spectacular event: in just about three minutes, athletes must showcase every aspect of ski mountaineering – ascending on skins, carrying their skis over short sections and descending with precision. Seamless, lightning-fast transitions are absolutely crucial.
The individual, considered the premier discipline, involves climbing between 1,400 and 1,900 metres of vertical gain and navigating challenging alpine descents. Here, endurance, tactics and technical skill matter more than sheer speed.
Every ascent a challenge, every descent a reward
© Lukas Pilz/Red Bull Content Pool
Understanding different forms of skiing
The vertical focuses solely on the ascent – 700 to 1,000 metres of continuous climbing with no descent and no rest, demanding pure uphill power.
Finally, the mixed relay pairs one man and one woman, each completing two laps of a short sprint course. This event emphasises speed, timing, teamwork and flawless transitions – but unlike the standard sprint, endurance and recovery play a key role, as each athlete must race twice.
The sprint - individual race
Sprint
The most spectacular SkiMo event lasts barely more than three and a half minutes. In this explosive sprint format, athletes face off in knockout heats on a short course with an elevation gain of roughly 50 to 80 metres. Typically held on a ski slope, the race includes an ascent, a diamond section, a portage and a descent. The diamond refers to small uphill slalom turns completed with skis on, while the portage is a section where athletes must carry their skis on their backs.
Where endurance meets alpine skill
© Bartłomiej Pawlikowski/Red Bull Content Pool
Transitions – quickly putting skins on and taking them off – are absolutely critical. Here, speed and precision matter far more than endurance; every movement can cost or save precious seconds. The competition begins with a timed qualifying round that determines the top 30 athletes, followed by quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final – each contested in groups of six.
Sprint races are especially exciting for spectators: the short format allows the entire course to be seen from a single vantage point, guaranteeing fast-paced, head-to-head action from start to finish.
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Individual - the top discipline
Individual
The rhythm of skins on snow
© Lorenz Richard/Red Bull Content Pool
For ski mountaineers, the individual is considered the ultimate test – the supreme discipline of SkiMo – as it brings together all the core elements that define the sport. Races feature multiple ascents and descents, along with sections where athletes must carry their skis on their backs. Depending on the course, these climbs and descents may take place both on and off-piste.
Distances vary by category, but races typically last between 45 and 90 minutes and include 500 to 1,300 metres of vertical gain. The individual demands endurance, focus and a deep sense of how to read the terrain. Competitors must pace themselves carefully, balancing risk and control. The downhill sections, raced on ultra-light skis, require absolute precision – starting too fast or taking excessive risks can easily cost valuable time.
Vertical - the race for intermediates
Vertical
The vertical is pure uphill power – a steep ascent with the finish line waiting at the top. This format is all about the climb: no descents, no transitions, no breaks. Depending on the category, athletes face between 300 and 700 metres of continuous vertical gain, often on brutally steep terrain.
It may sound straightforward, but it’s one of the most demanding formats in ski mountaineering. Competitors push themselves to their physical and mental limits, their hearts pounding as they fight gravity and fatigue. Going full throttle for 20 to 30 minutes requires not only exceptional endurance but also unwavering focus and mental resilience.
Verbnjak is constantly striving to improve
© Stefan Voitl/Red Bull Content Pool
We don’t just push ourselves to the limit physically – the mixed relay is also incredibly demanding mentally
Mixed relay - the mixed relay team
Mixed relay
The mixed relay is all about precision, speed and teamwork. Each team consists of one woman and one man, who take turns racing around a short sprint course. Every lap lasts about seven minutes before a changeover, making timing and coordination absolutely critical. Success depends not only on individual strength and explosiveness but also on seamless teamwork – perfect communication, tactical awareness and flawless transitions. Even the smallest mistake during a handover or skin change can cost precious seconds that determine the podium.
“We don’t just push ourselves to the limit physically – the mixed relay is also incredibly demanding mentally,” says Verbnjak, one of the world’s top competitors in the discipline. For the 23-year-old Austrian, the event plays to his strengths: endurance, rapid recovery and the ability to accelerate again when it matters most – especially in the final lap.
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