"The sport originated thousands of years ago in Europe by necessity when hunters used long skis to travel and explore over mountain passes, placing animal skins on the bottoms of their skis for traction when climbing. Military units used similar gear to patrol the Alps in the late 1800s, sometimes engaging in speed competitions, which were likely the prototypes for the format of the Olympic skimo debut this February."
"Both high-speed, competitive skimo and classic, longer form ski mountaineering surged in popularity during the Covid-19 pandemic, when resorts closed for downhill skiing and riding. While many ski areas across the world offer uphill access on their slopes-typically on one or two designated runs and before or after lift operating hours-there are a few places where the uphill-curious can get a feel of the sport during the day."
"Copper Mountain leads the charge of America's resort-bound ski touring options. Uphill enthusiasts have Ski Patroller Shauna Bocksch to thank for this. Not only does Copper's uphill access include daytime hours, but offers six well-designed trails exclusively for uphill travel as well as two more on resort slopes that are open before and after the lift operating hours."
Ski mountaineering originated thousands of years ago in Europe when hunters used long skis with animal skins for traction to traverse mountain passes. Military units adopted similar techniques in the late 1800s, eventually leading to competitive formats that inspired the Olympic skimo debut in 2026. The sport encompasses both high-speed competitive racing and longer recreational touring through remote alpine areas. During the Covid-19 pandemic, both competitive and recreational ski mountaineering surged in popularity as downhill resorts closed. Today, several ski resorts worldwide offer designated uphill access on slopes during daytime hours, providing safe environments for enthusiasts to learn climbing and descending techniques using alpine touring gear or splitboards. Copper Mountain, Colorado leads American resorts in offering comprehensive uphill access programs.
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