Butte Bound: GORE-TEX U.S. Ski Mountaineering Nationals Head To Crested Butte

2014 GORE-TEX US Ski Mountaineering Nationals, Presented by LaSportiva & Backcountry Base Camp

[Photo] Jason Simons Jones

After more than a decade at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, the U.S. Ski Mountaineering Nationals are headed to Crested Butte Mountain Resort, Colo. “We’ve wanted to mix it up and move it to a new venue,” says race director and Team Crested Butte skimo athlete Bryan Wickenhauser. “It’s great to give the sport some exposure in a new area.”

The weekend-long National Championships begin on Friday, March 14 with the vertical race, continue on Saturday with a 10-mile, individual race and wrap up on Sunday, March 16 with the pairs competition.

According to Wickenhauser, Crested Butte is the perfect location for the Championships. “Jackson Hole was always famous for their Corbett’s Couloir climbing section,” he says. “Crested Butte has the Guides Ridge, which will have a thousand feet of Sterling rope strung out on it. Competitors will be required to bring out a via ferrata kit and ascender to ascend to the peak of Crested Butte Mountain Resort.”

Even though Wickenhauser’s duties as race director will keep him from competing, he’s thrilled to have the race at his home mountain. “It means the world to us because we’re proud of where we live and where we train,” he says, speaking for his teammates on Team Crested Butte. “We’re having an amazing snow year and everyone should look forward to amazing race conditions.”

A proposed schedule of events is as follows:

Venue – CBMR Base Area for Start/Finish, and Yurts for Base Camp

Day One – Friday, March 14^th 2014

Backcountry Base Camp – Yurt/Display setup at Base of CBMR

Noon – 5:30pm – Registration for Vertical Race (location possibly in the Base Camp Yurts/Oscar Blues)

6pm – 7:15pm Vertical Race Base Area StartFinish

Noon – 7:30pm – Registration for Individual & Teams Race (Location possibly yurts)

Day Two – Saturday, March 15^th 2014

8:00am – Individual Start (Base area CBMR)

1:00pm – Course is closed

9am & 1pm Base Camp Tours

3:00pm-4:30pm – Awards for Sprint Race & Individual Races (Butte 66 deck with Pizza, Oscar Blues & Montanyas)

5:00pm Backcountry Base Camp Raffle Beer/ & Band – Salem …Montanyas stick around for this??

Day Three – Sunday, March 16^th 2014

8:00am – Teams Start (Base area CBMR)

9am & 1pm Base Camp Tours

1:30pm – Course Closed

3:00pm – 4:30pm – Awards for Teams Race (Butte 66 deck with pizza, Oscar Blues)

*** Course set up for Individual & Teams will need to take place Thursday/Fri & Saturday afternoon. We will need to discuss when the Sprint Race can be set up on Warming House Hill or similar area….

For more on the 2014 U.S. Ski Mountaineering National Championships, visit elkmountainevents.com.

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The Backcountry Basecamp, a nationwide, multi-resort tour brought to you by GORE-TEX, is also heading to Crested Butte Mountain Resort, Colo. on March 15-16. Join the editors of Backcountry Magazine for a weekend of education, safety and the newest backcountry equipment and technical apparel. For more information and an event schedule visit backcountrymagazine.com/basecamp.