Ski mountaineering, or skimo, makes its Olympic debut at the Milano Cortina 2026 Games, blending uphill skiing, hiking and rapid descents. Events will take place in Bormio, Italy, starting from 19 February, featuring sprint and mixed relay races. The sport highlights lightweight equipment and quick transitions, adapting traditional backcountry practices for modern competition.
The Winter Olympics have long showcased demanding disciplines, from high-speed skeleton runs to acrobatic freestyle skiing. Now, ski mountaineering introduces a fresh challenge at Milano Cortina 2026: athletes must ascend mountains on skis, hike rugged sections and then descend swiftly on compact skis.
Rooted in the practical origins of skiing before chairlifts, skimo evolved from 19th-century backcountry travel. The International Ski Mountaineering Federation (ISMF) modernized it for Olympic appeal, emphasizing accessibility and spectacle. In Bormio, from 19 February, on-piste sprint and mixed relay events will demonstrate the sport's intensity.
ISMF director Ramone Cooper explains the distinctions from alpine or Nordic skiing. "Compared to downhill skiing, where you have the stability and strength in a wider, heavier ski with strong bindings and strong boots, ski mountaineering is all about moving through the mountains in really lightweight equipment," he says. Transitions between phases—ascent, boot-packing and descent—are crucial. Athletes use 'skins,' grippy strips under skis for uphill traction with free heels. For boot-packing, they remove skis, backpack them and switch boots to walk mode. Before descending, skins are peeled off and stored in suit pouches, heels locked in.
In the ongoing World Cup, French competitors Emily Harrop and Thibault Anselmet won the women's and men's sprints plus the mixed relay at the latest event. France, Spain, Italy and Switzerland lead the circuit, with Italian athletes poised for home support in Bormio.
Climate change shapes skimo's future, with shrinking snowlines prompting adaptations. Cooper notes, "We have events that start off snow... The sprint and mixed relay... have been run within resort areas where there is snowmaking. That’s... the reality of how the snow is now." As the sport eyes expansion to French Alps 2030, it balances tradition with environmental realities, requiring minimal infrastructure for resilience.
