climbing up mountains and then skiing down them
Ski mountaineering is a skiing discipline that involves climbing mountains either on skis or carrying them, depending on the steepness of the ascent, and then descending on skis. There are two major categories of equipment used: free-heel telemark skis and skis based on alpine skis, where the heel is free for ascents, but is fixed during descent. Ski mountaineering is an activity that variously combines ski touring, telemark, backcountry skiing, and mountaineering.
In 2026, ski mountaineering racing—a distinct sub-discipline—made its debut in the 2026 Winter Olympics.
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