Irwin Skimo race slated for April 13

Springtime skimo racing

In case you had forgotten, and by you I mean ski mountaineering (skimo) racers, the 2013 Irwin Lodge La Sportiva Rando Race scheduled to open the Colorado Ski Mountaineering Cup (COSMIC) series season back in December was postponed until Saturday, April 13.
Thanks to 344 inches of total snowfall since the initial date, the venue is looking good for the race and the courses are slated to be similar to the race last winter.
“Same course as what we had scheduled,” explains race director Bryan Wickenhauser. “Three lap clover-leaf going to the top of Scarp Ridge each time.”
The second loop, just as in years past, will include a bootpack section through the cliffs of East Barkmarker and the entire race class course will have 5,000 vertical feet of climbing and descending.
There will be a recreation course as well that will incorporate the first two loops, including the boot pack, for a total of 3,500 vertical feet of climbing and descending.
As for the weather, anything is possible in the high country around Irwin. Racers could show up to a foot of fresh on race day or they could be in for warm temps, bluebird skies and corn skiing.
Either way, the race is unique in that it is entirely off piste and away from it all.
You can register for the race at zapevent.com and there is still room for athletes to get a snowcat ride up to the venue. Thirty-six spots are available on the Irwin snowcats. Otherwise, skimo racers must make it to the venue on their own, in any way available.
The race is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. unless extreme conditions require organizers to adjust the start time accordingly.
“It’s remote backcountry ski mountaineering,” says Wickenhauser. “The essence of European style ski mountaineering racing. And it’s in your backyard.”