2012 Town rando race series returns with first race on mountain next week

Let’s get ready to randooooooo!

Crested Butte Mountain Resort, in conjunction with Griggs Orthopedics, is bringing back the Randonnee Town Race Series this winter and, best of all, it’s free.
The local rando race series hit its stride the winter of 2010-2011 but, for unforeseen reasons, never came together last winter.
Now it’s back and better than ever.
“It’s making a triumphant return,” says local ski mountaineering athlete and rando race fanatic Bryan Wickenhauser.
Five races are scheduled for the 2012-2013 season with the first race scheduled for Tuesday, December 18 at the base area at 7 a.m.
The series will have a mix of courses and start times throughout the entire season. While two of the five races will start and finish at the base area, one race will start and finish at Uley’s Cabin, one at the Paradise Warming House and another race is set for the Painter Boy/Ten Peaks area.
Furthermore, three races will start at 7 a.m. while two of them will start at 5 p.m. for a taste of racing under the magical evening alpenglow.
All courses will run laps of anywhere from 400-700 feet of vertical with rec classes doing three laps up and down and race classes doing four laps.
“Some of them may even have a boot pack section,” adds Wickenhauser.
Wickenhauser sees the race series as an opportunity for fledgling rando skiers to put their aerobic limits to the test in a different format.
“When you’re going up the mountain at that social pace, you’re just cruising in that fifth gear,” explains Wickenhauser. “In these races you’re gonna blow through all of the gears. It’s great training for everything from the GT (Grand Traverse) to the COSMIC race coming here in January.”
Best of all, the races are free to enter and there will be free food and beverages.
“Push those gears, push yourself and you get free food and beverages after,” says Wickenhauser.
Registration for each race will happen an hour before the start in the Elevation Hotel lobby and there will be some of the latest and greatest lightweight demo gear available to rent at the Scarpa/Ski Trab Demo Center in the Elevation Hotel.
The only requirement is all racers must have an uphill pass, which are also free and available at the resort’s season pass sales counter in the Adventure Center.

Race series schedule
• Tuesday, December 18, 7 a.m.-  9380 Start/Finish

• Tuesday, January 15, 7 a.m.-  Uley’s Cabin Start/Finish

• Tuesday, February 19, 7 a.m.- 9380 Start/Finish

• Tuesday, March 5,  5 p.m.-  Paradise Warming House Start/Finish

• Tuesday, March 19, 5 p.m.-  Ten Peaks/Painter Boy Start/Finish