Race Details & Rules
It is important that everyone that registers for Mountain Storm ski mountaineering race reads information on this page:
- Event's Schedule
- Pre-race Meeting (mandatory attendance)
- Race Courses & Categories
- Winner & Draw Prizes
- Race Rules & Mandatory Equipment (important)
1. Event's Schedule
For all those west of Columbia Valley, don't forget, Fernie is in the Mountain Time zone!
- Mar 6th, 2009 at 7.00-9.00pm
Pre-race Meeting at Daylodge at the base of the ski area:- 7-8pm - last chance to register, buy ski area ticket, sign waivers
- 8-9pm - race courses presentation
- Mar 7th, 2009 at 8.00am
Race starts for both categories and race courses. - Mar 7th, 2009 by 11.30am
All racers expected to be back at the finish area. - Mar 7th, 2009 at 3.30pm
Awards ceremony and draw prizes at Daylodge at the base.
2. Pre-race Meeting
The pre-race meeting attendance is mandatory for every participant in order to have a smooth running event with as little interruptions as possible.
The meeting will be held at Daylodge at the base of the ski area on Mar 6th, 2009 starting at 7.00pm. This will be your last chance to register, to buy ski area tickets and to sign all the necessary waivers.
The race courses' details will be presented at the meeting thus it is essential that you attend as there will be no further race course explanations on the day of the race, unless we have to change the courses due to unsafe conditions.
Please come on time to avoid traffic and to get the best seat for the course presentation. Thank you.
3. Race Courses & Categories
Mountain Storm mountaineering race will have two main race categories - men and women - and will be raced over two courses - "Crazy" and "Sane".
We reserve the right to change the race courses at any time due to unexpected reasons or conditions.
Maps will be updated soon but 90% of the courses will be the same as last year.
"Crazy" Course:
This is a longer and a more demanding course with around 1300m of vertical climbing and the same amount for skiing. It is designed for advanced ski mountaineers that are very proficient with their equipment.
The course will feature 3 uphill sections with a possible boot-pack section.
You need to be fit and skilled mountaineer for this course. The transitions will require you putting on your climbing skins and taking them off. In case of a boot-pack section you will need to strap your skis on your ski pack.
NOTE: Expect up to 3-3.5 hours to complete this course!
"Sane" Course:
This course is designed for those that are novices to mountaineering and backcountry skiing.
With around 700m of vertical climbing on one uphill and one challenging downhill it should provide you with a great challenge as well as opportunity to have fun. No boot-pack on this course.
NOTE: Expect up to 2.5 hours for a real novice to complete this course!
4. Winner & Draw Prizes
There will be gear prizes for the top three competitors in each category over both race courses.
On top of that there will be cash prizes for the fastest three in both categories over the Crazy course:
- $150
- $100
- $50
Keep your bib numbers as there will be draw prizes at the awards ceremony party that will take place few hours after the race.
5. Race Rules & Mandatory Equipment
» Download and print this section as a PDF file.
In order to assure a fair competition and thus provide a great environment for participants to compare themselves we decided to adopt some of the ski mountaineering racing rules that are applied in Europe.
The standard rules are provided by the International Ski Mountaineering Competitions (ISMC) and are currently being adopted by the Alpine Club of Canada for the Canadian mountaineering racing scene.
Race Rules:
The rules below apply to both men and women categories as well as to the two race courses:
1. Racers must follow all the instructions given by the organizer at all times, otherwise their actions can result in penalties.
2. Mountain Storm is a ski mountaineering race with numerous ascents and descents by using mountaineering equipment and techniques.
3. Mountain Storm race is raced individually.
4. Race starts with a mass start with all participants clipped in their biddings, with their skins on.
5. All participants must follow the course set by the organizer which include several check points and will be flagged with two colours all the way - green flags are for uphills and red flags for downhills.
6. Racers must take off their skins for all the downhills marked with red flags unless organizer specifies differently. And racers must put on their skins for sections marked with green flags (except bootpack section).
7. Racers must wear bib numbers on a visible place (preferably right thigh) through the whole duration of the race. Bibs are provided by the organizer and cannot be modified at all.
8. Racers must carry or wear all mandatory equipment through the whole duration of the race, from start to finish.
9. Racers must past through all check points on their race course and follow the marking flags at all times. All check points will be formed by two downhill race gates - racers must past between them.
10. The winner of the race is the one that reaches the finish line in the fastest time (after all penalties are applied, if any), follows the course completely and passes through all check points.
11. Final results will be presented at the awards ceremony and all participants will have opportunity to voice their opinion or make protests against the final results.
12. In case of any disputes or penalty decisions the official race referee (judge) will have the final say. This official referee is appointed by the Alpine Club of Canada and has proper referee training for such ski mountaineering competitions.
13. Split-boarders must descent with their boards clipped together.
14. Gloves must be worn at all times, covering the whole hand.
15. Helmets must be worn at all times over the Crazy course.
16. Use of any type of crampons is not allowed unless otherwise specified by the organizer.
17. Avalanche beacons must be switched to transmit mode and be worn on your body during the whole race. Don't put them in your pocket!
18. If the race has to be aborted for any reason (avalanche, weather conditions...) the final results will be established based on the racers' rankings at the last check point that was past by the first racer before the race was stopped.
19. No modifications to safety equipment (beacon, probe, shovel) are allowed.
20. Breach of any of the above rules can result in time penalties that can vary from 3 minutes to disqualification. Please read below.
The following can result in a disqualification (DQ) from the race or time penalties:
- Littering and damage to environment = 5 min to DQ
- For missing, not properly wearing or not having your avalanche beacon turned on in transmit mode during the race = DQ
- For not wearing glows or a helmet at all times = 3 min to DQ
- For receiving outside assistance from a “non-racing” person. Outside assistance can be qualified as getting help with taking skins off or putting them on, waxing skis, getting food or drink, or getting/exchanging any pieces of your equipment... = 5 min to DQ
- For not providing first aid (if qualified) or helping an injured person = DQ
- For poor sportsmanship, for example, not letting obviously faster racers pass you = 3 min to DQ
- For not passing through check points and not following the marked course = 5 min to DQ
- For missing skis or boots = DQ
- For any missing part of the mandatory equipment = 3 minutes
- For not taking skins off for red marked downhills unless otherwise specified = 5 min to DQ
- For not using skins to climb on green flagged parts of the course unless otherwise specified = 3 min to DQ
- For modification of the safety equipment such as avalanche beacon, probe and shovel = DQ
- For any action deemed dangerous or threatening the safety or proper running of the race = DQ
- For any offense to the above rules which are not directly specified here = 3 min to DQ
NOTE: If you collect multiple time penalties then they will add up. For example: 3 min (poor sportsmanship) + 5 min (receiving outside assistance) = 8 min penalty.
Mandatory Equipment (minimal what you should have):
There can be very low temperatures (lower than -15 Celsius), even on a sunny day, in Fernie in March. Therefore we advise to rather carry some extra clothing than just blindly follow the below mandatory equipment list. After all, this is only a minimal list of things you should have:
- Fernie Alpine Resort trail map.
- One pair of skis, telemark skis or a split-board with metallic edges covering minimal 90% of their length and a width of at least 60 mm per ski (or a split-board section). Cross-country skis or snow-shoes are forbidden.
- Skis or split-board must be equipped with biddings that allow ascending and descending movement.
- Working avalanche beacon with at least 50% of battery capacity and avalanche probe that is at least 240cm long. Probe-poles won't be allowed as a replacement for the probe.
- Snow shovel with a blade area of 20x20 cm. Snow claw is allowed.
- One pair of boots that are high enough to cover ankles.
- One pair of ski or cross-country poles with non-metallic baskets.
- One pair of climbing skins. Use of scotch, tape or similar devices to enhance gliding is strictly prohibited. Ski wax is OK.
- Ski-pack or back-pack that allows attaching skis securely for a boot-pack and is big enough to carry all mandatory (and your other) equipment.
- Helmet (ski, climbing, cycling) is mandatory for the Crazy course participants.
- One pair of glows covering a whole hand up to the wrist.
- A warm hat that covers the whole head and ears.
- One pair of pants fitting the size of the competitor.
- Three upper body layers (two long-sleeve) fitting the size of the competitor: two breathable layers and one warm insulation layer with PolarTech 100 or equivalent.
- We also advise to have one windproof and one water proof upper body layer. The insulation, windproof and water proof layers can be combined in one piece of clothing.
- Safety straps or brakes are advised.
- One first aid kit and a survival emergency blanket are advised.
- We also advise to carry at least one liter of fluids and some food.