5 - 7 PM - Registration and Bib Pick-up at Ledge Brewing at 15 Town Hall Road, Intervale, NH
6 AM - Pinkham Parking Lot Open
7:30 AM - Late Registration / Bib Pick-up at Pinkham Notch Parking Lot
9 AM - Race Start - Pinkham Notch
3 PM - Après Party at Ledge Brewing at 15 Town Hall Road, Intervale, NH
5 PM - Awards at Ledge Brewing at 15 Town Hall Road, Intervale, NH
The race starts on the lawn at Pinkham Notch (at the end of the Sherburne Ski Trail). Racers follow the Blanchard loop trail around the perimeter of the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center and proceed up the Tuckerman Ravine Trail to the designated hike-to-ski transition near Connection Cache.
Race volunteers will direct racers around the perimeter of the Hermit Lake Shelter courtyard and up the designated route to the Stage 2 transition.
Required Equipment:
Rules
Alternate routes could include:
After passing through an avalanche beacon check, racers ascend one of the gulleys on the right side of Tuckerman Ravine to the alpine garden.
After topping out of the gulley, racers climb the snow roughly, following the Lion's Head and Tuckerman Ravine Trail to the summit. After passing the summit, racers descend the upper portions of the Tuckerman Ravine trail on foot to the top of the southeast snowfield and the transition to Stage 3.
Along the Stage 2 course, racers will negotiate one or more mountaineering skills challenges. These challenges could include tying into and ascending or traversing using a fixed line, a self-arrest challenge, and/or using a handline to ascend or descend a steep slope.
Guides from the International Mountain Climbing School (IMCS) will observe and assist racers in tying into the line and perform a safety check before racers ascend or traverse using the line. The guides will also limit the number of racers tied into the line so that the safe working load of the line and anchor are not exceeded. Racers proceed up the line on a first-to-arrive-ready-to-climb, first-to-proceed basis. Any racer failing the gear safety check will correct the safety deficiency and reenter the queue at the back of the line. The terrain selected for the fixed line will be consistent with the terrain used to teach entry-level mountaineering skills.
Time Cut-Off: Racers are not permitted to start above treeline stages after 2pm.
Required gear:
Rules
Alternate routes could include:
Racers descend from the top of the southeast snow field via one of the standard ski lines (determined the week of the race based on prevailing conditions) through Tuckerman Ravine, including a section of giant slalom alpine race gates, over little headwall to the exit of the Hurricane Irene Slide path. If “connection/little headwall” is not “in” then racers dismount from skis/snowboard and down-climb the Tuckerman Ravine trail to Hermit Lake Shelter.
The Race Director will determine the exact route of the ski leg on the day before the event, and a conditions and safety review will be conducted the morning of the event.
The ski course may include multiple uphill/downhill transitions as conditions allow.
Stage 3 finishes at the top of the Sherburne Ski Trail near Hermit Lake Shelter.
Required Equipment:
Alternate routes could include:
Rules
If a course in avalanche terrain is selected, it will only be used if the USFS public avalanche advisory has rated it “Low” on the US 5 scale avalanche danger rating system or can be moved to an area that mitigates or avoids the stated avalanche concern for the day. If under a Low rating, there are still isolated pockets of avalanche concern, it is possible the route may still be avoided for another course option. This will be decided through avalanche resources available to the Race Safety Team and Race Director. Additional hazards included in the risk assessment will include icefall, course surface conditions (long sliding fall risk), crevasses, undermining, and weather.
Stage 4 is the second section of alpine snow climbing. Ideally, this stage starts at the exit of the Hurricane Irene slide path onto the upper Sherburne Ski Trail below the little headwall. Racers proceed up the Hurricane Irene slide path and connect into Hillman’s Highway to a transition ledge created by volunteers for this purpose.
Time Cut-Off: Racers are not permitted to start above treeline stages after 2pm.
Required Equipment
Rules
Alternate routes could include:
The final stage is the ski descent to Pinkham Notch. Racers will ski from the top of the Stage 4 climb down Hilman's Highway and the Sherburne Ski Trail to the finish at Pinkham Notch.
Required Equipment:
Rules
Alternate routes could include:
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