2025 RACE DAY DETAILS

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

• This is a mass start first to the finish line race. 
• There will be five stages with split times recorded as racer pass/tag at the stage transition.
• Racers are free to choose the most efficient gear for each stage of the race with the following caveats:
  • Racers must have skis or snowboards on their feet on any designated ski trail.
  • Solos and duos must carry all the gear they need from the start.
• Racers Must have their bib visible from the front when passing through stage transition zones.
• Racers must notify race officials at the previous stage transition zone if they choose to withdraw from the race.
• Racers must stay within the “normal bounds” of below treeline trails along the designated course route.
• Above the treeline, racers must follow the established and marked ski track and/or boot pack.
• The race course travels over a trail network open to the public, and racers must respect and give way to the general public.
• The Organizers reserve the right to force a competitor to withdraw for health or safety reasons or for requiring extended time to finish.
• No external racer support. 
• If racers encounter an injured or incapacitated racer, they must report the nature of the situation to the next available race official.
• Racers will not be permitted to start above treeline climbs (Stages 2 and 4) after 2pm.

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:

• Skis are optional for relay teams. 
• Solos and duos must carry all the gear necessary for Stages 2-5

Rules

• Run, Snowshoe, or Skin
• Racers must stay within the bounds of the designated hiking trails.
• In single-track sections of trail, racers must give way to faster racers from behind as soon as it's safe to do so.
• Racers must follow the designated route around the perimeter of the Hermit Lake courtyard.
• Skis are optional for relay teams. Solos and duos must carry all the gear necessary for  Stages 2-5.

Alternate routes could include:

• Ending Stage 1 at Hermit Lake Shelter
• Ending Stage 1 at Lions Head Winter Route
• Tuckerman Ravine Trail to Huntington Ravine Trail

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:

• Beacon(transmitting), probe, and avalanche shove
• Crampons and a self-arrest tool (ice axe, whippet, or similar)
• Locking Carabiner
• Harness and Rope ascending device - International Mountain Climbing School will provide harnesses and material for a Prusik loop at registration if you do not have these items (thanks IMCS!)
• Helmet
• Insulating layer, weather-blocking layer

Rules

• Racers must pass through an avalanche beacon check before entering avalanche terrain.
• The mountain guides managing the line will determine the maximum number of racers allowed on any fixed line at one time. Racers will be allowed to tie in on a first-to-arrive (ready-to-climb), first-to-proceed basis and must follow all directions of the race safety staff.
• Rs will conduct a gear safety check before tying into the fixed line. Racers who fail the safety check will correct the deficiency and re-enter at the back of the queue. 

Alternate routes could include:

• Hermit Lake to the Alpine Garden via a right-side gully.
• Lions Head Winter/Summer Trail back to transition at Hermit Lake or Connection Cache (fixed line protection crossing slide path)
• Lions Head Winter with a nonski descent of Connection Gully to transition at Connection Cache
• Boott Spur Gullys 1,2 or 3 to Boot Spur Trail with transition at the top of Hillman’s Highway
• Boott Spur Gullys 1,2 or 3 to Boot Spur Connector back to Hermit Lake Transition
• Lions Head Winter Route to Alpine Garden Trail to Escape Hatch Descent

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:

• Skis or a Snowboard appropriate for skiing steep expert-level alpine terrain
• Beacon(transmitting), probe, and avalanche shovel
• Helmet
• Insulating layer, weather-blocking layer

Alternate routes could include:

• The lower-angle snowfields and shrub glades on the flanks of the Tuckerman bowl
• The Little Headwall
• Hillmans Highway
• The Huntington Ravine Fire Road

Rules

• Racers must pass through or around all control gates along the course
• The race takes place on terrain and trails open to the public. Racers must follow the skier's responsibility code at all times.
• Racers must pass a beacon check before beginning this stage.

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 

• Beacon(transmitting), probe, and avalanche shove
• Crampons and a self-arrest tool (ice axe, whippet, or similar)
• Helmet
• Insulating layer, weather-blocking layer

Rules

• The race takes place on terrain and trails open to the public. Racers must follow the skier's responsibility code at all times.
• Racers must pass a beacon check before beginning this stage.

Alternate routes could include:

• Lions Head Winter/Summer Trail back to transition at Hermit Lake or Connection Cache (fixed line protection crossing slide path)
• Boott Spur Gullys 1,2 or 3 to Boot Spur Trail with transition at the top of Hillman’s Highway
• Boott Spur Gullys 1,2 or 3 to Boot Spur Connector back to Hermit Lake Transition
• Lions Head Winter Route to Alpine Garden Trail to Escape Hatch Descent

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:

• Skis or Snowboard appropriate for skiing steep expert level alpine terrain
• Beacon(transmitting), probe, and avalanche shovel
• Helmet
• Insulating layer, weather-blocking layer

Rules

• Racers must pass through or around all control gates along the course
• If the little headwall is not “in” racers must dismount ski’s /snowboard at or before the connection cache and downclimb the Tuckerman Ravine trail to the Sherburne Ski Trail.
• The race takes place on terrain and trails open to the public. Racers must follow the skier's responsibility code at all times.
• Racers must pass a beacon check before beginning this stage.

Alternate routes could include:

• The lower-angle snowfields and shrub glades on the flanks of the Tuckerman bowl
• The Little Headwall
• Lower Boott Spur Gullys
• The Huntington Ravine Fire Road