Winter 2024 is at the door and, with that, there is a number of skimo highlights that ambitious recreational and pro athletes should already have marked in red in their race calendar. Select events are backed by DYNAFIT as lead sponsor and partner. Among those are Jennerstier in Berchtesgaden, Germany; the Streif Vertical Up in Kitzbühel, Austria; Italy’s Sellaronda Skimarathon, plus the Patrouille des Glaciers in Switzerland in April as the crowning glory of the skimo season.

One of the first competitive spectacles of the season, sponsored by DYNAFIT, will await athletes on the third weekend in February in Berchtesgaden. Backed by the brand, the 18th annual “Jennerstier” (Beast of Jenner) will be crowned. This race on the edge of the only German Alpine national park – Berchtesgaden National Park – is the oldest and most demanding ski race in Germany. It kicks off on Saturday, Feb. 17, with a premier on German soil with a mixed relay. Participants will be pros on two-person teams (with a man and a woman) on a course with 180 meters of vert. At the conclusion of this, recreational athletes will race the same course as a three-person relay. Sunday, the legendary individual event will take place. Over seven kilometers with 1,600 meters of vert, participants will fight over the title of German champion as well as the traditional title of “Beast of Jenner.” Participants will also accumulate points toward the Alpencup (“Alpine Cup”) and can qualify directly for a starting position at the “La Grande Course.”

Date: February 17-18, 2024
Location: Jenner, Berchtesgaden, Germany
Participants: Pro and recreational athletes
Course / Disciplines: Mixed relays, pros and recreational; kids race; individual

To registration

On Feb. 24, the Streif run on Hahnenkamm, Kitzbühel, Austria – one of the most difficult and dangerous ski race courses in the world – transforms into a stage for the legendary Streif Vertical Up, powered by DYNAFIT. With a distance of 3,312 meters and a grade up to 85 percent, it boasts 860 meters of elevation gain at full speed to the finish line. The special feature here: Whether on touring skis, snowshoes, Nordic skis with skins, or wearing running shoes with spikes, you just have to get to the top under your own power. Even the line taken on the piste is up to each participant. Required are only headlamps and helmets because the starting gun goes off after it’s dark.

Date: February 24, 2024
Location: Kitzbühel, Austria
Participants: Pro and recreational athletes
Course / Disciplines: 3,312 meters, 860 meters of vert / Speed class & Backpack class

To registration

On March 22, in the Italian town of Canazei, the starting gun will go off at 6 p.m. for the Sellaronda Skimarathon. The adrenalin-filled race takes place on the famous Sella Loop in the largest ski area of the world called the Super Ski in the Dolomites. Competing on two-person teams (men, women or mixed), athletes take on 42 kilometers on the piste with a total of 2,700 meters of vert across four Dolomite passes: the Grödnerjoch, Campolongo Pass, Pordoi Joch, and Sellajoch. In addition, the course winds through the local Ladin village centers of  Canazei/Fassatal, Wolkenstein/ Grödnertal, Corvara/Alta Badia and Arabba/Buchenstein.

Date: March 22, 2024
Location: Canazei, Italy
Participants: 1,300 participants on two-person teams
Course / Discipline: 42k, 2,700 meters of vert / on-piste

To registration

The Patrouille des Glaciers, known as PDG, is the more renown ski mountaineering race in the world and is very much a life’s dream for many skimo athletes. This demanding race is run every two years, organized by the Swiss army. It combines alpine challenges with a spectacular backdrop and a strong emphasis on teamwork: Every Patrouille, or “patrol,” consists of three members who together form a team entry. Originally, the PDG was purely a military race, but it has developed over time to allow civilian Patrouilles to enter. The PDG will celebrate its 40-year anniversary in 2024.

Date: April 15-21, 2024
Location: Zermatt / Arolla / Verbier, CH
Participants: Civilian and military Patrouilles, each with three members
Course / Discipline: Course Z from Zermatt over Arolla to Verbier (Grande Patrouille): 57.5K / 4,386 meters of vert, Course A from Arolla to Verbier (petite Patrouille): 29.6K / 2,200 meters of vert

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#SPEEDUP

La Belle Etoile: January 27-28, 2024

Explore the hidden corners of the Belledonne Massif. Authentic ski mountaineering, venturing away from the slopes and into the heart of the mountains!

Andorra Skimo: February 17-18, 2024 // cancelled due to lack of snow

A long-distance race format for teams of 2 or 3 people. The aim of Andorra Skimo is to go around Andorra in stages with touring skis, joining the three ski resorts of the principality as well as the two valleys.