Saturday, May 17th, 2025

Overview

registration opens jan 15th, 2025 at noon

2024 RESULTS

Introducing the first 100% backcountry technical ski mountaineering race in the United States. Taking place on the southern flanks of Kulshan (Mount Baker) in the North Cascades, the Kulshan Randonnée will be a race like nothing else out there. 33 teams of three racers will tour together through the Mount Baker National Recreational Area. You’ll ascend up the Squak and Easton Glaciers and the Park Butte Lookout then descend some of the best ski descents in the area to bring you back down.

Come race up a glaciated Cascade volcano and put the ski mountaineering back in skimo!

Detailed information for the course, skill and gear requirements, logistics, and more can be found in our Racer Manual.

course

This race is held on the traditional homelands of the Nuxwsa’7aq (Nooksack), the Lhaq'temish (Lummi), the Upper Skagit, the Sauk Suiattle, and Nłeʔkepmx Tmíxʷ (Nlaka’pamux) tribes. Though each of the tribes had a slightly different name for what is now called Mount Baker, Kulshan is the most close approximation historians have landed on. Kulshan possibly meant “shooting place” where it was an important hunting ground or perhaps meant “where an arrow has struck”, indicating the ‘bleeding’ when the mountain would erupt. We encourage you to learn more about these tribes, their land, and their history, and pay proper respect as we travel through the ice, snow and trees.

Interactive map can be found on Caltopo. 11,000’ gain, 22 miles.

There is not another ski mountaineering race out there that will take you over a glacier covered active volcano. The course was designed by Cascade Mountain Ascents guides in conjunction with SnowGoat Skimo to showcase some of the best Pacific Northwest volcano skiing. This is Big Kid terrain with crossing two crevassed glaciers* and multiple ridges and valleys where a rescue would be very complicated. The competition is a graduate level race where teams should come prepared with ample big mountain experience skiing, navigating, and climbing to prepare themselves for the challenge.

*Safety Note: Teams will be required to rope up as a team for the ascent on the Squak Glacier. Teams can ski down unroped if they choose to. Potentially hazardous crevasse crossings might have fixed ropes teams can utilize. While this is a race, teams will be expected to lend aid or assistance if they find another team in a life threatening situation until rescuers arrive.

Skills assessment

Teams will be required to pass a Skills Stations at Check in Friday in Concrete.

Setup for glacial travel (proper knots, distance between skiers, extra rope secured, etc)
Simple crevasse rescue 3:1 haul system setup (anchor setup, transfer of load, 3:1 system creation)
Rope ascension (ascend rope fixed amount using prussiks/ascenders)

If a team fails a Skill Station, they will have one opportunity to re-test once everyone else has tested. If a team fails their re-test, they will not be allowed to race on Saturday and their entry fee is forfeited.

Schedule

Friday, May 16th (subject to change)
1200 | Check In & Skill Stations Opens in Concrete, WA
1700 | Check In Closes, Dinner
1800 | Race Briefing

Register

Registration opens at noon on Wednesday, January 15th, 2025 (Pacific Time)

Team registration cost: $1,200

Finding a team of 3 can be difficult. We hope interested racers will use our Free Agent team finder to help assemble the team of three. Post your information and ability and feel free to contact others on the form who seem like they might fit your team profile.

Categories will include Men, Women, and Coed.

Volunteer

A race of this magnitude will take an army of volunteers to help support these skimo racers. No matter whether you are a skier, splitboarder, or don’t ride at all, we have jobs that will be incredibly fun for you to help out with. Most critical is having a core group of mountain athletes that can help with the course marking on Thursday and Friday before the race! We will post a link to our volunteer signup in January.