Ice Axes to Explosions: 'Mountain Games' were weekend of Crazy Fun

“Day two of the Winter Mountain Games presented by Eddie Bauer started in a snowstorm and ended in flames.” That was the lead in a press release put out by the organizers of this wild, weekend-long event held twice a year in Vail, Colo.

We just got back, and once again the Mountain Games proved to be a highlight of the winter. After three days of athletic competition, live concerts, film showings, and gear demos on-slope it all wrapped up on Sunday night.

With events like the Games’ famous Telemark Big Air, artificial “ice” climbing, an uphill snow sprint run, and the whacky, spectator-friendly Downhill Snow Bike Slalom, the Games bring together some unique niche sports seen likely no where else.

GearJunkie contributing editor Sean McCoy spent three days competing in the Ultimate Mountain Challenge, a test of endurance that includes a 10-kilometer Nordic Sprint, a marathon-length Ski Mountaineering race, and a 2,000-vertical-foot running race up the front face of Vail Mountain.

A participant-oriented sporting showcase, thousands of people from Colorado and across the United States lined up to test mettle against elite athletes and fellow average-Joes.

McCoy finished in sixth place in his division. He noted the event gave him “a unique look into the incredible athleticism of the elite competitors while testing the many pieces of equipment that made the race possible.”

Expect updates this week with details from McCoy’s race-heavy weekend, gear reviews, and other stories from our coverage at the Games.

—GearJunkie editor Stephen Regenold wrote on his experience in the Games’ ski-mountaineering race last year in the article “Big Ups, Big Downs: Welcome to the Sport of ‘SkiMo’.”

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