Running up a 13,000 ft Mountain to Get Ready for Ski Season: How to Ski Tour EP1

Winter is in the air. Ski resorts around the country are opening up, and the autumn foliage is being tested by the blustery cold winter winds. 

As temperatures plummet and days get shorter, my mind drifts to reminiscing of the long sunny summer days, skipping town headed to mountain run in the high alpine. 

Mountain running is one of my go-to summer activities to best prepare for a winter of ski touring and ski mountaineering (also referred to as skimo, uphill skiing, or skinning): to remain acclimated to high altitudes and to get a full body cardiovascular & strength workout in one, all while getting in touch with nature, exploring the wild untouched remote place, and escaping the mundane.

With deliberate practice and dedication, completing a high altitude mountain run starting at 10,000 feet above sea level to the top of a 13,000 foot peak and back is an out of this worldly sensory and physical experience, transporting me through a variety of biotopes just as I do on a human powered ski tour. 

The journey starts off, heart and lungs begrudgingly adjusting to the effort, often overtaking a multitude of hikers. The trail is smooth, the ground is soft and often moist, the grade is mild, the thick forest providing much needed shade from the strong sun and shelter from the wind, and the animal kingdom brimming with life amongst the trees.

Settling into the flow of the run, with the steady rhythm of my footsteps and the deep breaths ensuing almost an hypnotic trance, the treeline fast approaches, the grade increases, the trees thin out, and the terrain becomes rockier and uneven. I unsheath my foldable poles from my running belt, utilizing my upper body, core, back, and arms to help propel myself forward & upwards, distributing the load and lessening the impact on my legs. 

As I break treeline at around 11,500 feet, there’s an alpine lake nestled into a beautiful scenery, the summit just above it, seemingly within an arm’s reach, but knowingly still a ways away. Wild flowers abund all around it, somehow thriving all summer long in this harsh high altitude alpine environment constantly battered by the elements. 

Headed up the ridge up the steep grade, the footing is rocky and uncertain. The jagged talus rocks, weathered by centuries of erosion, are not great holds for my pole tips, so I stow them away around my waist as I keep moving. It’s a final push to the summit, scrambling on my hands and feet, struggling to find oxygen, mind and body engaged, picking my way along the ridge line with cautious urgency. 

Finally, I’m on the summit. It’s a beautiful bluebird day. Mountain ranges all around and the town a dot down below in the distance. I layer up to protect from the wind and enjoy a snack as a reward for the effort and to keep my energy up (the summit is just the halpoint of the journey!), as I scope out spring ski lines, dreaming up turns on a white open canvas.  

Time to tighten up my shoes and enjoy the screaming descend. I tip toe my way through the rocks on the edge of control. My stabilizer muscles are engaged. My brain is sharp, anticipating twists and turns in the terrain. I’m flowing over the trail. I feel like a kid again, playing with my surroundings, and I know this tough but fun exercise will pay dividend skiing this winter.

Getting back to treeline, in the safe shelter of the forest, the terrain becomes more forgiving, the trail smoothes and opens up, and so does my stride. I now seem to float effortlessly, almost in a daze: maybe it’s the lack of oxygen, or the euphoric exhaustion of the 6 miles and 3,000 foot vertical gain round trip to the 13,000 foot peak. 

I return all the way back to the same spot I started from just a couple hours prior, although it feels like I’ve traveled through time and space. My phone notifications bring me back to reality, but the responsibilities of daily life will have to wait just a tad longer, just after a quick dip in the nearby alpine lake, the perfect end to an amazing journey.

(Editor’s note: Don’t let Davide’s zen and laid back demeanor fool you: Davide holds the fastest known time on the South Arapahoe ascend, one of his go-to 13ers for fast & light mountain runs). 

Favorite gear featured in the video:

• Akasha II
• Medal short
• Synth tee
• Vento Windbreaker Jacket

About Davide Giardini: 

Davide Giardini is a La Sportiva America ski athlete hailing from the Italian Alps. He’s a former European FIS ranked alpine ski racer and a world top 10 professional triathlete turned mountain endurance athlete. As a 2021-2022 US Ski Mountaineering National Team qualifier and founder of the Boulder Skimo Club, his goal is to get more endurance athletes stoked & educated on the sport of ski touring.