Regulations

As we recover from Covid-19, Skimo Scotland felt that a normal race series wasn't quite appropriate.

We plan to come together for one race in March 2022 - the Dynafit British Championships - to which these regulations are applicable.

Skimo Scotland wish to provide the opportunity for you to compete in a virtual race series, to which these regulations are guidelines. With the exception of the Dynafit British Championships at Glenshee, Skimo Scotland will not be present for any of the races, will make no decisions about overhead and underfoot conditions and will not be responsible for your decisions and safety. You are taking part in these courses completely independently and will not hold Skimo Scotland responsible in any way.

All our virtual races are free to enter but you must register your interest before starting any of the courses.

The races are open to anybody over 18 years of age.

We have shown 4 courses which are all within Ski Patrol Boundaries and are thus in secured ski areas. The Cairngorm 4000'ers is a different proposition which is highlighted separately.

It is up to the individual racer to decide when to start on a course. This can happen as soon as conditions allow but must be completed when astronomical winter ends - Sunday 20th March 2022. For once it will be up to the racer to decide if they want to race in blizzard conditions on heather or wait for a big yellow blob in the sky and have snow underfoot.

A racer can complete the individual courses as often as they like but we will record the fastest time only. See the Cairngorm 4000'er section for specifics on the team race. Hopefully it will be obvious that the clock starts when you depart and stops when you finish.

We're not going to do the series rankings this year but will publish race times.

To state the obvious, this is a Skimo race series so it implies that the mode of transport is best suited for skis. If you are attempting a course in a pair of fell shoes and running 50% of the course, questions will probably be asked. The people behind Skimo Scotland work on the Scottish mountains over the winter season so are very aware of what the snow conditions are like and will question dubious attempts. We're a self regulation community so let's play fair.

All racers should comply with current Government guidance for the transmittion of COVID-19.

Please be aware that when we race under the banner of Skimo Scotland we work very closely with all the Ski Centre Ski Patrols. We co-ordinate with them regarding courses, conditions and their general day to day operations. This will not be the case so we ask you to adhere to the Snowsports touring code as much as possible.

Please avoid pistes as much as possible - it is often possible to skin up using the snow fences as handrails just at the edge of the piste.

For many checkpoints (CP's) on the course maps we have used the bottom or top of tows. It is not necessary for you to get close to these for obvious reasons but it is more of an idea of where we want you to go.

The virtual races are just for fun and it is up to the individual racer to decide what equipment is required or not. It is recommended that full race equipment is taken but Skimo Scotland will not be responsible for any decision that the racer makes. This equipment list is mandatory for the Dynafit British Championships race.

• Ski’s with metallic edges covering at least 90% of their length, and minimal width of at least 80mm in the front, 60mm under the boot and 70mm in the rear. Ski length must be of at least 160cm for men and 150cm for women. ***
• Binding which allow heel movement during ascents and are blocked for descents; they may or may not be equipped with security straps. The Binding-System must have a lateral and a front complete release system (the boot is completely separate from the ski). The lateral release (front part) has to be lockable manually without tool. If a Binding is TÜV certified, the locking mechanism is not necessary. Boots and bindings must be set according to the instruction for use given by the manufacturer in order to guarantee optimum working of the release systems and the best protection of bindings and ski structure. Note: the use of ski brakes is compulsory for official ISMF races from the 2021/22 season on but Skimo Scotland will not enforce this. Minimal weight for skis and bindings: Men: 780 grams; Women : 730 grams. Mixed bindings (front part from one manufacturer and rear part from another one) are not allowed. ***
• In case of bikini liners, only the shell must cover the ankles and have notched rubber soles. The minimum notch depth is 4mm. There must be at least 8 notches under the heel and 15 un the front part of the sole, with a minimum surface area of 1 cm2 per notch. Each boot must have at least two independent closing systems. Boots must be designed to be used with metallic crampons. ***
• A pair of ski poles 25mm in maximum diameter, and with non-metallic baskets. ***
• The skins have to cover at least 40% of the snow contact length of the ski. ***
• A rucksack with sufficient capacity to hold all the equipment required for the duration of the race, with straps for carrying skis.
• Clothing: upper body - 3 layers that fit the competitor including a windproof layer; lower body - 2 layers with long legs including a windproof layer.
• A pair of gloves covering the hand and wrist worn throughout the duration of the race.
• A helmet conforming to UIAA 106 standards and EN 1077 class B standards or CE EN 12492 and EN 1077 class B standards. Helmets must be used (chin-strap has to be fastened) during the whole race (from the start to the finish line).
• Snow shovel minimum 0.2m x 0.2m without any modification subsequent to manufacture.
• A whistle.
• Snow probe of 2.4m, minimum diameter of 10mm.
• A survival blanket of minimum 1.80m2.
• An avalanche transceiver conforming to standard EN 300718 457 kHz frequency. Each racer must wear this device under clothing in transmitting mode. This has to be equipped with a 3 antennas receiving system.
• Pair of crampons conforming to UIAA standards 153 with at least 10 points. When not used, crampons must be stored in the bag, spikes against spikes.
• A head torch in full working order.

*** Equipment required for the Vertical races only.

Due to the nature of this course we are suggesting this is done as a 2 person team race. Attempting to undertake this course is a big decision and is only suited to very experienced Skimo racers with a very good understanding of both Skimo and general mountaineering skills.

The Cairngorm Plateau is the harshest environment in the UK and racers must be 100% confident in all decision making processes that will be required to successfully complete this course. Do not set out in anything but perfect underfoot and overhead conditions.

Take appropriate equipment and if you are thinking too long on what to take, you probably aren't ready for it yet.

Teams can either be male, female or mixed. We will only record your fastest time once in each category with the same partner. We don't have any objections if you race in the male/female category and the mixed category - we will record your times. This is a new one for us, so happy to listen to what you have to say about this. Nothing is set in stone as in true Skimo Scotland fashion ….

Please refer to the individual race page for more information.

Non British Nationalities are unfortunately not eligible for British rankings.

We keep your email address on our system and do not share it to any other 3rd party. It's simply for communication purposes.

Last updated: December 2021