ABOUT US
ABOUT US
Katashina × SKIMO
A hands-on event is held in Katashina Village to promote SKIMO (Ski Mountaineering).
We are open to a variety of participants, from beginners to advanced runners, from cross-training in trailrunning and skyrunning to those who want to compete.
We are open to a variety of participants, from beginners to advanced runners, from cross-training in trailrunning and skyrunning to those who want to compete.
What is SKIMO?
Ski Mountaineering is a mountaineering competition originating in Europe that combines skiing and mountaineering.
The skiers ascend with skins on their skis, and descend with the skins removed and heels secured. On some steep and rocky sections of the course, the skis are removed and attached to a sack, and the course is set up for boot walking through.
Skis that are fun to climb
Unparalleled lightness
The biggest difference between SKIMO and mountain or BC skiing is equipment. Boots, boards, bindings, and just about every other piece of equipment is lightweight. Some of them weigh about 1/3 of a typical tool.
Structure
Boots are made with climbing and racing in mind, so they have a large range of motion at the ankle and allow the foot to move back and forth easily, skins are easier to glide and can be removed with the board on when moving to the run as they are not fixed to the tail. The skins are not fixed to the tail, so they can be removed without removing the board. The transition to the run is hassle-free and will take less than a minute.
The Three_Valleys
Katashina Village has three valleys, Oze, Marunuma, and Hotaka, each with 100 famous mountains in Japan. Kanto's only 'Special Heavy Snowfall Zone'; five ski resorts in the three valleys allow visitors to enjoy the powder snow that has fallen over the Echigo Mountains.
Oze
Known for Ozegahara, the largest mountain wetland in Japan, the area attracts many tourists from May to October. Most people do not get to see 'Oze in winter' as it is snowbound half of the year and difficult to access in winter. However, with SKIMO, long forest roads are nothing to worry about. You may be able to visit Oze, Ayame-daira and Mt. Shitsubutsu in winter, which you thought you would not be able to visit until now.
Marunuma
One of the first national parks in Japan, Nikko National Park is located here, and it is the home of Mt. Nikko Shirane (2,578m above sea level), the highest mountain in the northern Kanto region. A ropeway from Marunuma provides easy access to the trailhead of Nikko Shiranesan.
Hotaka
Mt. Hotaka has seven 2,000m class peaks including Mae-Hotaka, Oki-Hotaka (main peak), and Ken-Ga-Mine. Named after the legend that Yamatotakeru no Mikoto (the Japanese warrior) climbed the mountain during his expedition to the east, it is known as a mountain of faith.
Coach
The coaches, who are designated domestic athletes with World Championship and World Cup experience, will be your instructors.
Gear
We have the latest and lightest models used in racing.