{"id":40545,"date":"2019-02-06T07:00:16","date_gmt":"2019-02-06T05:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/test-01.bergfreunde.de\/blog\/what-is-skyrunning\/"},"modified":"2021-05-27T15:12:41","modified_gmt":"2021-05-27T13:12:41","slug":"what-is-skyrunning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alpinetrek.co.uk\/blog\/what-is-skyrunning\/","title":{"rendered":"What is skyrunning?"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s six o’clock in the morning in Val Masino, the Italian bit of the Bernina Range, or more precisely, in the southern Bergell mountains. It’s freezing cold as a group of crazies eagerly await the start of \u201cTrofeo Kima\u201d. Among them is one of the absolute legends of the sport, the Spaniard Kilian Jornet. But today we\u2019re not planning on climbing the Piz Badile or one of the valley\u2019s many famous boulders, as you might expect.<\/p>\n

Today, we have set out to tackle the \u201cSentiero Roma\u201d, a high-alpine mountain path with seven spectacular passes as high as 3000 metres. And, this route hardly ever takes you onto a hiking trail. For the most part, the terrain consists of moraine, snowfields and exposed crests as well as challenging climbing sections with fixed ropes and chains for safety. But, you have to keep in mind that we only have a maximum of eleven hours for the 50 kilometres and 4200 metres of gain and loss \u2013 a distance a hiker would need five days for. Welcome to skyrunning!<\/p>\n

\"Different<\/a>
Skyrunning doesn\u2019t refer to running on the clouds, but rather a more technically challenging, alpine form of trail running.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Even though the name seems to suggest otherwise, skyrunning doesn\u2019t refer to running on the clouds, but rather to a more technically challenging, alpine form of trail running. But what is the difference between skyrunning and running on hiking trails? When do you become a sky runner?<\/p>\n

From the shepherd to the modern athlete: the history of skyrunning<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Moving fast through the mountains is really nothing new<\/strong>. While the motives in the past had more to with the herding of animals on a mountain pasture, harvesting hay or smuggling goods, today it\u2019s much more about enjoying recreational activities in the mountains.<\/p>\n

It will come as no surprise that the concept of running up and down mountains for the fun of it was unimaginable for previous generations. After all, the conditions can be pretty harsh in the mountains, to say the least. But that doesn\u2019t mean people didn\u2019t traverse the treacherous terrain of the mountains. As one of the pioneers of sport, the Italian Bruno Brunod from the Aosta Valley, aptly put it: “My ancestors were skyrunners<\/strong>. My grandfather crossed the mountains to get to work. We may be doing it a little faster today, but it’s basically the same as it always has been. Skyrunners have always existed”.<\/p>\n

\"Our<\/a>
Our author Flo at Trofeo Kima 2018.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Races in the mountains aren\u2019t new, either. The famous Ben Nevis Race in Scotland has been going strong since 1895. And, as early as the 90s, “races” were being held on Mont Blanc and the Monte Rosa massif in the Alps.<\/p>\n

The inventor of modern skyrunning, Italian mountaineer Marino Giacometti<\/strong> founded the International Skyrunning Federation<\/strong> in 1995. The federation is the governing authority of skyrunning and organises the official skyrunning events, all of which must meet course requirements.<\/p>\n

A skyrunning course must be in alpine terrain above 2000 metres<\/strong>, with climbing difficulty not exceeding II\u00b0 grade<\/strong> (according to the UIAA scale), and must include steep sections<\/strong> of at least 30%. There might be glaciers and snow fields<\/strong> to contend with as well. In other words, skyrunning has distinctive features that clearly distinguish it from both mountain running and modern ultra running. In fact, many of the sport\u2019s most successful athletes have a background in mountain sports rather than classic road running.<\/p>\n