Ski Mountaineering - Sierra Nevada

Ski Mountaineering - Sierra Nevada

Ski mountaineering (esquí de montaña, or esquí de travesía), also known as “skimo”, involves climbing mountains while either on skis, or carrying them, depending on the steepness of the ascent, and then descending the mountain on skis.

In Sierra Nevada, there are two ski mountaineering circuits:

Circuito El Águila
Circuito El Águila is 5,026m (or 5.026 km) long, with a vertical drop of 950 m.

This route starts from the bottom of the Virgen de las Nieves chairlift, and heads through the Cauchiles area, towards the Veleta peak. The ascent is on the left.

Circuito Montebajo
Circuito Montebajo is 4,030 m, (or 4.030 km) long, with a vertical drop of 700 m.

This route starts from the bottom of the Al-Ándalus gondola lift and follows the edge of Loma de Dílar and the Super Parque Sulayr. The ascent is on the right.

Important guidelines to bear in mind

• Ski mountaineers should be aware that those ascending and descending are not organised into different areas of the slopes, so extreme caution must be exercised at all times; group ascents should be done in single file. Beware of sudden changes in gradient when descending.
• They should also be aware that, if they are not using a lift pass from the Sierra Nevada resort, they will not be covered for rescue by the Piste Service in case of an accident or need of assistance. Ski mountaineering is carried out under the sole responsibility of the skier. It is therefore recommended that ski mountaineers take out insurance.
• Also, since the flow of skiers goes in the opposite direction, in the event of a collision, the mountain skier could be exposed to civil or criminal liability as he/she would be responsible for the accident.