Grand Traverse Ski Mountaineering Race

The Grand Traverse Ski Mountaineering Race demands serious technical competence, backcountry awareness, and sustained physical endurance across a rugged 40-mile point-to-point journey through Colorado's Elk Mountain Range. Starting in the high valley of Crested Butte, you will climb over 7,800 vertical feet across remote winter terrain, following historic mail routes that cross into Aspen. Because of avalanche hazards and freeze-thaw snow dynamics, you typically set out under the cover of night, skinning through sub-zero temperatures along the Brush Creek drainage before encountering challenging high-alpine terrain.

The defining obstacle of the traverse is the grueling ascent to Star Pass, which crests above 12,300 feet. Here, exposed ridge navigation, bitter winds, and icy kick-turns require precise skinning technique and confident transitions. Once over the pass, you face a technical descent through wild backcountry bowls and unmaintained alpine drainages where variable conditions—ranging from windboard and crust to deep breakable powder—will test your edge control and leg fatigue. After navigating remote valleys and rolling intermediate terrain, the course finishes with a long drop into the Roaring Fork Valley, concluding at the base of Aspen Mountain. Success relies not just on uphill engine output, but on seamless gear management and partner communication in severe winter elements.

Crested Butte sits at the northern terminus of Colorado State Highway 135, roughly 30 miles north of Gunnison. For out-of-state travelers, the most convenient regional hub is Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport (GUC), located about a 40-minute drive away. Alternatively, Montrose Regional Airport (MTJ) and Denver International Airport (DEN) offer expanded carrier options, though the drive from Denver takes four to five hours and requires navigating mountain passes that can close during winter storms. Because this is a winter point-to-point race ending in Aspen, you must plan your return transportation across the Elk Mountains in advance, as high-altitude passes like Kebler and Independence remain closed to vehicular traffic in late March.

Plan to stay in either the historic town of Crested Butte or the slopeside village of Mount Crested Butte to remain near mandatory gear checks, packet pickups, and the starting venue. With the valley floor sitting around 8,900 feet and course elevations climbing well above 12,000 feet, arriving several days prior to race day is critical for altitude acclimatization. Late March mountain weather swings drastically from sub-zero overnight lows to intense high-altitude sun during the afternoon, requiring layered technical outerwear and dependable thermal management.