Aspen, CO – One of the most sought after and rugged backcountry ski races on the planet celebrates 14 years March 25-26. The Elk Mountains Grand Traverse follows historic mail routes that connected the Colorado mining towns of Crested Butte and Aspen in the 1880s.nKicking off at the stroke of midnight on March 25, the Grand Traverse is a one-of-a-kind test of endurance and smarts, requiring avalanche awareness, backcountry athleticism, winter camping knowledge and map reading skills all wrapped in one. This unusual start time is scheduled so entrants will reach the high point of Star Pass at 12,303 feet before the warmth of the day increases the likelihood of avalanches.

The 40-mile course starts at 9,000 feet at Crested Butte Community School and traverses to Crested Butte Mountain Resort, where cheering crowds, torches and a fireworks display greet the racers as they pass through the base area just below the Silver Queen lift. After conquering two mountain passes, the teams finish at the base of Aspen Mountain ski area.

“The Grand Traverse is not a Nordic or downhill race, but instead tests skiers overall skills and goes from town-to-town, covering 40 miles of rugged trails in the Elk Mountains. Every event dishes up new surprises for the contestants and the organizers,” says Jan Runge, race organizer.

Last year, for the second time in the race’s history, the start time was delayed until 6 a.m. and was run as the “Grand Reverse,” following a complex course up to the Friends Hut and back, doing several loops to add mileage and finishing at the ski resort in Mt. Crested Butte. The distance was still approximately 38 miles and the vertical 7,000 feet, which is comparable to the usual course but the finish times were 1.5 to 3 hours faster than usual.

With more than a foot of new snow and wind chill topping -40ºF on the high traverses, organizers made the tough call. “The Elk Mountain Grand Traverse has always lived up to its legacy of being one of the most difficult endurance events in the nation,” Runge confirms.

Top priorities of race organizers are the safety of all participants and a minimal impact on the environment. Because of the remote route through the Elk Mountains, each team of two is required to carry enough food and supplies to sustain themselves for 24 hours. Before the race start, the team’s packs will be checked for essential gear such as bivy sacks, stove, fuel, avalanche beacons, rescue gear, and first-aid and repair kits.

More than 40 support team members are present in the backcountry during the race. Some crews are out in the backcountry for a week before the event, assessing avalanche conditions and moving supplies into remote camps. Local pilots also assist by airdropping supplies into alpine basins.

Organizers continue to work toward reducing the race’s carbon footprint, and teams are encouraged to train with a low carbon footprint approach. “Our goal is to undergo a progressive greening of the race over the next several years. This is really the only ‘sustainable’ thing to do—without snow, there won’t really be a 50th annual Elk Mountains Grand Traverse and all of us involved with the race would like to pass on a sustainable legacy to the next generation of skier,” Runge says.

For the first time, Trackleaders will provide SPOT-based tracking so the progress of racers can be monitored on www.elkmountaintraverse.org and www.trackleaders.com. Registration for the Grand Traverse sold out immediately on Dec. 1, with 130 teams filling the slots. Interested teams can check the bulletin board at www.elkmountaintraverse.org for openings that become available.