Ski mountaineering will be in the spotlight on the international stage as the only new sport for the Winter Olympics this year.

Competitors ascend steep slopes with 'skins' on their skis, strap gear to their backpacks, and race downhill in a test of endurance and precision.

In Milan, the new sport is ski mountaineering, otherwise known as skimo. It's a combination of alpine climbing and backcountry skiing. Athletes ascend a mountain with either skis or on foot then descend down, where the fastest back wins gold.

Ski mountaineering makes its Olympic debut on Feb. 19. In the simplest terms, skimo involves athletes climbing up a mountain and skiing down it.

There is a good reason why Courchevel, the star of the Trois Vallées, commands a premium over other ski resorts: everything is here in great quantity – from Michelin stars to karaoke bars – and

Ski mountaineering is the lone addition to the Olympic program for the 2026 Milan Cortina Games. Here's everything to know about the sport.

The 2026 Games will feature just one new sport in the program: skimo. It follows in the IOC’s tradition of experimentation that has brought us several mainstays, as well as a few oddballs.

If you think downhill skiing is a challenge, wait until you see skimo, a brand-new ski event set to debut in the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games. In this event, participants wearing specialized lightweight skis and carrying a backpack and other equipment run uphill.

The mountaineering history behind "skimo," a new Winter Olympic event. Plus, research into a true alpine champion, the mountain goat.