The Pierra Menta has been an annual competition of

ski mountaineering Ski mountaineering (abbreviated to skimo) is a skiing discipline that involves climbing mountains either on skis or carrying them, depending on the steepness of the ascent, and then descending on skis. There are two major categories of equipmen ...

at Arêches-Beaufort in the region of

Beaufort, Savoie Beaufort (; frp, Bôfôrt), also Beaufort-sur-Doron, is a commune in the Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. It is the namesake for the Beaufort cheese, which is produced in the surrounding area. Geo ...

south-eastern France since 1986. The Pierra Menta is one of the three best known races of the

Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...

(''les grandes trois de ski de montagne'') besides the

Patrouille des Glaciers The Patrouille des Glaciers (PDG) is a ski mountaineering race organised every two years by the Swiss Armed Forces, in which military and civilian teams compete. It takes place once every two years at the end of April, in the south part of the ca ...

and the

Trofeo Mezzalama The Mezzalama Trophy ( it, Trofeo Mezzalama, french: Trophée Mezzalama, a.k.a. ''white marathon''

. Pierra Menta is a stage of La Grande Course that includes the most important ski mountaineering competitions of the season. The athletes have to travel a cumulative altitude difference of around 10 000 meters, both ascending and skiing down. The race track is to be completed in teams of two and it varies year by year.''Pierra Mente''
Deutscher Alpenverein. The distance for the younger classes is shorter.

Top Ten lists

Literature

Rolf Majcen Rolf Majcen (born 1966) is a Lower Austrian economist-lawyer, writer and extreme sports athlete. Biography Majcen was born in Johannesburg. He is the grandnephew of Karl Majcen, the former General-Inspector of the Austrian Bundesheer. He earne ...

: ''Bergauf - Abenteuer Ausdauersport'' (German)

External links

official site
(French)

References

{{reflist, 30em Ski mountaineering competitions International sports competitions hosted by France Sport in Savoie 1986 in French sport