EMS Randonée Night Tour To Kick Off 16^th Hannes Schneider Meister Cup

 Alpine ski touring, or randonée skiing, is increasingly popular in ski country, as ski equipment manufacturers produce sturdier, lighter, and more sophisticated ski gear that is equally efficient at free-heel climbs using climbing skins and descents in which the binding converts to hold the boot heel on the ski.

 The 16^th annual Hannes Schneider Meister Cup Race, to be held at Cranmore Mountain Resort March 2 & 3, will feature an untimed, social nighttime ski tour and dinner for skiers on randonée and telemark gear as part of the opening festivities on Friday evening, March 2.

 The namesake of the race, Hannes Schneider, is considered to be the founder of ski instruction as it is still structured today, as well as an originator of the mountain resort industry. Schneider developed his techniques before the invention of ski lifts, and as a practiced and passionate backcountry skier in his native Arlberg region of Austria, used uphill alpine touring techniques daily.

Hannes Schneider ski climbing in his native Arlberg region. Note the way his heel lifts off the ski to allow him to stride forward. Photo by Lothar Rübelt, courtesy of the Schneider Family.

 In view of Schneider’s experience as a mountain soldier in the First World War, and the service of his son Herbert and several of his Austrian protégés in the 10^th Mountain Division in the Second World War, the Meister Cup also honors military skiers of the US Army. Units of the 10^th Mountain Division based at Fort Drum, New York and the Army Mountain Warfare School of Jericho, Vermont are expected to attend the event. Veterans of the World War II 10^th Mountain Division, most of whom spent their training days at Camp Hale, Colorado using randonée gear to climb on skis, will also be on hand.

 EMS, whose North Conway store is a valley center for backcountry skiing equipment, will sponsor the tour, and have alpine touring and telemark demo skis available at Cranmore. Those who need telemark or alpine touring boots should call EMS and arrange to have them fitted before arriving at Cranmore. Reservations are strongly suggested for the demos, which will include gear from Dynafit, G3, Black Diamond and K2.

 Beginning at 5 PM, the EMS randonée tour will ascend a route to be selected and marked by Cranmore patrollers, and follow a designated route down the mountain’s alpine trails. The Meister Hut at the summit of Cranmore will be open and hot chocolate available to participants. All skiers will be urged to make their descent by 7:00 PM so as not to miss the hearty alpine buffet that coincides with the opening reception of the Meister Cup in the newly redecorated Zip’s Café.

 The entry fee for the EMS Randonée Night Tour is $25, and includes a gift bag assembled by EMS, buffet dinner, and complimentary demo equipment if sizes are available. For demo reservations call EMS North Conway at 603-356-5433. Event registration will begin at 4 PM on Friday March 2 in Zip's Pub at Cranmore. For more information, call the Ski Museum at 800-639-4181 or e-mail staff@skimuseum.org.