{"id":795300,"date":"2019-04-29T18:48:01","date_gmt":"2019-04-30T00:48:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.summitdaily.com\/news\/five-peaks-ski-mo-event-takes-racers-to-almost-every-summit-at-breckenridge-ski-resort\/"},"modified":"2019-04-29T18:48:01","modified_gmt":"2019-04-30T00:48:01","slug":"five-peaks-ski-mo-event-takes-racers-to-almost-every-summit-at-breckenridge-ski-resort","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/local-news\/five-peaks-ski-mo-event-takes-racers-to-almost-every-summit-at-breckenridge-ski-resort\/","title":{"rendered":"Five Peaks ski-mo event takes racers to almost every summit at Breckenridge Ski Resort"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"swift-gallery\" readability=\"6.9362521891419\">\n<ul id=\"imageGallery-365205-151\" class=\"gallery list-unstyled\">\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/FivePeaks-SDN-043019-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/FivePeaks-SDN-043019-1.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Hugh Carey \/ hcarey@summitdaily.com | Breckenridge resident Nikki LaRochelle races down the Fourth of July Bowl on Peak 10 during The Five Peaks ski mountaineering race on Saturday, April 27, in Breckenridge. Strong wind gusts ripped off LaRochelle's sunglasses while wearing them near the summit.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"8\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/FivePeaks-SDN-043019-1.jpg\" alt=\"Breckenridge resident Nikki LaRochelle races down the Fourth of July Bowl on Peak 10 during The Five Peaks ski mountaineering race on Saturday, April 27, in Breckenridge. Strong wind gusts ripped off LaRochelle's sunglasses while wearing them near the summit.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"11\">\n<p><strong>Breckenridge resident Nikki LaRochelle races down the Fourth of July Bowl on Peak 10 during The Five Peaks ski mountaineering race on Saturday, April 27, in Breckenridge. Strong wind gusts ripped off LaRochelle&#8217;s sunglasses while wearing them near the summit.<\/strong><br \/>Hugh Carey \/ hcarey@summitdaily.com<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/FivePeaks-SDN-043019-1-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/FivePeaks-SDN-043019-1-1.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Hugh Carey \/ hcarey@summitdaily.com | David Glennon and Nikki LaRochelle skin up Peak 10 during The Five Peaks ski mountaineering race on Saturday, April 27, in Breckenridge. Glennon and LaRochelle placed third overall and first in the co-ed division with a time of three hours and 17 minutes.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"8\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/FivePeaks-SDN-043019-1-1.jpg\" alt=\"David Glennon and Nikki LaRochelle skin up Peak 10 during The Five Peaks ski mountaineering race on Saturday, April 27, in Breckenridge. Glennon and LaRochelle placed third overall and first in the co-ed division with a time of three hours and 17 minutes.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"11\">\n<p><strong>David Glennon and Nikki LaRochelle skin up Peak 10 during The Five Peaks ski mountaineering race on Saturday, April 27, in Breckenridge. Glennon and LaRochelle placed third overall and first in the co-ed division with a time of three hours and 17 minutes.<\/strong><br \/>Hugh Carey \/ hcarey@summitdaily.com<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/FivePeaks-SDN-043019-1-2-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/FivePeaks-SDN-043019-1-2.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Hugh Carey \/ hcarey@summitdaily.com | Carbondale residents and The Five Peaks ski mountaineering race champions Paul Hamilton, front, and Doug Stenclik race down from Peak 8 on Saturday, April 27, in Breckenridge.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"9\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/FivePeaks-SDN-043019-1-2.jpg\" alt=\"Carbondale residents and The Five Peaks ski mountaineering race champions Paul Hamilton, front, and Doug Stenclik race down from Peak 8 on Saturday, April 27, in Breckenridge.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"13\">\n<p><strong>Carbondale residents and The Five Peaks ski mountaineering race champions Paul Hamilton, front, and Doug Stenclik race down from Peak 8 on Saturday, April 27, in Breckenridge.<\/strong><br \/>Hugh Carey \/ hcarey@summitdaily.com<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/FivePeaks-SDN-043019-1-3-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/FivePeaks-SDN-043019-1-3.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Hugh Carey \/ hcarey@summitdaily.com | Rory Kelly of Boulder, right, and Jon Brown of Crested Butte skin up toward the summit of Peak 10 during The Five Peaks ski mountaineering race on Saturday, April 27, in Breckenridge. The race involves nearly 7,000 feet of vertical gain from the base of Peak 9 to or near the summits of Peaks 10 through 6 within the TenMile Range towering over downtown Breckenridge.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"10\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/FivePeaks-SDN-043019-1-3.jpg\" alt=\"Rory Kelly of Boulder, right, and Jon Brown of Crested Butte skin up toward the summit of Peak 10 during The Five Peaks ski mountaineering race on Saturday, April 27, in Breckenridge. The race involves nearly 7,000 feet of vertical gain from the base of Peak 9 to or near the summits of Peaks 10 through 6 within the TenMile Range towering over downtown Breckenridge.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"15\">\n<p><strong>Rory Kelly of Boulder, right, and Jon Brown of Crested Butte skin up toward the summit of Peak 10 during The Five Peaks ski mountaineering race on Saturday, April 27, in Breckenridge. The race involves nearly 7,000 feet of vertical gain from the base of Peak 9 to or near the summits of Peaks 10 through 6 within the TenMile Range towering over downtown Breckenridge.<\/strong><br \/>Hugh Carey \/ hcarey@summitdaily.com<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/FivePeaks-SDN-043019-1-4-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/FivePeaks-SDN-043019-1-4.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Hugh Carey \/ hcarey@summitdaily.com | Carbondale residents and The Five Peaks ski mountaineering race champions Paul Hamilton and Doug Stenclik share a moment at the finish line on Saturday, April 27, in Breckenridge.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"8\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/FivePeaks-SDN-043019-1-4.jpg\" alt=\"Carbondale residents and The Five Peaks ski mountaineering race champions Paul Hamilton and Doug Stenclik share a moment at the finish line on Saturday, April 27, in Breckenridge.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"11\">\n<p><strong>Carbondale residents and The Five Peaks ski mountaineering race champions Paul Hamilton and Doug Stenclik share a moment at the finish line on Saturday, April 27, in Breckenridge.<\/strong><br \/>Hugh Carey \/ hcarey@summitdaily.com<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/FivePeaks-SDN-043019-1-5-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/FivePeaks-SDN-043019-1-5.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Hugh Carey \/ hcarey@summitdaily.com | Ski mountaineering racers skin up toward Peak 9 during The Five Peaks race on Saturday, April 27, in Breckenridge. The race involves nearly 7,000 feet of vertical gain from the base of Peak 9 to or near the summits of Peaks 10 through 6 within the TenMile Range.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"8.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/FivePeaks-SDN-043019-1-5.jpg\" alt=\"Ski mountaineering racers skin up toward Peak 9 during The Five Peaks race on Saturday, April 27, in Breckenridge. The race involves nearly 7,000 feet of vertical gain from the base of Peak 9 to or near the summits of Peaks 10 through 6 within the TenMile Range.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"12\">\n<p><strong>Ski mountaineering racers skin up toward Peak 9 during The Five Peaks race on Saturday, April 27, in Breckenridge. The race involves nearly 7,000 feet of vertical gain from the base of Peak 9 to or near the summits of Peaks 10 through 6 within the TenMile Range.<\/strong><br \/>Hugh Carey \/ hcarey@summitdaily.com<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/FivePeaks-SDN-043019-1-6-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/FivePeaks-SDN-043019-1-6.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Hugh Carey \/ hcarey@summitdaily.com | Ski mountaineering racers Jon O'Neill and David Giardini race down from summit of Peak 9 during The Five Peaks race on Saturday, April 27, in Breckenridge. The race involves nearly 7,000 feet of vertical gain from the base of Peak 9 to or near the summits of Peaks 10 through 6 within the TenMile Range.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"9\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/FivePeaks-SDN-043019-1-6.jpg\" alt=\"Ski mountaineering racers Jon O'Neill and David Giardini race down from summit of Peak 9 during The Five Peaks race on Saturday, April 27, in Breckenridge. The race involves nearly 7,000 feet of vertical gain from the base of Peak 9 to or near the summits of Peaks 10 through 6 within the TenMile Range.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"13\">\n<p><strong>Ski mountaineering racers Jon O&#8217;Neill and David Giardini race down from summit of Peak 9 during The Five Peaks race on Saturday, April 27, in Breckenridge. The race involves nearly 7,000 feet of vertical gain from the base of Peak 9 to or near the summits of Peaks 10 through 6 within the TenMile Range.<\/strong><br \/>Hugh Carey \/ hcarey@summitdaily.com<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/FivePeaks-SDN-043019-1-7-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/FivePeaks-SDN-043019-1-7.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Hugh Carey \/ hcarey@summitdaily.com | Crested Butte resident Jon Brown skins up during The Five Peaks ski mountaineering race on Saturday, April 27, in Breckenridge.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"7.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/FivePeaks-SDN-043019-1-7.jpg\" alt=\"Crested Butte resident Jon Brown skins up during The Five Peaks ski mountaineering race on Saturday, April 27, in Breckenridge.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10\">\n<p><strong>Crested Butte resident Jon Brown skins up during The Five Peaks ski mountaineering race on Saturday, April 27, in Breckenridge.<\/strong><br \/>Hugh Carey \/ hcarey@summitdaily.com<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/FivePeaks-SDN-043019-1-8-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/FivePeaks-SDN-043019-1-8.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Hugh Carey \/ hcarey@summitdaily.com | Paul Hamilton skins up during The Five Peaks ski mountaineering race on Saturday, April 27, in Breckenridge.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"7.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/FivePeaks-SDN-043019-1-8.jpg\" alt=\"Paul Hamilton skins up during The Five Peaks ski mountaineering race on Saturday, April 27, in Breckenridge.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10\">\n<p><strong>Paul Hamilton skins up during The Five Peaks ski mountaineering race on Saturday, April 27, in Breckenridge.<\/strong><br \/>Hugh Carey \/ hcarey@summitdaily.com<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/FivePeaks-SDN-043019-1-9-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/FivePeaks-SDN-043019-1-9.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Hugh Carey \/ hcarey@summitdaily.com | Rory Kelly skins up during The Five Peaks ski mountaineering race on Saturday, April 27, in Breckenridge.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"7.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/FivePeaks-SDN-043019-1-9.jpg\" alt=\"Rory Kelly skins up during The Five Peaks ski mountaineering race on Saturday, April 27, in Breckenridge.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10\">\n<p><strong>Rory Kelly skins up during The Five Peaks ski mountaineering race on Saturday, April 27, in Breckenridge.<\/strong><br \/>Hugh Carey \/ hcarey@summitdaily.com<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/FivePeaks-SDN-043019-1-10-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/FivePeaks-SDN-043019-1-10.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Hugh Carey \/ hcarey@summitdaily.com | Ski mountaineering racers skin up toward Peak 10 during The Five Peaks race on Saturday, April 27, in Breckenridge.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"7.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/FivePeaks-SDN-043019-1-10.jpg\" alt=\"Ski mountaineering racers skin up toward Peak 10 during The Five Peaks race on Saturday, April 27, in Breckenridge.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10\">\n<p><strong>Ski mountaineering racers skin up toward Peak 10 during The Five Peaks race on Saturday, April 27, in Breckenridge.<\/strong><br \/>Hugh Carey \/ hcarey@summitdaily.com<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/FivePeaks-SDN-043019-1-11-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/FivePeaks-SDN-043019-1-11.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Hugh Carey \/ hcarey@summitdaily.com | Boulder resident Rory Kelly races down fromthe summit of Peak 9 during The Five Peaks race on Saturday, April 27, in Breckenridge.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"7.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/FivePeaks-SDN-043019-1-11.jpg\" alt=\"Boulder resident Rory Kelly races down fromthe summit of Peak 9 during The Five Peaks race on Saturday, April 27, in Breckenridge.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10\">\n<p><strong>Boulder resident Rory Kelly races down fromthe summit of Peak 9 during The Five Peaks race on Saturday, April 27, in Breckenridge.<\/strong><br \/>Hugh Carey \/ hcarey@summitdaily.com<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"caption-toggle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.summitdaily.com\/news\/sports\/five-peaks-ski-mo-event-takes-racers-to-almost-every-summit-at-breckenridge-ski-resort\/#\" class=\"show-captions\">Show Captions<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.summitdaily.com\/news\/sports\/five-peaks-ski-mo-event-takes-racers-to-almost-every-summit-at-breckenridge-ski-resort\/#\" class=\"hide-captions\">Hide Captions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText DropCap\">To top out at the true summits of all five of Breckenridge Ski Resort\u2019s peaks during a ski mountaineering race \u2014 it\u2019s a brazen concept that Summit County local Pete Swenson cooked up nine years ago when he launched The Five Peaks ski mountaineering race.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">That first year, the race did reach the 13,633-foot summit of Peak 10 and the other TenMile Range summits within and above the resort. With that, the race achieved its bold goal in the truest sense. But, in the years since, with Summit County\u2019s fickle winter and early-spring weather, the race never again came close to reaching all five summits due to inclement conditions. Reaching all five summits became particularly difficult when the race was moved up to full-on winter dates in the events fourth year, such as the originally-scheduled March 9 race this year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">This year\u2019s race was postponed from March 9 to Saturday, April 27, due to the extreme avalanche danger that existed along the Ten Mile Range race course during the thick of March\u2019s record-setting snowfall. In the end, though, the change provided the Five Peaks, its racers and race director Jeff Westcott with two things.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText Subhead\">THING ONE<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">This year\u2019s race enabled skiers to top out on Peaks 6 through 9 while also nearly reaching the summit of Peak 10. This specific course, different than that of years past, meant the race came as close to reaching its conceptual essence as it has since 2010.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Westcott said the course was altered at the eleventh hour to skirt off of Peak 10\u2019s south ridge and into the Fourth of July Bowl about 100 yards beneath Peak 10\u2019s summit. Westcott said this decision to go no further than Peak 10\u2019s weather station was made due to the presence of the inclement, low-visibility conditions on Saturday. It was dangerous weather the event\u2019s course checker and race marshal estimated to include 60-to-70 mile-per-hour winds along the south ridge near the summit of Peak 10. The race\u2019s founder Swenson, who competed this year, agreed with that description of just how gnarly the winds were near the Peak 10 summit.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cI\u2019ve lost track of the number of times I\u2019ve been up Peak 10,\u201d Swenson said, \u201cbut this was the absolute windiest I have ever seen it. You really needed an 8,000-meter suit if you were going to summit. \u2026 It\u2019s hard to believe how strong a 60-mile-per-hour wind is until you\u2019re in it. And, then, it\u2019s too late. So it was the right call. The leaders traversed into Fourth of July Bowl, and we all followed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText Subhead\">THING TWO<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Westcott, his event team and racers all left Saturday\u2019s race feeling like this time of year, late April, makes more sense for the race moving forward. In fact, Westcott said there have already been some conversations with the ski resort to change the date. It\u2019s a move Westcott said, going by initial indications, the ski area would prefer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThe main reason is that so much of the course is above tree line,\u201d Westcott said. \u201cAnd, on ridge line, that the exposure is significant. So much so that, even on a day like Saturday it was tolerable, but tough. But, imagine that kind of sustained wind exposure in subzero temps. No way we would have gone up there. So, from that perspective, it fits in very well with the European high-alpine ski mountaineering race model. This is when they do all of their big above-tree line events, a more spring-like timeframe and after the snowpack has stabilized. So that is when we are looking moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Saturday\u2019s race was a special one, even within a ski mountaineering competition scene where such events as the Grand Traverse and Power of Four in Aspen take racers to some of the state and country\u2019s most revered of in-bounds and backcountry skiing destinations. Breckenridge local and U.S. Ski Mountaineering Association team member Nikki LaRochelle described the Five Peaks as a kind of mid-distance race that requires you to push the entire time. Due to the initial 4,000-foot ascent up Peak 10 followed by a traverse along the TenMile Range\u2019s ridge, unlike other ski mountaineering races, there is never a chance to settle into a pace or rest, LaRochelle said. But that element, something almost of a super-long sprint, is also what makes this event special.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">What made it more special and spicy for LaRochelle and other racers on Saturday were those windy conditions atop Peak 10. After ascending up the protected Lehman Gulch, LaRochelle said she first noticed the wind at the top of the resort\u2019s Mercury Superchair on Peak 9. Exiting the ski resort\u2019s boundaries near the Peak 9 road, the winds picked up before LaRochelle and other top racers reached gusts she described as \u201calarming\u201d near the summit of Peak 10. The winds were so strong LaRochelle said they ripped her sunglasses off and another racer\u2019s helmet off.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Once down in the Fourth of July Bowl, though, conditions tempered. From there, racers skied along the resort\u2019s high-alpine terrain, which, early in the day, had more-winter-like snow than the wet, slushy spring conditions you\u2019d find near the bottom of the ski resort.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The race continued through to Peak 6, where LaRochelle said the wet, slushy conditions a little later in the day required skiers to herringbone over patches of high-alpine terrain. That led up to what she and Swenson described as a \u201cpretty big\u201d cornice to ski off of the Peak 6 ridge and down into the resort\u2019s Beyond Bowl. The race concluded with skiing over into Intuition Bowl before skiing down to the base of Peak 7. This was different from years past when the race concluded with a skate-ski along the Breckenridge Nordic Center\u2019s Gluteus Maximus trail.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Putting this year into historical context, Swenson said \u2014 gusty winds and all \u2014 this race will go down as one of the greatest in the Five Peaks decade-long history.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cWe had years with bitter cold, real frost bite issues,\u201d he said, \u201cyears where there was not very much snow. But, as a whole, I\u2019d say it\u2019s definitely one of the better years in terms of how much vertical we got to skin and ski. It wasn\u2019t terribly cold, and it was really special being on (Peaks) 10 and 9 and 8 when it\u2019s closed to the public, most of it. So it really felt like a high-alpine ski mountaineering race \u2014 like you\u2019re on the glacier or something.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.summitdaily.com\/news\/sports\/five-peaks-ski-mo-event-takes-racers-to-almost-every-summit-at-breckenridge-ski-resort\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: Summit Daily<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Breckenridge resident Nikki LaRochelle races down the Fourth of July Bowl on Peak 10 during The Five Peaks ski mountaineering race on Saturday, April 27, in Breckenridge. Strong wind gusts ripped off LaRochelle&#8217;s sunglasses while wearing them near the summit.Hugh Carey \/ hcarey@summitdaily.com David Glennon and Nikki LaRochelle skin up Peak 10 during The Five [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[99],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-795300","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-local-news"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-12 21:09:56","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSMT The Mountain","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/795300","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=795300"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/795300\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=795300"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=795300"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=795300"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}