Races

• Have FUN!! and ENJOY the course! It is a beautiful place.
• We ask that all racers and users be considerate of each other.
• Slower racers need to stay to the right, faster racers please pass on the left.
• Snowshoers, please avoid the Classic ski tracks when using the course.
• Ski or Snowshoe in a manner that does not endanger other users.
• Stay off the course when the groomers are grooming the course, especially on Friday afternoon, Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning.
• Please pack out or pick up any trash and keep it beautiful.

The Chama Chile Ski Classic features a loop course, 6 kilometers in length. The difficulty level is moderate. Elements include rolling hills, open meadows, a section of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad tracks, and aspen, spruce, and fir forests.  The course is located at approximately 9,800 feet elevation.  All the races, except the Rookie Races, are based on distances that are once, twice or three times around the course.

The Rookie Race includes sections of the course that are easier to ski or snowshoe, or are shorter in length.  The 1K and 2K Rookie Races use a section of the course that is in a relatively flat meadow with a couple of gently sloping hills.  The 3K Rookie Race includes the meadow and other mild sections of the course.

6K & 18K Freestyle Cross Country Skiing Races: Freestyle skiing is also called skate skiing because of its skating like motion. The course is groomed for Freestyle skiing. 

6K & 12K Classic Cross Country Skiing Races: Classic skiing is the type of skiing that most cross-country skiers first learn.  In classic skiing, skiers move forward in a kick and glide motion, keeping their skis parallel. 

6K Snowshoe Race: The snowshoe race is on the same course as the skiers and is a hard packed course, no trail breaking is needed. We ask that snowshoers avoid ski tracks, and please pass on the left.

6K Ski/Snowshoe Combined & 12K Ski/6K Snowshoe Combined: These two races are actually a combination of the other races. Racer's times from each event are combined to produce a total time.  Combined racers begin their event with the 6K Snowshoe race on Saturday. The next part of the event takes place on Sunday, starting with either the 6K or 12K mass starts. All races begin in the Staging Area of the race course. 

1K to 3K Rookies Races: The Rookie Races are for adults and kids who are new to racing and who want an easier course. Racers can choose to snowshoe or to cross-country ski. They can also choose to go 1K, 2K or 3K, depending on what they feel comfortable doing. The Rookie racers use shorter sections of the main race course. There is a cut-off from the main course for the 3K Rookie Race section.