Sky Pilot

16km, 40km, 25km with rappel, kids race

Postponed indefinitely

Overview

Date: Postponed indefinitely
Distances: 16km | 40km | 25km with rappel | Kids Race (~1km)

Sky Pilot is BACK with all new courses! Check out these stats and you can only come to one, obvious conclusion - these are not beginner courses, these are incredibly challenging races with absolutely monstrous elevation profiles!

16 kms with 1400 meters +/-

25 kms with 2500 meters +/- (*with a 50 meter rappel in the middle* ACMG guides will be on site to oversee the rappel site and to belay people safely down the cliff face)

40 kms with 3800 meters of climbing and 3000 meters of descent.

These courses are GORGEOUS and ALL incorporate NEW alpine trails that have never had an event run on them before. These races are sure to impress even the most seasoned trail enthusiasts.

**please note that Sea To Sky Gondola passes are NOT included with your registration fees. However, we do arrange discounts of 20% off gondola tickets for all runners, friends and family on race day**

Kids Race is 1km in length, and most runners are aged between 3 - 10, though we welcome all kids to participate. It's not timed, is non-competitive and purely for the fun of all involved, but with special kids' bibs and random draw prizes. Registration is free, and is available online, or on race morning.

Course

Ascent: 1400m / 4600ft
Descent: 1400m / 4600ft

This is a beautiful 16 km course, but is most certainly the hardest shorter distance race in the entire CMTR series. We think the fastest times will be well over two hours. If you look closely at the course map you'll see a rather large climb awaits on the back half of your route. The good news though, is that the ridge you gain via this climb provides stunning views out over Howe Sound. This is a "high reward" race, but is certainly a more advanced 16 km route. We suggest that people have completed a longer trail race of 25+ kms before giving this 16 km race serious consideration.

Click the map above to view a larger image.

Ascent: 3800m / 12,500ft
Descent: 3000m / 9850ft

Umm, have you peeped the stats on this one? You noticed that it has + 3800 meters / 12,500 ft and - 3000 meters / 9850 ft right? Cool. And one aid station location (that you hit twice), yeah so I guess that's really all you need to know here. The alpine terrain is second to none, I guess we should mention that. The terrain is epic, but let's be honest, this race is going to absolutely crush people, hence the 12 hour finish line cutoff. Have you ever seen a 12 hour cutoff for a 40 km race before? This race is harder than most 50k races, so we strongly suggest you know what you're doing before hitting the 'registration' button on this one 🙂

Click the map above to view a larger image.

Ascent: 2500m / 8200ft
Descent: 2500m / 8200ft

This course is really a thing of beauty. We've been wanting to do a "complete loop" like this from day one, so we're extra excited, six years in, to finally be presenting just that! There is of course that 50 meter rappel in the middle of the race, so you're gonna need to either be experienced with rappelling or take a course in advance of race day. (We'll be offering multiple rappel courses in the spring). There will be ACMG guides on hand to ensure everyone safely descends the ropes section. 2500 meters of climbing and descent and but one aid station should clearly communicate that this race is certainly one of the hardest 25 km races you're bound to find on the continent. The alpine views littered throughout the course pretty much ensure you'll be taking a ton of pics from start to finish. Thankfully there's a mandatory gear list that just so happens to include your cell phone 🙂

Click the map above to view a larger image.

Schedule

Date:	Postponed indefinitely
Distances:	16 km, 40 km, 25 km with rappel
Location:	Sea to Sky Gondola, Squamish, BC The Basecamp Cafe, which serves Galileo coffee will be opening early for all your caffeine needs
Gondola Upload:	8:00 am
Start Time:	40km - 6:00am 25km - 9:30am 16km - 10:00am Kids Race - TBA
Start/Finish:	Sea to Sky Gondola upper lodge (* Except 40km start is at the Gondola Base)
Awards	TBA

Details

Package Pickup:
Saturday: 2:00 – 6:00pm at Escape Route, Squamish
Sunday:
5:00 – 5:30am at Gondola Base (40km only)
7:00 - 8:30am at Gondola Base (all other distances)
9:00 – 9:30am at Start Line

Gondola Lift Tickets MUST BE PURCHASED ONLINE IN ADVANCE OF RACE MORNING:
Lift tickets will be available for purchase at a discount for racers & family shortly before race weekend. Tickets must be purchased on the Sea to Sky Gondola website, and you'll receive a receipt to claim your lift ticket on race morning. NOTE: tickets must be purchased in advance, and are only valid for Race Day.

Parking:
EVERYONE MUST PARK at the Darrell Bay overflow parking lot, located ocean side, just before the gondola parking lot. Please allow for ten minutes to park and walk across to the gondola. Drivers can drop off runners at the gondola in advance of parking BUT NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO PARK IN THE GONDOLA PARKING LOT. There is a strictly enforced three hour parking limit so anyone who attempts to park in the gondola parking lot can expect a parking ticket upon their return.

Parking Shuttle From Darrel Bay to STSG:
A complimentary shuttle service is provided to transport runners from the overflow parking at Darrel Bay up to the racer check in at the STSG base lodge. Walking times are about ten minutes. The shuttle will operate as of 6:30am and will be on a constant loop as it fills seats.

Aid Stations:
There is only one aid station location for all races. Please reference your specific race map. For 16 km runners, you have a long stretch after the aid station, with a massive climb, before reaching the finish line, please depart the aid station carrying ample fluids. For 25 km with rappel runners, you won't see aid until half way into your day, you MUST depart the start line with ample fluids to safely make the first aid station. For 40 km runners, you have three equally challenging segments of your route, you'll need to begin the race with ample fluids, and then take plenty with you after each of your two aid station visits as well.

Our aid stations have all the good stuff, including water, Coke, Heed electrolyte, Hammer gel, chips, nuts, pickles, oranges, bananas, watermelon, cookies, electrolyte tablets, and soup (if weather dictates).

Bag Check: There will be a tent at the start/finish line to leave a bag, but it is not monitored so please label your bag and do not leave any valuables.

Cupless: In our effort to reduce waste, all our races are now cup-free, meaning you'll need to pack along your own cup for fluids at aid stations and at the finish line. Here are two suggestions: a collapsible cup (available in our merch store), or a homemade version cutting the top off an empty juicebox.

Rappel Certification Course:
Participants in the rappel course must have a certification or proof of competency for rappelling.

Poles (hiking / trekking / running poles) ARE ALLOWED for all distances at Sky Pilot.

Mandatory Gear List:
This is mandatory gear and there are no exceptions. We will have volunteers checking one random item per person on course. If you do not possess the one item you are asked to provide you will be turned around and not allowed to proceed. This will be non-negotiable and is for everyone's safety.

16 km - no mandatory gear

25 km rap and 40 km - Whistle, headlamp of at least 150 lumens, emergency bivy (space blankets will not suffice), cell phone, ability to carry 2 liters of water, buff or toque, gloves and a waterproof hooded jacket.

For the rappel, runners must carry their rappel gear, including helmet, harness, rappel device, 2 locking carabiners and a prusik. ACMG guides will be on site to oversee the rappel and to belay people safely down the cliff face.

Cutoff Times:
40 km - finish line cutoff of 12 hours. Two more on course cutoffs will be established that align with this overall 12 hour finish line cutoff
25 km - finish line cutoff of 7.5 hours. One additional on course cutoff will be established that aligns with this overall 7.5 hour finish line cutoff.
16 km - finish line cutoff of 5 hours.

10 Essentials: We encourage everyone to always carry the 10 Essentials for backcountry safety in your pack - whether you’re out training or adventuring on your own or with friends, or participating in one of our extensively marked races, you can never predict what might happen. Learn more about the 10 Essentials in this article by North Shore Rescue.