Competitors ascend steep slopes with skins on their skis, strap gear to their packs, and race downhill in a test of endurance and precision.

The mountaineering history behind "skimo," a new Winter Olympic event. Plus, research into a true alpine champion, the mountain goat.

The 2026 Winter Olympics are just around the corner. In a few days athletes from around the world will descend upon the Milano Cortana region of Italy to take on the slopes, hills, skating runs, and other elements of the Games.

If you think downhill skiing is a challenge, wait until you see skimo, a brand-new ski event set to debut in the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games. In this event, participants wearing specialized lightweight skis and carrying a backpack and other equipment run uphill.

The Winter Olympic Games do not receive the same adulation from the masses as the summer games. Some of that is because of the scope of the event. There’s such a wide variety of sports during the summer Olympics,