WEB EXTRA
The Grand Traverse is a ski mountaineering race, from Crested Butte to Aspen. Beginning at midnight, racers ascend 7800 vertical feet and trek 37 miles... crossing the finish line at the base of Ajax.
This is the 19th year of the event which has seen growing interest and increasingly fast winning times. It is a ‘bucket list” item for many participants who range in age and come from all over the country.
The course is closely monitored for avalanche risk and in years past races have had to retreat to Crested Butte because of unsafe conditions.
Crested Butte native Drew Holbrook was 12 years old when the inaugural race left the gate. He and his family rushed to the Aspen side and used blue gatorade in the snow at the base of Aspen Mountain to usher the lead racers in.
He now works for Crested Butte Nordic, the organization that oversees the race, and spoke with reporter Alycin Bektesh about the history of the race, the difficulty of the course, what unexpected challenges to expect, and why it’s worth it do race anyway.
