Alistair Brownlee has been at it again, as he continues his relentless global search for high-thrill endurance challenges – although after this latest epic, it seems he might be ready for rest.
Having already raced up the Empire State Building, gravel-cycled across South Africa and the UK, and taken part in the brutal Patagonman Xtri, he has now turned his attention to the mountains and another SkiMo epic, which clearly tested him to the absolute limits.
The two-time Olympic gold medallist and multi-winning triathlon world champion retired from competitive sport in 2024, but his thirst for action and a desire to test himself in new disciplines have led him into the world of SkiMo, a mix of skiing and mountaineering.
International military race
Only last month, he took part in the Sellaronda Skimarathon – a classic nighttime ski mountaineering race in the Italian Dolomites – and last week, he again teamed up with former Polish mountain biker and fellow member of the International Olympic Committee’s Athletes’ Commission, Maja Włoszczowska, to take on the Patrouille des Glaciers.
The PDG is an international military race organised by the Swiss Army, which also allows civilians to join the fun, as competitors traverse the Alps from Zermatt to Verbier on a 64km trek with an elevation gain of 5,968 metres.
Joined by friend Andreas Drack, the trio completed the trek in 11 hours and 25 minutes, with Brownlee admitting he struggled to get to grips with parts of the journey; he described the Plat Des Dix, an expanse of flat ice on a traverse along a valley, as the ‘longest flat 4km of my life’.
He posted on his Instagram account how his colleagues had to wait for him to complete the section, while Włoszczowska also posted a video showing him struggling with what was clearly an intense part of the course.
‘Adventure, challenges and exploring…’
“Sport for me was always about adventure, challenges and exploring new places, so now, not being a professional athlete any more, it gives me the chance to try a load of challenges I’ve wanted to do, and Skimo fits right into that,” he told the International Ski Mountaineering Federation.
“It’s a new sport; it’s endurance-based, and it’s very hard and tough and takes a long time. It’s an adventure; it’s a challenge learning new techniques, skiing down things and skiing up, and using the equipment, but you get to see some amazing sights in the mountains.
“PDG is a race I have known about for some time, and everyone who has done it has incredible stories about it. I like to tell everyone that I don’t train anymore… I exercise, and I have been doing a lot of that.”
Brownlee, however, now seems ready for a bit of a rest. When asked if he will take part again next year, he replied with a rueful look: “Don’t ask me that today… Maybe ask me tomorrow. I’ve had a busy few months in terms of my sporting attempts, so I think I need a couple of more relaxed weeks and then try to work out what’s next.
“It was pretty amazing; you are cruising through the Alps at nearly 4,000 metres, crossing glaciers and big mountain passes overnight, and that’s just amazing.”
