Make your plans now to attend the best Festival of Freeride and Mountain Mettle in North America February 16 and 17. The weekend kicks off with the Monika Johnson Memorial Rally Saturday the 16. Following the race, the legendary awards ceremony and raffle are back again with skis, packs and trucks loads of gear to shovel out to the audience.

The ceremony is followed by opening act Head Like A Kite, featuring Tilson from the Seattle based Hip-Hop group, the Saturday Knights. Headliners Daydream Vacation, featuring Asya of NYC based Smoosh , bring their costumed craziness and killer stage presence, to close out the evening.

Clinics are back Sunday with special guest Jessica Baker of Ski Divas and Jackson Hole, WY, and Neil Provo, professional splitboarder from Salt Lake City.

Our host of sponsors will be demoing gear all weekend as always!

Click Here for Race Results from Alpental, WA!

Events:

Saturday

The Monika Johnson Memorial Rally - Race Divisions: Check in at 8:00, Race at 10:00. Start training now for 2 laps from the bottom of Alpental to the top! This race is open to anyone willing to take the punishment. No need for a lycra if you aren't that serious, but this event is not for the light hearted!

The Monika Johnson Memorial Rally - Recreational Divisions: Check in at 8:00, Race at 10:00. For the mere mortals among us...just one lap. Skiers will need solid skiing ability as the course does cover black diamond terrain, but this one is doable for anyone in decent physical condition. If fun is your thing but you're not that competitive, this race is for you.

The Monika Johnson Memorial Rally - 50+ Division: Check in at 8:00, Race at 10:00. A nod to those who are still going strong after 50. Just one lap for you all...same as the rec division.

The Monika Johnson Memorial Rally - Splitboard Division: Check in at 8:00, Race at 10:00. For you snowboarders. Just one lap on this one as well. If that's not enough, feel free to sign up for the Race category and compete with the skiers!

Mammut Beacon Contest: Contest starts at 1:00. Test your beacon search skills with the pros from Mammut. Professionals and amateurs are welcome…that means you ski patrollers! 1st Place Prize is a Mammut Element Beacon. Second and third place prizes will also be awarded. $10 to enter the contest.

After Party and Awards - we'll fire up the awards ceremony at about 3:30 followed by live tunes with Head Like a Kite. The beer will be flowing and, as past participants will tell you, there is no shortage of raffle prizes. Bring some money for beer, but there is no cover charge for this part of the festival.

NOTE: Racers in all divisions must carry pack, shovel, beacon and probe. Racers must also have a season pass or purchase a lift ticket.

Sunday Seminars and Clinics

Intro to Splitboarding Seminar – with Neil Provo

All day seminar - 9:30 to 3:00 (#1)
Brought to you by Outdoor Research

Description:

Come learn from the pros! Neil will show you how to make your sidecountry and backcountry experience more enjoyable with transition techniques, gear suggestions and much, much more.

This is an all day seminar so come prepared to spend the day out riding and shredding pow with Neil.

Participants must have a season pass or purchase a lift ticket.

Sidecountry Steeps clinics – With Kim Havell, Women's Only

AM Women's clinic – 9 to 12 (#2)
PM Women's clinic – 1 to 4 (#3)
Poster signing with Kim from 4-4:30
Brought to you by Osprey Backpacks

Description:

Learn to ski the steeps, navigate steep terrain and boost your confidence to ski the burliest lines here in the cascades or beyond. These are women's specific clinics.

Participants must have a season pass or purchase a lift ticket.

Sidecountry Steeps clinics – Coed

AM Coed clinic – 9 to 12 (#4)
PM Coed clinic – 1 to 4 (#5)
Brought to you by Pro Guiding Service

Description:

Learn to ski the steeps, navigate steep terrain and boost your confidence to ski the burliest lines here in the cascades or beyond.

Participants must have a season pass or purchase a lift ticket.

Advanced Ski Mountaineering - How to go from the sidecountry to Mt Rainier!

Sunday, 9:00 - 12:00 (#6)
Brought to you by Scarpa

Description

Join Scarpa athletes, Andy and Jason Dorais, for an on-snow clinic on technical ski mountaineering. Learn how to go from the sidecountry to attempting classics test pieces like Mt Rainier or the Grand Teton. Ski crampons, light weight gear, nutrition, anchors, rope work, and tips on how to go faster and farther are just a few of the things to be discussed.

Group size will be limited to 6, and participants will need to be proficient with and provide their own standard backcountry gear (skis, bindings, skins, boots, and avy gear).

Terrain Selection Clinic – with Rob Gibson and John Stimberis

Sunday, 9:00 - 12:00 (#7)
Brought to you by Alpental Pro Patrol

Description

Travel through avalanche terrain involves more than "spacing out" or limiting exposure to one person at a time. As backcountry travelers we must assess the terrain, snow pack and weather, search for clues to instability, and know the type and characteristics of the anticipated avalanche hazard.

Join professional guides and avalanche instructors for a tour of the Alpental Backcountry where they will discuss and demonstrate travel techniques and observations related to this complex terrain. You will also get a chance to participate in a mock companion rescue drill. Group size limited to 8. Participants must possess advanced skiing or snowboarding abilities and touring gear w/ climbing skins.

Participants must have a season pass or purchase a lift ticket.

Identifying Avalanche Problems: Learn about Risk Management

Sunday, 9:00 - 12 (#8)

Brought to you by the Friends of the NW Weather and Avalanche Center

Description

Have you ever been in the backcountry and asked yourself or your group any of these questions: Should we dig a pit? If so, what should we look for? Should we do a Compression Test? What about an Extended Column Test? If you have, you’re not alone. There’s a tremendous amount of info that we can gather during our day out, but learning how to use the right observation at the right time is a key component for better decision making while giving you more time to enjoy your day outside.

Join Scott Schell, Program Director for FOAC, for a tour in the Alpental backcountry and learn how to utilize the new NWAC avy forecasting products in your daily tour.

Participants must have ski touring gear w/ climbing skins along with a shovel, probe, and transceiver.

Landscape Photography Seminar with Jason Hummel

Sunday, 9:30 - 3:00 (#9)
Brought to you by Outdoor Research

Description

As a skier, Jason Hummel cut his teeth in the North Cascades and the Olympic Mountains of Washington state. His love of skiing lead to a passion for documenting the amazing alpine environments he enjoyed skiing. On a backcountry tour, you’ll learn the nuances of capturing our amazing playgrounds and deepening your ‘alpine state of mind’.

Gear: You’ll need to supply your own camera gear, (camera, lenses, cases, etc). This class will also require backcountry ski/snowboard gear (skins, beacon, shovel, probe, etc) as we will be away from lift accessed skiing all day. You’ll also need to bring a lunch as we will be in the backcountry for the duration of the class.

Intermediate Techniques to Improve Efficiency for Backcountry Skiing

AM clinic – 9 to 12 (#10)
PM clinic – 1 to 4 (#11)
Brought to you by La Sportiva

Description

Want to be able to ski 10,000' in a day, or do multiple 6,000' days consecutively? The goal of this clinic is to provide you with the tools to be more efficient both while skinning uphill and when making the transition back to downhill mode - the 2 biggest time sucks in a day of touring.

Using the terrain to set a comfortable/safe and efficient skin track • Recognizing and maintaining an ideal skin track angle
• Proper body position for uphill travel
• Efficient kick turns (uphill & downhill)
• Dressing for uphill travel
• Techniques for efficient transitions - both from uphill to downhill mode and vice versa
• Equipment Selection (skin width & maintenance , ski crampons, risers etc)