This is a beginner to intermediate level plan for those with the goal of skiing Colorado’s Grand Traverse Race or a similar long backcountry ski race. It can also work well for those seeking a better fitness base for a multi-day Hut to Hut ski trip such as Canada’s Wapta traverse, the Oertler traverse in Italy, Austria’s Hoch Tirol Traverse, or the Haute Route.

This plan does not require daily access to snow for skiing but the results will certainly be better if you can get on snow 3-4 days per week for most of the plan. Alternative workouts including running, hiking up hill and steep treadmill hikes can be substituted. Minimal gym equipment is needed for the strength workouts. Since the Grand Traverse often has sections of the course where proficient skiers can skate there are some workouts that suggest training to skate on your race gear.

Maximum weekly training volume is 13 hours and minimum is 7 hours total time.

This plan is based on your RPE, or “Rate of Perceived Exertion,” where workout intensities are guided by how hard you are working based on your perception of effort (how hard the workout feels to you) rather than by heart rate. This plan is an adapted option for those who want to learn to calibrate their true effort levels in their workouts.

Whether you use an RPE-based or heart rate-based training plan, we recommend that you use a chest-strap heart rate monitor and GPS watch to log all your training.