WAITSFIELD, Vermont ??” Vermont’s Mad River Valley will host the first eastern race in The Mountain Hardwear/Life-Link/Dynafit Ski Mountaineering Race Series. Scheduled for February 5, 2006, the race will begin at the Mad River Glen base area and climb to the Long Trail where it will follow the ridgeline to Sugarbush Mt. Ellen. At Mt. Ellen, the course will descend the FIS trail before crossing into the Slide Brook backcountry to Lynx Peak and descending to the finish at the Lincoln Peak Base Area of Sugarbush Resort.

“The terrain is well suited for a race of this type and we’re pleased to be able to expose backcountry skiers from around the country to what these mountains have to offer, on and off trail,” comments Susan Roy, executive director of the Mad River Valley Chamber of Commerce. “We’re also proud to be the only such race involving two separate ski areas.”

The Randonnee Rally Race Series is held at several North American resorts including Jackson Hole and Whistler Blackcomb. The races test a competitor’s endurance, equipment and skiing skills while skinning up and skiing down some of the toughest terrain that these resorts and their surrounding mountains have to offer. There are two divisions, race and recreation, for both men and women. Some of the nation’s elite randonee racers will compete for points in an attempt to win the overall series championship.

“The opportunity here is great,” notes Eric Friedman of Mad River Glen. “Not only do we expose some of the nation’s best backcountry skiers to the challenge that our terrain offers, but we also get to work with Sugarbush to create an extreme backcountry experience for all who participate. I am really looking forward to this.”

Skiers interested in acquiring more information or registering should visit www.life-link.com.

For more information on the Mad River Valley or for lodging information, visit www.madrivervalley.com or call the Mad River Valley Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-82-VISIT.

The Mad River Valley, home to ski resorts Sugarbush and Mad River Glen, offers visitors Historic Register villages, fine dining, quaint shops and summer recreational opportunities that include hiking, biking, horseback riding, fishing and soaring.