Race Day Details

• Parking for racers and spectators will be in the Glen. Parking will be in the field near Race Headquarters and along Gould Rd. NO PARKING will be allowed on Thiel Rd. There will be a shuttle from downtown Adams to the Greylock Glen.
• Volunteers will provide traffic control in the Glen.
• The Saturday morning of the event racers will check in starting at 7:30 AM in the Glen.
• There will be a fully staffed ambulance on site at Race Headquarters.
• There will be several vendors in the Glen and on the mountain during the race selling hot beverages and snacks.
• All tents and gates will be taken down immediately following the race on the 12th.
• The Super Highway and the Thunderbolt will be swept at 1:10PM.

Race Description

• ALL racers will ascend Mt. Greylock via the Super Highway snow mobile trail.
• The ascent will take expert backcountry skiers in top shape a minimum of one hour. Intermediate skiers in good shape might take two to two and a half hours. Novices and those who lack fitness may want to consider a different race. This is not a beginner’s race. No refunds will be given.
• Once on the summit and in the Thunderbolt Ski Shelter, racers will be given a ten minute warning of their start time. It is imperative that racers meet their start time. Racers who fail to summit, or who fail to meet their start time will be disqualified.
• On the summit, racers will be able to warm up and rest in the Thunderbolt Ski Shelter.
• The Thunderbolt Ski Run WILL NOT be groomed. It will be left in its natural condition on race day. For the uninitiated, the Thunderbolt Ski Run is considered advanced terrain with expert conditions. Preparing yourself for the worst possible conditions is probably good advice.
• This is a backcountry ski race. There will be NO physical barriers: netting, pads, or hay bales.
• The trail will be gated to slow racers down.
• Racers will leave the summit every minute starting at 11:00AM and finishing at 1:00PM.
• There will be a ten minute break every hour to reset gates and give volunteers a break.
• We will have ski patrollers and race officials on the course arranged so that every section of the trail will have a pair of eyes observing it from line of sight to line of sight.

Race Rules

1. Racers who did not pick up their race materials on Friday, February 10th at the pre-race dinner must report to the Race Headquarters (located in the Glen) for racer check-in no later than 9:00AM.
2. All racers MUST wear a helmet.
3. All racers MUST ascend Mt. Greylock via the Super Highway. Skinning, showshoeing, and boot-packing are the only acceptable modes of ascent.
4. No motorized transportation to the summit! Any racer who receives a ride to the summit will be disqualified.
5. The Super Highway will be closed at 9:30AM. Any racer who has not started up the mountain by that time will be disqualified from the race.
6. Racers will be assigned an approximate start time for their run, and must be on the summit a minimum of 20 minutes before that time.
7. No racer will leave the summit after 1:00PM. Any racer who leaves the summit after 1:00PM will be disqualified and will be considered a non-participant.
8. Snowboards and telemark skis must have leashes.
9. Passing is allowed, but it must be done carefully. Racers are asked to announce the direction of the pass as either skier’s left or right.

Ceremonies and Awards

• There will be a pre-race pasta dinner at the Elks Lodge in Adams on Friday, February 10th. The dinner will be an informal chance to pick up your race bib and other materials. Racers may also pick up their race packets in the Glen on Saturday morning at Race Headquarters starting at 7:30A.M.
• The evening of the race there will be a post-race awards ceremony at the PNA in Adams starting around 4:30PM. Prizes will be awarded for the King of the Mountain (fastest overall time) as well as first, second and third in each of the following categories:
  
  
  
  • Alpine
  • Telemark
  • Snowboard
  • Women’s Overall
  • The Ascent
  Prizes include custom made trophies and medals, skis, goggles, gloves, active wear, etc.

• In the event of a tie in a descent category, the racer with the faster ascent time will win the tie breaker.  Similarly, in the event of a tie in the ascent category, the racer with the faster descent time will win the tie breaker.

Lodging

The lodging locations listed below are in close proximity to Mt. Greylock. In addition, many of these locations are offering discounts for Thunderbolt Ski Racers. Be sure to mention the Thunderbolt Ski Race and inquire about these special rates when contacting them to book your stay.

Race Day Map